Gig Harbor Auto Repair

If you're a quart low in your , there isn't enough motor oil to lubricate your engine properly. The extra friction causes drag that reduces fuel economy while you're driving around the area. The same goes for dirty oil; it doesn't reduce friction properly. The result is you get to watch those numbers at your local gas pump rolling higher and higher. The transmission also needs the proper amount of clean fluid to do its work. When it's in need of service, the transmission drags your fuel economy down. So keep it clean and give yourself a fighting chance

Hey , are your tires worn out? What is the standard for our streets? How can you tell on your ? While there may be legal requirements for the area, there are safety concerns that go beyond meeting minimum replacement mandates. 2/32 is the depth of the tire tread wear indicator bars that US law has required to be molded across all tires since August 1, 1968. When tires are worn so that this bar is visible, there's just 2/32 of an inch - 1.6 millimeters - of tread left. It's that level of wear that's been called into question recently. We're referring to the Consumer Reports call to consider replacing tires when tread reaches 4/32 of an inch, or 3.2 millimeters. And the recommendation is backed by some very compelling studies. The issue is braking on wet surfaces in and around . Most of us think of our brakes doing most of the ... read more

Myths passed around our community start with a grain of evidence and are then built up with a lot of imagination and very elastic logic. And the internet is a breeding ground for automotive myths. Some bloggers recall the s of yesteryear and declare their modern decedents to be virtually maintenance free and that anyone who says otherwise is out to rip you off. Let's examine a couple of the more popular rants and look at the truth behind them. The first one is that the chassis no longer needs lubrication for suspension, steering and the driveline. They declare that anyone who has charged you for lubrication is a charlatan. The truth on which this myth is based is that many new cars come from the factory with sealed joints and cannot be greased. However, there are still some grease points on many cars around . A grease fitting may have been installed in conjunction with a repair. And most trucks and truck-based SUVs driving in still require chassis lu ... read more

A recent report stated that over 80 percent of the vehicles on our roads have one or more service or repair that's needed, but hasn't been taken care of. Now that's a lot of undone service. That translates into something over 160 million vehicles in the U.S. alone. Some of the neglected items are minor. Others are serious safety concerns. There are several reasons why we hesitate to take care of recommended services; especially services that our automotive advisor recommends when we're in for something else, like an oil change. The first issue boils down to comfort with car care. We don't always feel we know enough to make good decisions. Some of that can be attributed to the fact that vehicles are so reliable these days. They almost become an appliance. Of course you love your , but if you don't have to worry about it breaking down all the time, you're not forced to think as much about preventive maintenance. Pe ... read more

Virtually all vehicles come with power steering so many motorists have never driven a car or truck without it. Power steering assists you when you turn your steering wheel. Without it, it would be very hard to steer. Now this power assist comes in a couple of forms. In recent years, a lot of vehicles have an electric motor that reduces steering effort and helps improve gas mileage. The other kind of power steering is hydraulic. This is the kind most older vehicles, and a lot of newer ones, have. Power steering fluid is pressurized by a pump and is used to assist steering. Of course, motorists need the right amount of fluid in the system. If it's too low your steering is affected and you could damage your pump. Also, power steering fluid can become corrosive over time and damage the pump, hoses and connectors; leading to leaks and repairs. Power steering service at Makert Automotive include ... read more

Our cars have to operate in a wide range of , temperatures and our engine coolant must be able to perform ‘no matter what'. Think for a moment about the environment where the coolant works. Very hot, high pressure, corrosive… And all the while, it has to protect the components of the cooling system from corrosion. These components are made from steel and aluminum, plastics and rubber. The coolant has to be formulated to protect against corrosion for all of these different materials. That's why different manufacturers recommend different types of anti-freeze for our , vehicles. There are several different ‘families' of anti-freeze available to us here in , Gig Harbor, WA. Your owners' manual will tell you what kind you should use. Of course, will know what to put in your car. It's important to stay on top of this because coolant system failure is the most common mechanical problem people have here in , . Regular service at needs to be done to avoid failures and also ... read more

Every car owner who has taken their car in for an oil change has been told that their engine air filter's dirty. Here's what goes into the determination of when to change the filter: First, your owner's manual will have a recommendation of when to change the filter. Second, a visual inspection by your technician may determine that your filter it is visibly dirty and needs to be changed. Now, most air filters purchased in , , or don't cost a lot to replace. It's just that people hate getting caught with an unexpected expense. On the plus side, though, changing a dirty air filter at can often save enough on gas to pay for itself before your next oil change in . Think about a dirty furnace filter in your home. When it's all clogged up, enough clean air can't get through. In your , that means that your engine can't get as much air as it needs to burn the fuel efficiently. So it makes do with less air and has to use mor ... read more

If you've ever been driving around and had a headlamp go out, you've probably just wanted to replace the bad bulb. If your car uses halogen headlamps, they dim over time. So if you just put in one, they won't have the same brightness which can be distracting and will affect your field of vision. To have your headlights inspected, visit us at Mackert Automotive. We're in Gig Harbor, Washington. Or give us a call at 253-851-3307. Experts in recommend replacing your halogen headlamps every year. It's easy to remember if you do it when daylight savings time changes in the fall. That way you'll have bright headlamps for those long winter nights. There are other types of headlamps in addition to halogen. There are the old standard bulbs that have been around for decades. These are OK, but you can usually upgrade to halogen. They cost a little more but you can't believe the difference. If you do a lot of night driving you might want to use a premium halogen bulb that filters out the yellow h ... read more

Looking at getting some new tires? The choices at tire stores can be a little overwhelming. Suppose you have an SUV and are trying to decide between all season tires or some that are also rated for off-highway. Do you get off the payment on the outskirts of more than most? If so, some additional off-road traction would be nice. Maybe the real reason for wanting those off-highway tires is that they look cool. Well there's nothing wrong with that. If you make sure that you've got your functional needs covered with your selection, then you can have some fun with where you go from there. Let's suppose you zip around in a sporty car. You may like to run a high-performance summer tire when the weather's good. When weather turns cold, you can put on high-performance winter tires. For the kind of driving you like to do, you want full-on performance tires. All-season tires are naturally a compromise that works well for most drivers, but since you have a choic ... read more

Getting enough fuel to your engine is very important for performance, fuel economy and safety. In order to accomplish this, your fuel system needs to be clean. Today's production cars have fuel injectors, rather than a carburetor. The injectors need to be cleaned from time to time in order to deliver the fuel with the correct pressure, spray pattern and volume. You can buy fuel system cleaners that you just pour into your gas tank that can help maintain an already clean fuel system, but can't do a major cleaning. For that, you need to see . They have the tools and chemicals to do the job right. can remove particles, gum and varnish from your fuel system and get those injectors running cleanly and efficiently. You'll enjoy more power, better gas mileage and reduced exhaust emissions. The cleaners also help prevent rust and corrosion in your fuel system and lubricate vital engine parts. And, as w ... read more