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

We are giving away a 1997 Chevy Lumina to a person in need. You can nominate yourself or someone you know by going to AutoRepairArizona.com. Contest closes 11/11/2011 Take this last chance opportunity to win, or nominate someone else in need, to win a great vehicle. It's our way to give a little something back. Sincerely, Elite Auto Repair Tempe, AZ

Car Maintenance is Important. It can Also Get Expensive. Even as cars evolve to need less-frequent care, maintenance and replacement costs can take a big bite out of your wallet. Don't worry, we're not going to try to teach you how to rebuild an engine or even dirty your hands - just how to make smart decisions that'll keep you rolling for less. Give Regular Fuel A Try Even if your car says premium fuel recommended - or even required - few really need it. Most late-model cars can adjust to regular fuel because engines are now equipped with knock sensors, which adjust the engine's timing automatically when they detect detonation - the tell-tale 'pinging' sound. You may experience a slight decrease in power and fuel economy, but no damage to the engine. A key exception: If your car is turbo- or supercharged and specifies super, follow the manual. And for Pete's sake, you're doing neither your car nor your wallet any favors by putting higher ... read more

There are four major ways that are considered the best in calculating the value of your car. Choosing which way is the best for you will depend on which method is most convenient and how you plan on selling your vehicle. Thorough research on your particular vehicle will arm you with the tools you need to get the best price possible. Kelley Blue Book - The Kelley Blue Book has long been considered the authority on determining the value of used cars. Their online site is very easy to use and allows users to select almost the exact specifications of their vehicle. You'll have the ability to search by year, make, model, mileage, condition, and location. The Kelley Blue Book can give you prices for the type of sale you're considering for your vehicle by allowing you to select either private sale, trade-in, or retail ... read more

This is from an article that I ran accross just recently. I think it speaks to how we as car repairers need to focus on the cusotmers needs... Factors Influencing Repair Outlet Choice In 2011 Understanding what consumers value in a repair outlet today will allow service providers and their vendors to collaborate to craft an attractive offering in the market, fine-tune the consumer message, and focus execution on critical components of the customer experience. Two key factors influencing consumer repair outlet choice today are trust and value. In addition to the aging vehicle trend, trust is enabling repair shops to win in the current environment. Consumers can't afford to overspend on unnecessary work, nor can they endure the cost of a job not done well. Consumers are spreading the word about repair facilities that can be trusted to do just what is needed at a fair price and get it done right. Today's consumer is also very deal- and discount-oriented. Among other ... 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

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

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