Auto Repair Tempe

We've all heard a car or truck thunder by that needs a new muffler, but there's actually more to the exhaust system than just the muffler. The exhaust system has three main functions. First, it safely gets the hot exhaust gas from the engine, out through the tailpipe. Second, it treats the exhaust to remove harmful pollutants, and third, it muffles the engine noise What is meant by the fact that it safely moves the exhaust? Exhaust gas is poisonous. You don't want it getting into the passenger compartment where you sit. Carbon monoxide can be deadly. That's why you should never run your engine in a closed garage. Not to be too dramatic, but...if you have a leak somewhere in the exhaust system, it could get into the passenger cabin and make you sick or even be life threatening. It's pretty serious indeed. If you smell exhaust in the vehicle, roll down your windows and get it inspected. You may smell or see exhaust coming from the engine compartment or under the vehicle, if yo ... read more

You've probably noticed a bunch of warning lights on your dash when you start your engine. They flash on to test the circuits and then go off if everything's okay. One of the warning lights looks like a car battery. Its job is to tell you if your battery is not charging properly. Now, you know that your battery stores electricity, enough to start your engine and get you moving, but that's about it. You can only get a few miles on battery power alone. You need an alternator to generate enough electricity to run your engine and power your electrical accessories, like the stereo, power seats, heater fan, onboard computers and so on. On top of that, the alternator needs to recharge your battery. So when your alternator isn't working properly, there isn't enough electricity for all those things. One thing's for sure, when your alternator fails, you aren't going very far. Why would your alternator not work? Usually they've simply worn out. Alternators are driv ... read more

Everyone wants to save money, especially when it comes to their vehicles. But after you've found the cheapest gas, calculated the best routes to and from work, and made use of all those little tips and tricks to save on your day-to-day car costs, is there anything else you can do? Yes--you may actually be able to deduct some of your automobile expenses on your taxes. This can help lower the amount you have to pay or even help you get a tax return. This isn't an option for everyone, though. People who own their own business will most likely get more benefit from it, although people who regularly drive a company vehicle or need to use their vehicle for business travel can also made these deductions. However, it's important that you know the rules and regulations for deducting vehicle expenses before tax time. Why before? Because otherwise, you may not have all the receipts or other information you need when you sit down to do your taxes (or ... read more

Expert Advice and Savings Tips for Maintaining Your Car on a Budget Many of our customers worry about their cars breaking down, so they buy a new one. That's fine if you really want a new car, but thanks to improved engineering and technology, you can keep the car you have on the road longer than ever before. The trade off for the improved quality found in today's vehicles is higher maintenance and repair costs to keep their sophisticated systems running. The upside for customers who choose to drive their cars a few years longer is that it costs much less than the alternative of getting locked into a monthly car payment on a newer car, which also comes with higher auto insurance costs. If you choose to keep your car instead of buying a newer model, you'll need to keep it well maintained to make it last. Sometimes unexpected repairs will crop up for your car too, but there's no reason to get stressed out about it. The secret to handling routine car maintenance and unexpecte ... read more

With a slow and gradual economic recovery, today's consumers are more careful about spending their hard-earned money, even if it means putting the performance of their vehicle at risk. The average age for most vehicles in the United States is more than 11 years according to automotive research firm R.L. Polk and Co. Most consumers would rather hold on to their current vehicles while hoping the performance and functions of the vehicle hold out long enough to avoid the purchase of a new vehicle. Proper maintenance of the current vehicle will go a long way towards ensuring the vehicle stays on the road longer. The Real Dangers of Vehicle Neglect It may be tempting to avoid vehicle maintenance due to the associated high costs, but you may be doing more damage in the long run. A recent survey conducted by Automotive Service Excellence showed that a properly maintained vehicle not only lasts longer, but will also retain much of its resale value compared to a vehicle t ... read more

Let's talk cabin air filters. There seems to be some confusion about them, and I’m going to clear that up right here today. I think much of the confusion comes because prior to the 2000 model year, very few vehicles had cabin air filters. I believe people tend to confuse their cabin air filter with the engine air filter, and I can certainly see how that can happen. Every vehicle has an engine air filter that cleans the air going into the engine, but not all have a cabin air filter that cleans the air going into the passenger compartment. It's easy to get them mixed up. The cabin air filter cleans out dust, pollen, spores and other pollutants. To give a point of comparison, a grain of sand is about 200 microns across. A cabin air filter can stop particles that are just three microns in size. It really makes the passenger cabin a much more pleasant environment. I've read that the air in your vehicle can be up to six times more polluted than the outside air, so your cabin air filter r ... read more

If you were like most kids (me included) you had at least some exposure to the toy trucks known as TONKA! Oh, I wanted mine to be real in the worst way. And one of the most popular Tonka trucks was...the dumbstruck, with real tilting dump bed! Ford has intentionally decided to fight dirty by playing on this childhood fantasy of so many kids. Okay, maybe not "dirty", but as strong as this fascination with Tonka is for me and other children, it's at least not fair. :) Meet the Ford F-750 Tonka, or as the automaker calls it, the "ultimate Tonka truck". (Okay Ford, you have my full attention!) Based on the 2016 all-new Ford F-650/F-750 medium duty truck, the dump truck created by Ford and Tonka is a real life replica of the famous toy truck. Unveiled at the NTEA Work Truck show in Indianapolis, the Ford F-750 Tonka truck sports the signature Tonka yellow paint with a custom blackout nostril grille and fully functional dump body from Truck Tech Engineers. The 2016 Fo ... read more

If your car's air conditioning goes out on a hot summer day, your commute to work and to run errands is going to be miserable. There's nothing quite like being stuck in a hot car in the middle of a traffic jam. If your air conditioning isn't blowing cold air, there are a few different things that could be wrong with it. Here are some of the most common issues and what you can do to fix them. It Needs Recharging The most common cause of an air conditioner not getting cold enough is that it needs to be recharged. You can recharge your refrigerant by yourself, but if you're not comfortable doing it, one of our ASE Certified mechanics are standing by and should be able to get your cold air flowing again pretty quickly. There's a Freon Leak Freon is the chemical that cools the air, so if there's a le ... read more

Our little slice of Arizona is considered a severe service area for a lot of automotive parts, not the least of which is your car's battery. The constant heat and driving demands can test your battery to the limit. If you haven't had to replace a car battery yet, you most likely will at some time in the future here in the Tempe/Phoenix area. When it comes to choosing the right battery for your car or truck you need to consider the Reserve Capacity (RC) and Cold Cranking Amps (CCA). Listen to ACDelco's Kurt Pursche explain the difference between RC and CCA and give you advice on which one is the more important item to focus on when you are deciding on your next car or truck battery