Auto Repair Tempe

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

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

Today we're going to look at five bad automatic transmission driving habits. Is it okay to coast down a hill in neutral? Should you put the car in neutral when you come to a stop? What is the safest way to launch an automatic car? Is it okay to switch from reverse to drive while the vehicle is moving? What happens when you put the vehicle in park? Check out the video below for the answers to these five questions! Here's a link to the Arizona law on coasting in neutral: http://www.azleg.state.az.us/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/ars/28/00895.htm&Title=28&DocType=ARS

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

Engine Cooling System If your car is overheating, it can be very serious. You shouldn't continue to drive if you see the temperature gauge has moved towards the "hot" side. Your car may not immediately explode or anything like that, but driving with an overheating engine can cause serious damage to your vehicle. It's better to pull over and deal with it right away instead of risking very expensive repairs later. There are a number of things that can cause your engine to overheat. Some of these are fairly common issues, especially on a hot summer day in the Phoenix, Tempe and Chandler areas. Improperly Circulating Coolant If the water/antifreeze mixture isn't circulating correctly, the engine will start to overheat. This mixture keeps your engine cool during the hot months and prev ... read more

Important Information on Finding an Auto Repair Shop or Auto Body Shop You Can Trust Most people have experienced some kind of auto repair horror story, making them wary of trusting any auto repair shop with the maintenance of their vehicles. The auto repair business often gets a bad rap because of a small minority of unscrupulous service providers; but it's easy for car owners to find trustworthy auto repair shops and auto body shops online, eliminating the stress and uncertainty that often goes hand in hand with locating these services. Online consumer sites like Narpro help Phoenix Metro car owners find reputable auto body shops and auto repair shops throughout the valley of the sun. The reviews and ratings found on Narpro can be trusted because auto repair shops and auto body shops can never pay to be listed on the site, the reviews are from actual customers and the reviews are always validated for authentic ... read more

Let's talk about your suspension. You know, the system that connects your wheels to the vehicle, controls your handling and delivers a good ride. Your suspension is critical for proper steering, stopping and stability. It's a rough world out there, and every time you hit a pothole, a bump or an object in the road, your suspension system has to absorb that impact and maintain control. As you can imagine, your suspension has a lot of joints and pivot points, which allow your wheels to move up and down over bumps and to turn as you steer. Now, these joints simply wear out over time. When a joint is worn, the suspension parts don't fit together as tightly as they should. Handling and steering has a loose feel, and you may hear strange noises. Your tires will wear unevenly, because they're bouncing down the road a little off kilter. A loose joint has the affect of stressing other suspension components so they wear out faster than they should s well, and sometimes a suspension pa ... 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

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