Gig Harbor Auto Repair

Most Gig Harbor car owners are all talking fuel economy right now. Better gas mileage. Fewer emissions. Washington folks want to save the environment and our pocketbooks. And we Gig Harbor auto owners all know - or should know - that preventive maintenance will help maintain maximum fuel efficiency. But is there something more we can do? After all, some of us Gig Harbor car owners can't cut back on our driving, and others would like to do more to economize. Weight is one major enemy of gas mileage. The more you lug around in your vehicle, the more fuel you have to burn to get from Gig Harbor to Gig Harbor to Gig Harbor. And that means buying more gas and producing more emissions. Of course, your vehicle's weight isn't negotiable. And you can't do much about the weight of your passengers. And this isn't an article about diet and exercise. But look around your car. Are you hauling a bunch of unnecessary weight ar ... read more

Every Gig Harbor vehicle owner has to purchase tires at some time or another, so it's a good idea to understand what the choices are. The best seasonal performance is achieved by purchasing tires to match the season you are driving in. Summer tires are designed for hot temperatures. The tread is engineered for good traction on dry or rainy Washington roads. But the rubber compound in summer tires gets stiff when temperatures drop below 45°F, and snow and mud can pack into the tread, reducing the traction of the tire. Winter tires are designed for good traction on snowy surfaces. The tread actually throws snow off of the tire as the wheel turns. The rubber compound in a winter tire is soft so that it will remain flexible at Gig Harbor temperatures below 45°F. At higher temperatures, however, the softer rubber wears down rapidly. All-season tires sacrifice some of the extreme performance of summer or winter tires, but they maintain adequate traction in either type of Gig Ha ... read more

The exhaust system on a vehicle is more complex than most Gig Harbor motorists realize. It contains everything from old-fashioned pipes and clamps to sophisticated computers and sensors. All Washington folks know a properly functioning exhaust system is good for the environment, but sometimes we forget that a damaged exhaust system can be deadly. That's why preventive maintenance on your exhaust system is so important. We can help you with that at Mackert Automotive in Gig Harbor. The exhaust manifold is the first component in your exhaust system. The manifold is attached to the engine. It collects the gases that are produced by the engine and directs them into the exhaust pipes. At this point, these gases are both hot and chemically dangerous. One of the gases produced in your engine is carbon monoxide. This gas is colorless and odorless. Breathing it can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea and drowsiness. Continue breathing it, and you will die ... read more

There is a clear and vocal demand in Gig Harbor and nationally for a reduction in air pollution and our dependence on fossil fuels. This is what is driving the Washington market for alternative fuel vehicles. There are a number of these vehicles on Gig Harbor area roads today, and many more being developed. Yet each of these vehicles has its own advantages and disadvantages. Gig Harbor car owners should learn what these advantages and disadvantages are before running out and purchasing one of these alternative fuel vehicles at your nearest Gig Harbor dealership. Gig Harbor auto owners should carefully research the car care before buying an alternative vehicle, as it may or may not coincide with the standards for gasoline vehicles. You should look at costs and fuel efficiency as well: these vehicles may help save our environment here in Gig Harbor, but that might not represent a savings to your wallet. You'll need to decide what you can afford, and ... read more

Gig Harbor drivers know that engines burn fuel to operate. Fuel is pumped from your fuel tank to your 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 engine. Direct injection engines burn fuel more efficiently than conventional 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 the big difference in power? Direct injection sys ... read more