Gig Harbor Auto Repair

Hello, welcome to Mackert Automotive. Today's focus is batteries. It seems like everything in Gig Harbor runs on batteries. Of course, the batteries we're most concerned with here at Mackert Automotive are those in our customer's vehicles. Just like the batteries in our smoke detectors or TV remote, car batterieswear out and need to be replaced. There are a couple of things Gig Harbor drivers should know when looking for a new battery. Look for two measurements that come into play: cold cranking amps and reserve capacity. Let's start with cold cranking amps. This can be thought of as the power output used to start a cold car, truck, SUV engine. The number of cold cranking amps you need depends on your vehicle and where you live in Washington, specifically how cold it is. (Many Washington auto owners have first-hand experience trying to start their car on a cold winter morning.) The two factors ... read more

Gig Harbor drivers' current vehicles have over a century of engineering behind them. They have evolved into complex and powerful machines. Developments in their engines, however, have coincided with advances in many other vehicle components, including the fluids. It's vital for Gig Harbor drivers to always use the right type of fluid for their car, truck, SUV. Your service adviser and your owner's manual are resources for auto advice on exactly what types of fluid your vehicle needs. Improper fluids can damage your vehicle and void your warranty. Some of the fluids that have changed significantly in recent years are cooling system fluid, brake fluid, transmission fluid and motor oil. Each of these comes in many varieties now, and it's important to know exactly which one your car, truck, SUV needs. Cooling systems were once made of iron, steel and rubber. One coolant could be used to protect all of these mater ... read more

With high fuel prices in Gig Harbor Washington comes lots of gas saving advice. Some of it, like what you hear on Mackert Automotive.com, is really great. Some is myth. And some is just designed to prey on Gig Harbor Washington people desperate to save some money on gas. >When you get one of those e-mails that's going around telling you how to save gas, try to think it through. Does it really make sense? Does it defy the laws of physics? Do some research on the internet or ask your Gig Harbor Washington service advisor at Mackert Automotive. There aren't any magic pills you can drop in your gas tank and the government hasn't suppressed a device you can clamp on your fuel line to make your car run on air. Not even in Gig Harbor! So next time you get one of those e-mails, check it out with an automotive professional. You'll get more bang for your buck with an oil change or an engine air filter replacement ... read more

So you have some exciting plans for the Washington weekend. You're going to take some of your Gig Harbor, Washington friends out on the boat for some water skiing. Of course, you've gotten the boat all ready. And you haven't forgotten about your tow vehicle. You've gassed it up and even vacuumed it out. However, there is something even more vital than the cleanliness of the interior: you want to make sure that your car, truck, SUV maintenance is up to date. Think about it - heavy interstate traffic on the way out of Gig Harbor. There's hilly terrain as you get to the lake. Some dirt roads - and it's going to be pretty hot in Gig Harbor this weekend. And all the time you'll be towing around several thousand extra pounds. That all adds up a lot of severe strain on your engine, brakes and transmission. Let's just consider the transmission. It's going to be working overtime, spending more time in lower gears. The internal transmissi ... read more

At Mackert Automotive we've had a lot of Gig Harbor, Gig Harbor, and Gig Harbor clients asking how they can make their vehicles last longer. These questions are actually a reflection of a trend that's been building for several years in Washington. The median age of personal vehicles is now over nine years. And 33 percent of all vehicles on the road have over 75,000 miles on them. It looks like it's going to keep heading in that direction for a while. With high fuel prices, a lot of Gig Harbor folks are putting off buying a new car. So let's say you're one of the average car owners in the Gig Harbor area; you've got a nine year old car with 80,000 miles on the odometer. What can you to do make it last another year or two? Let's start with the premise that there's no reason that a modern car can't run for 200,000 miles with proper care in Gig Harbor. The engineering and manufacturing quality is there. Of course, some parts will wear ... read more

Let's talk about air quality in Gig Harbor. It's a global issue, but affects us wherever we are. Many decades ago, Gig Harbor motorists began to become aware of how air pollution negatively affects health. But what about the air inside your vehicle? Cabin air filters are now coming on most new car, truck, SUVs in Gig Harbor. These filters clean the air in the passenger compartment. They can filter particles down to three microns, so that's good enough to clean out dust, pollen and most pollutants. If you suffer from allergies in Gig Harbor, this is very good news. Your car can be a haven during your Gig Harbor commute. Now, it's only been in the last few years that cabin air filters have become common in Gig Harbor. You can look in your owner's manual to see if you have one. If you do, there'll be a recommendation for replacing it when it gets dirty. If you live in an area of Gig Harbor where there ... read more

Everyone in Gig Harbor Washington eventually replaces their tires, whether it's because they're worn out or they're just looking for something different. There are so many great tire choices in Gig Harbor Washington, it can be difficult to sort them out. Let's group the broad spectrum into several categories that will help in the selection process. One category is often referred to as "summer tires". Summer tires are designed to be driven on the road when temperatures are generally above 45 degrees. Their tread design is optimized for traction on dry roads in Gig Harbor Washington and they're also able to effectively displace water on rainy roads. Now the rubber compound gets a little hard and stiff as temperatures drop below 45 degrees as it occasionally does here in Gig Harbor Washington. And the tread which handles dry roads so well, can get packed with snow or mud - which provides very little traction in those conditions. So if y ... read more

When your car, truck, SUV has a problem, or just needs some routine service, you might get a little nervous. Your car's so important to your life in Gig Harbor, you need to back on the road as soon as possible - with the problem fixed right the first time. If you've ever checked into some of the technician training Mackert Automotive professionals receive, you may be surprised at how much specialized knowledge and skill goes into diagnosing and repairing a modern car. For example: Today there are four cylinder engines that generate more power than the 1980s-era V-8's. I mean a new V-6 Toyota Camry could beat Sonny Crocket's Ferrari in a race to sixty. Some car, truck, SUVs have several networked computers controlling most of the engine functions and many other vehicle operations as well. Gig Harbor motorists take all of this sophistication for granted - but somebody has to fix it when it breaks. It's a real challenge for Gi ... read more

We live such busy lives nowadays: work, social events, running the kids all over Gig Harbor. Some days it's all we can do to keep track of everywhere we need to be. That's why you've gotta be organized. Smartphones, calendar apps - we have to keep track of it all. So let's talk about schedules. Specifically, automotive service schedules. And particularly, the important scheduled services that are sometimes forgotten. Here is a list of 10 service items that are often overlooked by Gig Harbor car owners. They're all very important and need appropriate attention. So here we go, in no particular order. 1. Power Steering Service Be honest; have you ever thought of this on your own? Your power steering fluid gets dirty and builds-up moisture over time. Cleaning out your power steering system means that dirt and gum are removed and your important power steering parts are protected from detrimental corrosion. Next time you're ... read more

Gig Harbor drivers know that engines need to burn fuel to operate. Fuel is pumped from your fuel tank to your car, truck, SUV engine where it is squirted-or injected-into your engine's cylinders. This is the function of the fuel injectors. There are two ways to inject fuel into an engine. Fuel needs air to burn, so in the first method, fuel is injected into a port and allowed to mix with air and before it is drawn into the cylinders. In the second method, fuel is injected directly into the cylinders and mixes with air after it enters the car, truck, SUV engine. Direct injection engines burn fuel more efficiently than conventional car, truck, SUV engines. Some models can deliver the power of a V8 with the economy of a V6. For example, in one family of engines, the conventional version (a V6) delivers about 250 horsepower. The direct injection version delivers over 300 horsepower and gets about the same gas mileage. The turbocharged version delivers 350 horsepower. Why t ... read more