Gig Harbor Auto Repair

Here's an interesting statistic for our friends in : Only thirty percent of car batteries make it to forty-eight months. And the life expectancy varies by where you live. It ranges from fifty-one months in extremely cold areas to just thirty months in extremely hot climates. Why is that? It turns out that it's our modern cars with all their electric accessories that are to blame. Things like, GPS, DVDs, and entertainment computers are keeping car batteries from maintaining a full charge. The longer a battery goes with a low charge, the sooner it'll die. So you must recharge your battery. This is the job of the alternator. The problem comes when the car's demand for electricity is high and we are driving in stop and go conditions or short trips around or . The alternator just can't keep up. The result is shortened battery life. So what can we do to improve our battery's health? We need to keep the battery as close to a full charge as possible. That can be hard be ... read more

One topic that hits the news in on a regular basis is the price of gas. The answer for some people in is to buy a more fuel efficient vehicle. For the rest of use, we need to improve our fuel economy anyway we can. Following recommended service intervals by coming into is one of the best ways to keep your car running efficiently. That means better fuel economy. When you give it some thought, it only makes sense. Dirty oil or transmission fluid can't lubricate or clean. That means more drag which reduces fuel economy. Keeping up with scheduled oil changes and transmission services will save gas. Dirty engine air filters are another efficiency pirate. They rob your engine of enough air to effectively burn the fuel, so you need more gas to get the job done. Replacing a dirty air filter can pay for itself in fuel savings before the next oil change. You can imagine what dirty fuel injectors can do to your as you drive around . If your owner's m ... read more

Suspension systems function effectively for many years and tens of thousands of miles. Eventually, however, suspension components do wear out, but how long that takes depends a lot on how you drive around and . As you can imagine, if most of your driving is on smooth highways, your shock absorbers will last a lot longer than if you do most of your driving on bumpy roads or haul heavy loads. In addition to just wearing out, suspension components can be damaged in an accident or by a hard impact - like a pothole, hitting a curb or a rock in the road. Because the life span of shocks can vary so widely, auto makers recommend periodic inspections. During an inspection at in , your automotive service technician will check for worn, broken or missing parts. Here's a quick rundown of suspension system components: First there are the springs which hold the weight of your . There are severa ... read more

We're living in a disposable society. Everything from elaborate packaging to our clothing. Even cell phones are disposable. When replacement is cheaper than repair, the term "built to last" goes by the wayside. An exception is our vehicles. They're still a very big investment and we want to make them last as long as possible - and we want to make keeping them as cheap as possible. When talking cars, it's all about preventive maintenance. There is an old saying that says, "a stitch in time saves nine" and that is really true when it comes to taking care of your car. A great example is coolant service. Your coolant not only protects your engine from overheating and freezing - it must also protect cooling system components from corrosion. Over time, coolant becomes corrosive and actually starts to damage your radiator and other parts. That's why you need to have your cooling system serviced on a regular schedule. The same is true for your power steering system, brake fluid, air condi ... read more

Some motorists are confused by charges for diagnostic services for a vehicle repair. Many services at and other automotive repair shops include diagnostic fees. When you take your laptop into a computer repair shop for a problem you'll likely have to leave a deposit for diagnostics. When we visit our doctor for a medical problem, we're paying him to diagnose our ailment and of course for the tests that go along with it. So receiving a diagnostic charge at for a tricky automotive problem shouldn't be a surprise. In the area, automotive diagnostics can cover quite a range. If you hear a noise in your brakes when you slow down in rush-hour traffic on a busy expressway, you pull off the next off-ramp and take a quick visual check. That is usually enough to know what needs to be done. If you're having an intermittent problem with your engine, diagnosis may be much more involved. Much of the public's confusion com ... read more

All pilots have checklists for every aspect of flying. They always use their checklists even if they only have two steps on them. They do this simply because a checklist is a great way to not forget important steps. It is also how you can assure a predictable outcome. That is why and automotive service centers have procedural standards for each service they perform. Technicians are trained step by step. And they perform the procedures step by step, the same way each time. By training to procedural standards, centers can assure a quality outcome. The job is done right every time and you are happy with how your car performs. Each company trains its technicians to standards. The industry as a whole is very committed to standards of excellence and encourages individual service center operators to apply them to every vehicle they service. An example is how service technicians grade problems and communicate their recommendations. If a technician tells you that a repair or replacement is req ... read more

There was a man in who learned that most car accidents occur within a mile of home - so he moved. (Just Kidding!) When we think of defensive driving, we often focus on our local highway situations. The fact of the matter is we need to be just as careful close to home in , because that's where we do most of our driving. We can't let our familiar surroundings keep us from driving defensively. Defensive driving begins with the proper attitude. Have in mind that you won't let anyone take your safety away from you. You'll be aware of your surroundings, road conditions, other vehicles and hazards. And the first person to be concerned with is you: start with your own environment. Don't leave without securing all occupants including children and pets. Watch for loose items that can become projectiles during evasive maneuvers. Driving too fast or too slow increases the chance of an accident. Never drive impaired: Alcohol is a factor in half of ... read more

Your cooling system is very important. It circulates coolant through the radiator and your engine to protect your car from overheating. There are five main components to the cooling system: The water pump's like the heart of your cooling system, circulating the fluid throughout. It's a small pump that's driven by the engine; usually by belt, but sometimes by a chain or gear. The water pump only operates when the engine's running. Water pump failure is pretty routine. Some start failing at around 40,000 miles, but most fail by 100,000 miles. Consult your owners' manual or service technician to see what's recommended. Since a water pump either works or it doesn't, you need to change it when it fails. Water pumps fail in one of two ways: the bearings fail or they begin to leak. It's possible to have a leak from a cracked water pump, but it usually leaks at the gasket where it attaches to the engine. So how can you tell ... read more

Your car is important to you and keeping it running is vital to your lifestyle. That's why you should have it serviced regularly at . And even though it may just be routine maintenance, you want it done right. It's also very important to your service center to keep you happy and on the road. You might be surprised at the amount of money our service center spends every year to make sure our technicians are properly trained. offers a variety of car care services to many kinds of vehicles. We need to be up to date on the latest techniques and parts so that they can care for your car properly. Our centers subscribe to data services that list the high quality parts and fluids recommended by your manufacturer. And each service has a checklist of standard procedures. technicians follow these procedures so they can safely deliver a consistent level of high-quality ser ... read more

No matter how well they're made, cars in will have design or manufacturing problems. And when the government thinks a problem is really serious for people in , they require the manufacturer to issue a recall notice and fix the car free of charge. The manufacturer then tries to contact everyone in who owns that type of car to get the recall work done. These recalls always affect safety, so take them seriously. It's easy to see if a vehicle's being recalled. The government has links on its websites, or just visit AutoNetTV for links. There are many websites with free recall information and searches. There's CarFax, AutoByTel and the DMV. Recalls are serious, but not all that common. But sometimes there are less significant issues, and for these ... read more