Auto Repair Tempe

What should you do when your vehicle won't start? This frustrating experience can put a wrench in your day. Over the years, cars have become much more reliable. But with so many moving parts, even the most well maintained vehicles are occasionally temperamental. Assuming you're not a mechanic, let's take a look at the most common situations and how to deal with them. You Turn The Key - Nothing Happens Listen to your car. Even though it has betrayed you by not starting, it's still considerate enough to give you hints as to why. If you turn the key and the engine doesn't crank at all, things may not be all that bad (believe it or not). The problem most likely lies with the battery, especially in cold weather. When your car responds with silence or clicking: • Turn on the car lights. If they're dim, you may have poor battery connections or a dead battery. Did you leave your headlights on last nig ... read more

It happens to everyone at some point: you're running late, it's a big day, and just when you think you're going to make it, you turn your key and...your car does nothing. There are a number of reasons why your car may not start. Some of them can be pretty quick, inexpensive fixes, but some may require the assistance of a professional mechanic. Here are some of the more common issues that can cause your car to not start. Check the Battery Cables If your car makes no noise at all when you try to start it, one of the battery cables may be the problem. Look to see if they're corroded. If you're comfortable using hand tools under the hood, you can take a screwdriver, push the point between the connector and the battery post, and twist it a little. If the engine then starts, the problem is the cable, and you'll need to replace as soon as possible. Is the Battery Dead? If your car makes a clicking noise, the problem may be the battery ... read more

Understanding The Battery Indicator Light The charging system light or battery indicator light shouldn't be ignored.. Whenever this indicator light turns on, it means that the vehicle is relying solely on the stored battery power to continue to power all of its electronic components. Unfortunately, this means the car is limited in how far it can travel before the car dies due to lack of electrical power. Most vehicles will display the warning light in one of three ways: The light may be red or amber and displays the "CHG" or "ALT" icons. The indicator light is red and displays the "BATT" when the key is in the ignition and the engine is off. Most commonly, there's a red icon that represents a car battery.   Before the 1990's, the charging systems in vehicles relied on a voltage regulator near or inside the alternator itself to function properly. The light was attached to the battery and whenever the vehicle started, th ... 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

Batteries are a huge part of modern life. How many battery chargers do you have around? We've got a box full of them. Of course, we're here to talk about your car battery. When people come into our tempe auto repair shop and need a new battery, they're really not that happy about having to spend the money. But the fact is, 70% of batteries don't last four years, but there are some things you can do to extend the life of your battery. First, keep it clean. If you see it getting dirty or greasy, let us know and we can clean it off. A dirty battery runs hotter, and that shortens its life. If your battery terminals are corroded, let us take a look at that, too. We can clean them up, and if the corrosion has gotten into the battery cables, we can replace them. Also, running your battery way down is bad for it. Things like running the headlights or watching a DVD player with the car turned off, can deeply deplete your battery. The typical battery can only take about ten of these d ... read more