Auto Repair Tempe

Today I'd like to give you a quick overview of the modern fuel system. It starts with the fuel tank. The fuel pump is located inside the tank and pumps fuel out to the engine. Somewhere along the way is a fuel filter, whose job is to filter out dirt before it gets into the engine. Then there's the fuel intake system and the fuel injectors that deliver the fuel to be burned in the engine. Now, let's focus on how to make the various components of your fuel system work well and last as long as possible. The best thing you can do for your fuel pump is to use good, quality fuel. Top-tier gas typically has fewer contaminants and more detergents, to keep things clean. Using good gas or adding a fuel system cleaner to your tank can prolong the life of your fuel pump. Because the fuel pump lives inside your tank, it's pretty expensive to replace. Helping it last as long as possible is a worthwhile goal. The fuel filter is often called the forgotten filter, but it plays a vital role in ho ... read more

Did you know you should have your vehicle inspected at least once every year or so? This is because you need to do some preventative maintenance yearly to avoid major problems. After all, most people go see their doctor, optometrist, and dentist once a year so any major health issues can be caught and dealt with as early as possible. You need to do the same for your car. The beginning of the fall is the perfect time to have this preventative maintenance done. There are a few reasons why it's a good time. You've Driven a Lot Over the Summer Many families do a little more driving during the summer than usual. While it's true you don't have to drive your kids to school or to their various activities, you may drive them to other activities, such as a summer sports league, summer school, a sitter, or to the playground or park on a regular basis. Many people take vacations over Labor Day or Memorial Day, plus some people drive to their summer ... read more

Today I want to talk about your engine air filter. That's the filter that cleans the air, before it's burned in your engine. Pop Quiz! How often should you change your engine air filter? The simple answer is…when it's dirty. That's a function of how much air is passed through the filter. So the manufacturer will recommend a mileage interval for replacing the air filter, but you can imagine that how dirty the air is would affect how quickly the filter gets filled. If you drive where there's a lot of dust, pollution or pollen, your engine air filter will get dirty more quickly and need to be changed sooner. That's why we check the air filter with every full service oil change. We can visually tell if the filter needs to be changed. What happens when the air filter gets completely dirty? The filter can only hold so much dirt. So, dirt will pass through to the engine, once the filter is full. This dirt gums up the combustion chamber and hurts performance and may cause damage. It can a ... read more

The Positive Benefits Of Preventative Auto Maintenance We don't know anyone who looks forward to unexpected repair bills for their cars, but it's something that you may face time and time again, without consistent attention to the maintenance of your vehicle. We feel the pain of each and every customer that walks through our doors with broken cars in desperate need of repair. Their story could be different if they had taken a little time to care for their cars on a routine basis, instead of putting things off for some future date. If you feel like you're spending too much time and too much money on repairs, the answer to your woes is having preventative auto maintenance performed on your vehicle at the right intervals, or when you first get a warning that one of the systems in your car is in need of repair. These warnings may come from an odd sound that you notice coming from your vehicle or may come from a light on the dash that stays on longer than it used to. Paying attent ... read more

Despite the presence of cars in almost everything we do, usually we know little more than the fact they take us places--and they need gas. Unless you have a mechanical background, chances are you have no idea what goes on underneath the hood of your car. In an effort to better our understanding of a tool we use with so much frequency, below are some common misconceptions about how to maintain a car. MYTH #1 Where can you find what the air pressure in your tires should be? If you said on the side of the tire, you're wrong. The information on the side of a tire states the maximum amount of pressure to be used, not the optimum amount. To find the pressure for your tires that will maximize braking, handling, gas mileage, and comfort while driving, you'll need to check out wherever the car manufacturer placed it. Usually there's sticker on the doorjamb, in the glove box, or on the fuel-filler door. Follow these guidelines for optimal performance. MYTH ... read more

Wheel bearings - not the most exciting topic. :) However, they're another important part of your car that keeps your ride smooth and safe, and they need proper maintenance. Wheel bearings are what enable your wheels to spin freely. Since they bear the entire weight of the vehicle, they have to be tough. Wheel bearings can last well over 100,000 miles, but they do wear out and eventually need to be replaced. You might hear a groaning sound from your wheels. The sound might disappear at some speeds and reappear at others. Your service technician her at Elite Auto repair can quickly tell if your bearings are bad by raising the vehicle and wiggling the wheel. When you grasp the top and the bottom of the tire, it shouldn’t move along the vertical access. Many vehicles these days have wheel bearing assemblies that cannot be serviced. When those bearings go bad, we simply replace the entire assembly. For those ve ... read more

It's important to take good care of your car. If you don't, you may find yourself dealing with expensive repairs or, even worse, end up needing to buy a new vehicle. There are a number of small, basic things you can do to keep your car in excellent condition that don't require you to be a mechanic or know much about cars. Many of these things will not only help maintain your car but will also increase your gas mileage. As the price of gas increases, there's no better time to check over your car and make certain it's in good running shape so you can save a little money. Tires The tires on our car take a lot of stress, but unless they look low, most people rarely think to check them. In fact, very few people perform the recommended monthly inflation check to make certain their tires have the proper air pressure. Tires lose air through permeation, so even if you don't have a hole in the tire, it will still slowly lose pressure. Also n ... read more

Seeing where you're going while driving at night is crucial. Yet many drivers suffer with less than adequate light from their headlamps or headlights, and there's no good reason to let that happen. 40% of traffic fatalities take place at night, even though there’s 60% less traffic, which serves to demonstrate how important proper visibility is to nighttime driving. Obviously, a clean windshield is important and so are good wiper blades, but what role do your headlights play? The answer is, a big one! There are two main concerns. One is with the headlamp/headlight, or bulb, the other is with the lens. The fact of the matter is, headlamps go dim over time. You just need to replace them. Some vehicles come with a standard bulb, which you can replace, or you can upgrade to a halogen bulb that is much brighter. Halogen costs a little bit more, but you'd be amazed at the difference. Ma ... 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