Gig Harbor Auto Repair

If you're reading this article in , then you probably care about your car and how it runs. Even though you care, there is still that moment of dread when your service technician tells you the manufacturer recommends some additional service. Your heart beats a little faster, your blood pressure rises. You worry about spending more money than you expected. And you worry that if you say "no", you might be harming your car or compromising safety. At the risk of sounding like your dad, you really should have done your homework. All of this stuff is in your owner's manual. But it is not like you want to keep your maintenance schedule on your nightstand for bedtime reading. Cars are complicated machines and it takes care to keep them running well. That is why manufacturers have maintenance schedules that explain how to keep your vehicle performing efficiently and prevent costly break downs. In a typical owners manual you'll ... read more

Most folks around have had a flat tire. You know it's inconvenient and a pain. Our tires are important. Keeping them in good working order isn't just a big safety issue - it also has a financial impact. With high gas prices, we've all heard about the importance of keeping proper tire pressure to save on gas. In addition, proper inflation promotes even tread wear so your tires last longer. There's another danger to under-inflated tires. Low tire pressure puts added stress on the structure of the tire itself, causing it to break down prematurely. Also, under-inflated tires generate more heat which also reduces tire life. So get those slow leaks fixed quickly - don't just keep airing them up every few days. You want to avoid serious tire damage. Tires can also be damaged by road hazards in and around . Punctures, cuts and impacts on curbs or potholes can also cause damage that could lead to tire failure. Sometimes, it's something that a visual inspection would reveal. Take the opport ... read more

Make an appointment with to have your on board diagnostics analyzed. Today we're going to talk about on-board diagnostics and the questions we hear from folks around who need answers about diagnostic services. They want to know what diagnostics are, what's involved and what the benefits are. They really want to understand the value of diagnostic scans by a trained technician in . These are valid concerns. If you don't understand something it's really hard to know its value. Let's start with some history. Since 1996, all cars and light trucks in have been required to use a standardized diagnostic system to help repair technicians determine what's wrong with your vehicle. The diagnostic system works with the vehicle's Engine Control Module - the computer that controls many engine functions. The computer monitors dozens of components and processes. Depending on what the sensors read, the computer will make adjustments to compensate f ... read more

Today's auto maintenance article focuses on your serpentine belt. Your serpentine belt is a long belt that's driven by your engine. It winds around several accessories that power important automotive systems. Let's go over them. First, the serpentine belt drives your air conditioning system. It spins the compressor that makes the cool air that takes the edge off the summer heat in . Next, the belt powers the alternator. The alternator creates electricity that's used by your 's electrical systems and also charges your car battery. All drivers know that without the alternator, the battery will go dead in a few miles. The serpentine belt may also run the pumps for both the power steering and power brakes. And, on many s, the serpentine belt powers the water pump. The water pump circulates coolant through the engine to keep i ... read more

All modern vehicles come with fuel injection systems, so it's a topic we all need to know something about. All new cars and trucks sold in , over the last 30 years or so have come with fuel injection systems. The fuel injector is a valve that delivers the gas or diesel fuel to the right place, in the right amount, at the right time; to be mixed with air and burned in the engine. So how many fuel injectors does your car have? There's one for each cylinder. So four, six or eight for most folks in , . Some vehicles have 10 or 12 cylinders. The engine control computer makes adjustments to the fuel injector as it monitors the engine and other sensors. Fuel injectors are a pretty sophisticated part. can help you with a fuel injector cleaning service. What's the benefit? In order to work right, the fuel injectors have to deliver the fuel at a precise pressure at a very precise time. The fuel needs to be sprayed in a particul ... read more

Today's post focuses on using the proper fluids for your vehicle. Big advances in automotive technology have lead to the development of high-tech fluids to keep pace. Some because of engineering advances and others, advances in the materials used to build automotive systems. A simple example of this is the cooling system. For decades it was primarily made out of iron, steel and rubber hoses. There was one kind of coolant that protected these components from corrosion. Now cooling system components are made with various metal alloys and plastics. These materials require different additives to protect them from corrosion. Since the materials used vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, we now have a number of different kinds of coolant. And it's important that car owners use the right coolant. If you pour in the wrong kind, it won't protect the cooling system and may even void the warranty. Check ... read more

Today we want to talk about a very important system in our cars - the cooling system. It's one of those things that you don't give much thought to until it fails and then you're stranded by the side of the road. Cooling systems fail more often than any other mechanical system - usually because of neglect. Don't you hate it when something breaks, and you could have done something to prevent it? The good news is that if you take care of your cooling system it can keep working for the life of your car. Here at Mackert Automotive, we emphasize preventive maintenance services like replacing your coolant according to the factory schedule. But the various parts that make up the cooling system need attention too. The major components of the cooling system are the water pump, freeze plugs, the thermostat, the radiator, cooling fans, the heater core, the pressure cap, the overflow tank and the hoses. It sounds complicated, but we don't have to b ... read more

You may know that all 2008 model year and newer cars, mini-vans and light trucks in come with a tire pressure monitoring system. Many slightly older vehicles around have these systems as well. A tire pressure monitoring system - called TPMS - consists of sensors on each wheel that measure tire pressure. If tire pressure drops 25 percent below the manufacturer's recommended pressure, the sensor sends a signal to a monitoring unit that causes a warning to light up on the dashboard. When you see the warning light, you know it's time to put some air in your tires. There are many benefits to driving with properly inflated tires around . First is cost savings. Running at the correct air pressure improves fuel economy. Driving on under-inflated tires is like driving through sand - it drags down your fuel economy. You'll also see longer, more even tread wear so your tires'll last longer. Another important benefit of properly inflated tires is ... read more

Today we're going to be talking about serpentine belts for our customers. Let's start by talking about the accessories that are driven by the serpentine belt. First is the alternator. That's the device that makes electricity to power the vehicle and recharge the battery. Then there's the air conditioning compressor that makes cool air for you while you're driving around in the summer. The power steering and power brake pumps are driven by the serpentine belt in most vehicles. Those pumps make the pressure that assists your steering and braking. In many vehicles, the water pump is driven by the serpentine belt. The water pump is what circulates the coolant that protects your engine. In some cars around , the water pump is driven by the timing belt. The radiator cooling fans on some vehicles are also driven by the serpentine belt. Some have separate electric motors. That's really a lot of work for one belt. But modern engine design has a single bel ... read more

The government mandates a lot of equipment on cars for the area: emission devices and control computers; safety equipment like airbags; and crash worthiness requirements. All of this is great for the motoring public in general, but it does add quite a bit to the price of a new car. Because new cars are more expensive, people are driving their old cars longer. The average car is now over nine years old. 68% of vehicles on the road have more than 75,000 miles/120,000 kilometers. As cars age, their performance drops, they have difficulty idling for long periods and are more sensitive to weather extremes. Fortunately today's cars are up to the challenge - but they need a little help to keep on going. Some owner's manuals don't specify service requirements at higher mileage. That doesn't mean it doesn't have to be done. In fact, it's more important than ever to stay on top of routine maintenance for cars with more than 120,000 miles/190,000 kilometers. Just extend ... read more