Auto Repair Tempe

How Do I Know If My Mechanic is Honest?     Considering there are some 800,000 auto mechanics in the US, about one for every 316 cars, it makes sense that most drivers don’t know much about cars. Unfortunately, dishonest mechanics might exploit that inexperience, overcharging for auto repairs or suggesting unnecessary and expensive services, to name a few. How do you know if your mechanic is being honest? How Dishonest Mechanics Work Dishonest mechanics may exploit the unaware by hyping up a service, with confusing technobabble, or suggesting “shotgun” repairs. If you hear, “Your car is going to (explode, burn, die) if you don’t do this,” be wary and get a second opinion. Rarely is a repair such a dire emergency. Dishonest mechanics and hack mechanics might suggest shotgun repairs. There’s almost no chance that your no-start problem will need a starter, battery, and alternator to fix. Similarly, there’s almost zero chance t ... read more

How to Do A Brake Job the Right Way Why do we need another article on doing a brake job? This article will give you the know-how and numerous tips to help you solve common braking issues on today’s vehicles. In this article, I will give you professional advice and technician-accredited tips that we’ve been using at our shop for years. Hopefully, whether you’re a driver, do-it-yourselfer, or technician, these steps and tips will help you make the right decisions when it comes to addressing brake repairs on whatever vehicle you’re driving or working on. One of the first things you need to start with is why your vehicle needs brake repairs in the first place. At the risk of minimizing your technical expertise, no matter what level you are at, I believe it’s important to first nail down the reason behind the brake job. On the one hand, if you know you need brake repairs because you’ve done a brake inspection and have verified that brake pad thickness ... read more

Your axles are the last link in transferring power from the engine to your wheels. They're strong parts that last a long time, but they can run into trouble. Of course, axles just wear out over time and need to be replaced, and sometimes axle seals leak, causing the axle to wear out prematurely. Lubricant leaks out and water and dirt can get in and contaminate the gears. When this happens, you might hear strange noises coming from your axle. If you have a rear wheel drive vehicle, the sound would be at the back. If you have a front wheel drive vehicle, the sound would be up front. Of course, with an all wheel drive vehicle, the sound could come from either the front or the back. It might be a groaning sound or a clunking noise when you’re turning. Your service technician here in Temple at Elite Auto Repair can inspect for leaking seals. There's a rubber boot that protects the constant velocity, or CV joints, on so ... read more

Choosing the best, whether synthetic or conventional, engine oil is highly controversial and debated. Motor oil is surrounded with myths and questions. Today we'll look at the answers to these common motor oil questions: What does 5W-30 mean? Why should I change my oil? What is the typical composition of motor oil? Are aftermarket oil additives needed? What does synthetic oil mean? Can you mix synthetic with conventional oil? Can synthetic be used to break in an engine? What causes sludge? Why should I use the viscosity grade that the manufacturer recommends? Check out the video below for the answers to these frequently asked questions. And remember, if you're ever unsure about a topic like this as it applies to your cars, we're only a phone call away

I probably don't need to tell you how important your disc brakes are! Having good brakes just keeps you out of trouble. Carefully maintaining your brakes is the key. With disc brakes, brake pads rub on a disc, or rotor, to slow the wheels. The pads are attached to a caliper that squeezes them against the rotor. It's kind of like how squeezing the handbrake on a bicycle pushes the brake pads against the wheel of the bike. Now, pads just wear away with use, kind of like how a pencil eraser wears out. But the good news is replacing brake pads is a straightforward repair. If you hear squealing or grinding when you use the brakes, have your service advisor here are Elite Auto Repair in Tempe check them out. He'll have one of our certified technicians perform a thorough brake inspection to see what needs to be done. He'll check for signs of brake problems and go over other brake components to see tha ... 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

Brakes that work properly are essential to your safety. So of course, you want to carefully maintain your brakes. In vehicles equipped with drum brakes, the brake components are housed inside a drum that rotates with the wheel. When you step on the brake pedal, brake shoes push out against the inside of the drum, slowing the wheel. Now, brake shoes just wear away by rubbing on the drum when you brake. When it's time to replace brake shoes, it's a straightforward repair. If you hear squealing or grinding when braking, have your service advisor here at Elite Auto Repair in Tempe check them out. He'll have a service technician perform a thorough brake inspection to see what needs to be done. He'll check for signs of brake problems and go over other brake components to see that they're working properly. He can tell you if it's time to replace the shoes or if there are other brake i ... 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

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