Gig Harbor Auto Repair

Did you know that most of the cars driving around carry more computer power than the Apollo 121 Lunar Module that landed on the moon in 1969? New cars sold in the area have as many as twelve networked computers and over five miles (eight kilometers) of wiring. In fact, for the last decade or so, auto computers have been controlling about 85 percent of your vehicle's functions. Cars have sensors for manifold air temperature, coolant temperature, manifold air pressure, airflow, throttle position, vehicle speed and oxygen content. All of this electronic wizardry is pretty complicated. So how do you know when there is a problem? It's simple; the Check Engine light comes on. The computer monitors all the sensors and uses that information to decide what to adjust such as the fuel mix, spark timing and idle speed. In addition, the computer monitors its own circuits. When it finds a fault, it turns on the Check Engine light and stores a tr ... read more

Drivers rely on their car's coolant system to keep their engine cool. Coolant (also called antifreeze) mixed with water flows through your engine and absorbs heat. The mixture then flows out to the radiator where it's cooled by air flowing over the radiator. From there the coolant/water mix circulates back through the engine to absorb more heat. There's a reason we mix coolant and water. Water alone actually does a good job transferring heat from the engine. The problem is that water boils at a temperature that's easily reached inside your ‘s engine, so it can turn to steam which does not conduct heat as well and is harder to contain. Also, if it's freezing outside in , the water in your engine could freeze while your vehicle is sitting out in the cold. So, if you remember your high school chemistry, you'll know that a mixture has both a higher boiling point and a lower freezing point than either component alone. Coolant, or ... read more

Having trouble with your fuel system? Bring your into for a check up.MAckert Automotive, 253-851-3307 In today's auto post,we're talking about fuel system cleaning. The first thing to know is how important it is to have a clean fuel system. drivers need fuel to go, and the cleaner the fuel system, the more efficiently the fuel will burn. That means more power and better fuel economy. A clean fuel system saves money at the pump. We guess you could say, it all starts and ends at the pump. One of the most important things drivers can do to keep their fuel system clean is to buy good quality gas. Major brands have detergents that keep gum and varnish from rapidly building up in the fuel system. So buying cheaper gas in can actually cost more in the long run. Now, most cars on highways are more than five or six years old. That means they've had time for some dirt and rust to start accumulating in the fuel tank. This junk needs to be f ... read more

Improved fuel economy has two benefits: less fuel is necessary and fewer emissions are released. cars and trucks run cleaner than ever. auto owners may not realize that the first federally mandated pollution control device came out almost fifty years ago. Auto owners that were around in the early 60's may remember that the PCV valve came out on 1964 model cars. PCV stand for Positive Crankcase Ventilation. The crankcase is the lower part of the engine where the crankshaft is housed and where the engine oil lives. The crankshaft is connected to the pistons that power the engine. When fuel is burned in the engine, it pushes the pistons down and the crankshaft rotates and sends power to the transmission. Some of the explosive gases from combustion squeeze past the pistons and down into the crankcase. Now this gas is about 70% unburned fuel. If it were allowed to remain in the crankcase, it would contaminate t ... read more

Something you're going to be hearing a lot about around , is diesel engines. We're not talking about semi-trucks and buses - We're talking about diesel engine cars, pick-ups and SUVs. Most people in , are surprised to learn that around half the cars on the road in Europe have diesel engines. Nearly all import auto manufacturers offer a range of diesel engines abroad - even the ultra-luxury brands like Mercedes and BMW. For the most part, these diesel engines haven't been available in , . But that's about to change. In the past, North American diesel fuel has had a much higher sulfur content than European fuel. Recent environmental laws have required changes in diesel formulation and emissions standards here in , so we are now ready to start seeing more diesel options offered over the next few years. Why are so many motorists interested in diesel engines? Well first off, diesel fuel is more energy dense. There's more pow ... read more

We're going to be talking about the ethics of automotive repair. It seems like news outlets really like hit-and-run reporting; they hit everyone from groceries stores to retail to physicians. And the automotive service and repair industry hasn't been given a pass either. Unfortunately, every profession in has some bad actors that hurt the reputation of everyone else. On the automotive side, industry associations and professional licensing organizations are very committed to high ethical standards. Yet some people remain uncomfortable with automotive service and repair. It may start with the fact that our vehicles are a big investment and we rely on them for so much in our lives. That alone guarantees our attention. And how well we understand the recommendations really impacts our comfort level. If we understand what's recommended and the benefits of taking care of the work - and the pitfalls of putting it off - we'll have more trus ... read more

Good brakes are obviously very important. If you've ever had your brakes go out while you're driving around the area, you'll know how terrifying it can be. Today we'll focus on how to tell when you have a brake problem, and how to make good repair choices. Often, the first indication that something's wrong with the brakes is an unusual sound. It could be a squeal, chatter or grinding sound. Some brake pads have a little piece of metal embedded in them that will make a squeal or chirping sound when the brake pads have been worn down to the point that they need to be replaced. It's an early warning indicator. When you hear that sound, schedule an appointment at soon at 253-851-3307. Now a chattering sound is more urgent. That usually indicates that something is loose. It could be a brake pad or even the brake calipers. If one of those parts falls off, you could have some serious trouble stopping the vehicle. It would be a good ide ... read more

Have you ever had an experience like this in ? You drive through the one of those automatic car washes. When you get to the end, where the dryer is blowing, your check engine light started flashing! You fear the worst, but within a block or two, the light stopped flashing, but stayed on. By the next day, the light was off. You wonder; "What was going on?" Well, it's actually a good lesson in how the Check Engine light works. Your air intake system has a sensor that measures how much air is coming through it. When you went under the high-speed dryer, all that air was blasting past the sensor. Your engine computer was saying, there shouldn't be that much air when the engine is just idling. Something's wrong. Whatever's wrong could cause some serious engine damage. Warning, warning! It flashes the check engine light, to alert you to take immediate action. It stopped flashing because once you were out from under the dryer, the airflow returned to nor ... read more

Today at we want to talk with you about a very important safety issue. This automotive safety warning is coming from a very unusual source: fire fighting experts. You've probably heard of E-85 gasoline being offered in the area. Some newer vehicle models are specifically built to run on E-85 - the rest are not. E-85 gasoline has been developed to fight air pollution and reduce oil consumption. E-85 fuel is a mix of 85% ethanol, a grain-base alcohol, and 15% gasoline. So-called Flex-Fuel vehicles are designed to use either normal gasoline or E-85 gas. The result is lower harmful exhaust emissions to our local community. All gas engines can run with up to 10% ethanol and in fact a lot of gasoline sold in the area does contain some ethanol. The problem comes when well meaning people without Flex Fuel certified vehicles put E-85 into the tank. At a 15% concentration, the potential for problems arises. Because of t ... read more

It's important for car owners to know battery basics. First, let's talk about which is harder on a battery - hot or cold weather. Most car owners think it's cold weather because that's when we call on our batteries to have enough power to start a cold engine. However, heat does more damage to a battery than cold. Truth is, our batteries start to die a little from day one. Keeping a full charge slows the process, which is hard with short trips because the alternator doesn't have time to fully recharge the battery from starting the engine. car owners can top off the charge with a computer controlled battery charger - say, once a month in the summer and every three months during the winter. As far as how long a battery will last, statistics show that 70% have given up the ghost within four years. By that time, they aren't capable of taking a full charge like they used to, and your alternator has to work o ... read more