Gig Harbor Auto Repair

Today, we are talking about your PCV valve. The PCV Valve is a little, inexpensive part that does a key job for Gig Harbor car owners. PCV stands for Positive Crankcase Ventilation. The crankcase is the bottom area of the engine that holds the oil. When the car, truck, SUV engine's running, fuel is burned to generate power. Most of the exhaust from combustion goes out through the exhaust system. But some exhaust blows by the pistons and goes into the lower engine, or crankcase. These hot gases are about seventy percent un-burned fuel. This can dilute and contaminate the oil, leading to damaging engine oil sludge. It can also cause car, truck, SUV engine corrosion, something we see occasionally at Mackert Automotive. At high speeds on Gig Harbor freeways, the pressure can build up to the point that gaskets and seals start to leak. Back in the old days, auto makers simply installed a hose that vented these ... read more

Custom wheels are one way that Gig Harbor folks express themselves and personalize their car, truck, SUV. But they aren't as cheap and easy as sticking decals on your back window. There are several important factors need to be considered, including cost, the fit of the wheel, modifications that will have to be made to the car, truck, SUV, how the new wheels and tires will affect the operation of the vehicle, your driving habits, and, of course, the style of the wheels. Most Gig Harbor drivers start with the last factor: the style of the wheels. But that should be the last thing we choose. When considering custom wheels, you should first carefully consider your budget. Some wheels may require expensive adjustments to your car, truck, SUV suspension system, brakes, or traction systems. You need to know what you can afford before you start shopping in Gig Harbor or get your heart set on a particular type of wheel. There are ... read more

There's not much we can do about the price of gas in Gig Harbor Washington, but we do quite a bit about how much we use as we're driving on our Gig Harbor streets. Our driving habits can dramatically affect our fuel economy. The first thing we can do is watch the ‘go-pedal'. Hard acceleration just sucks the gas. Gently leave stop lights and plan lane changes so you don't need to floor it. That can save you hundreds of dollars a year. Go a little slower on the freeway to Gig Harbor. Once you're going more than sixty-five miles an hour your fuel economy starts to drop dramatically. Leave early so you don't need to rush to be on time. And cruise control is your friend - steady speed uses less gas. Plan errands ahead. Make fewer trips by combining errands. Hey at current gas prices, a lead-foot might as well be a gold foot

Scratching your head? Don't worry, if you don't know what a differential is - you will in a moment. That fact is that if you drive a car anywhere in Gig Harbor, Washington, you have a differential. Whether your vehicle is front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, you have a differential. Some Gig Harbor auto owners might even have two or three. Not surprisingly, a differential's job is to compensate for differences. Specifically the differences in wheel speed when turning. For instance, imagine taking a corner near your Gig Harbor, Washington home. Your inside wheel has a shorter distance to travel than the outside wheel as you turn the corner. That means that your outside wheel has to turn faster to keep pace with the inside wheel. The differential allows the wheels to turn at different speeds while still providing power to your vehicle. Without a differential, Gig Harbor auto owners' tires would scrub and hop along the pavement during turns like the e ... read more

At Mackert Automotive we hear from a lot of people who are excited about the new diesel engines that will soon be available in passenger cars and SUV's. But our Washington friends are often curious about the preventive maintenance requirements. People may not know that diesel engines have long been used extensively in Europe and Asia. In fact, in some markets, there're nearly as many diesel powered passenger cars as there are gasoline. Here's who's announced or is expected to announce new diesels for North America: BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Volkswagen, Nissan, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai and Subaru. Of course, the US auto makers will be expanding their diesel offerings as well. Diesels will become a very big deal here in Washington. You may ask, why has it taken so long getting to Washington and North America? There are a bunch of reasons like fuel tax policies and such, but the biggest hurtle was that Washington diesel fuel had a high sulfur content - too h ... read more