Gig Harbor Auto Repair

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

New cars cost so much these days. Add financing and insurance and, well a new vehicle may not seem so attractive. A lot of , people are hoping to make their cars last a lot longer. The good news is that with the current state of automotive engineering and manufacture, there's no reason a modern vehicle can't be made to last for a 150,000 miles or more. There is an old saying that says, ‘a stitch in time saves nine' and that is really true when it comes to taking care of your car. A great example is coolant service. Over time, coolant becomes corrosive and actually starts to damage your radiator and other parts. That's why you need to have your cooling system serviced on a regular schedule. The same is true for your power steering system, brake fluid, air conditioning system, differential and transmission. And your oil changes should be done right on schedule to avoid the build up of harmful oil sludge. Don't le ... read more

Everyone in the area wants our tires to last as long as possible. Two ways to maximize tire life are wheel balancing and tire rotation. When wheels are out of balance, they wobble a bit. That makes the tires wear in a cupping pattern. And they vibrate. To fix this, your service technician at puts weights on your wheels to balance them out. If a front wheel is out of balance you'll feel it in the steering wheel. If it's a rear wheel you'll feel it through your seat. That brings us to tire rotation. The front tires on a car wear out more quickly than the rear tires. As they push through turns from to , the shoulders of the front tires wear down. So rotating front and rear tires allows them to all wear at about the same rate over the life of the tire. Proper tire inflation will also help your tires last longer. Under-inflated tires wear excessively on the shoulder and may even ... read more

Screeching tires, crunching metal - it's an accident! If you've ever been in a car accident in your area, even a minor one, you know how upsetting it can be. It's hard to think straight and know what to do. Let's review what you should do in case of an accident: When an accident occurs, you should always stop. Leaving the scene of an accident in is considered a crime - even if it's not your fault. And hit and run penalties are fairly severe, possibly resulting in steep fines, loss of your driver's license or even jail time. Your jurisdiction may require that you try to help someone who is injured by calling for help or performing first aid if you are able. Warn other and motorists by putting out flares, using your flashers or lifting your hood. Call emergency services as soon as possible. Tell the operator if medical or fire help is needed. Always file a police report. It's tempting to skip this if everything seems to be ... read more

Buying a new car in is always a big financial decision. The allure of that new car smell is powerful, to be sure. But what if your current car is still in good shape?How do you decide? People in who've been used to driving a new car every three to five years may be having second thoughts in this economy. For many, the question is, how does the certainty of a new car payment stack up against uncertain repairs for a car that may be out of warranty? For purposes of our discussion, let's assume you live right here in and have a five year old vehicle. It's now paid off. If you keep it, you fear that there'll be some repairs over the next five years, but you really don't know what to expect. For help we turned to Edmunds.com. Edmunds.com has compiled maintenance and repair information for cars and trucks. With this data, they project likely service and repair costs ... read more