Gig Harbor Auto Repair

    The primary job of the serpentine belt is to provide critical traction to spin the accessories. As the belt wears it loses some of its grip and the accessories may not spin at prime speeds. For example, if your alternator doesn’t spin fast enough, the battery will not completely recharge while you’re driving and you could end up stranded with a dead battery. In short, a worn serpentine belt will stress all of the accessories it powers leading to premature wear and possible early replacement. When as little as 5% of belt material is lost, the serpentine belt cannot provide the proper traction for the accessories. Your friendly and courteous Mackert Automotive service professional can check your belt for excessive wear and replace your serpentine belt system if it’s excessively worn. Give us a call Mackert Automotive 253-851-3307 3416-B 57th ST CT NW Gig Harbor, Washington 98335

The timing belt rotates the cam shafts which open and close the valves that allow air, fuel, and exhaust to flow through the engine as it powers your vehicle. An old timing belt can lose a “tooth” in the belt allowing it to slip. The engine could stop or misfire. Timing belt slip – or a broken timing belt – can be disastrous on some engines. In “interference” engines, open valves can get in the way of the piston when the timing belt breaks or slips. When that happens one or more valves can be bent requiring expensive engine repairs. It is critical for Gig Harbor auto owners to replace their timing belts as recommended in their owner’s manual to avoid unnecessary breakdowns. Ask the team of professionals at Mackert Automotive in Gig Harbor if it’s time for your timing belt to be replaced. Give us a call Mackert Automotive 253-851-3307 3416-B 57th ST CT NW Gig Harbor, Washington 98335

About 90% of our driving decisions in Gig Harbor are based solely on what we see. So having a good pair of windshield wipers is extremely essential. Most Gig Harbor car owners have experienced the frustration and fear of not being able to see clearly during a storm, or when our car, truck, SUV windshield is just dirty. In fact, it’s estimated that 46,000,000 drivers across the nation are driving with wipers that can’t adequately clear their windshield in a storm. It seems like our wiper blades are always at their worst when we Gig Harbor drivers need them the most. If that sounds like you, you’ve got plenty of company in the Gig Harbor area. 78% of auto owners only change their wiper blades after the blades function so poorly that they become a safety hazard. Gig Harbor drivers need to change their thinking. Instead of blades being something to replace when they fail, we need to consider wiper blades as a critic ... 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 critical 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 essential power steering parts are protected from dangerous corrosion. Ne ... read more

A while back, the Cash for Clunkers program was all over the Washington news. Gig Harbor people could trade in their old vehicle for a new one that got better fuel economy and receive a government rebate. A lot of Gig Harbor motorists had so-called clunkers that they wanted to keep. They’re good commuters, Gig Harbor grocery getters or toy haulers. They enjoy that fact that they’re paid off, or soon will be. They would gladly like to keep their car, truck, SUVs for 200,000 miles or more – as long as it’s economical to do so. There are plenty of Gig Harbor drivers whose vehicles are running after 150,000 or 200,000 miles. We can learn from what they’re doing to keep our own car, truck, SUVs on the road in Washington. The wise Gig Harbor motorists of high-mileage cars often report a common denominator of never skipping an oil change. That may so ... read more

The price of gas and the uncertain economy are both causing Washington residents to review their finances. More and more Gig Harbor car owners are opting to keep their vehicles longer and put off purchasing a newer car. It is estimated that two-thirds of the vehicles on the roads of North America today have over 75,000 miles on them. And the average age of vehicles is now over eleven years. That translates to some car care issues that many Gig Harbor men and women haven’t dealt with in the past. Older vehicles simply have different maintenance requirements than newer ones. Learning those requirements presents a challenge for Gig Harbor drivers because many owner’s manuals only publish maintenance schedules up to 60,000 or 90,000 miles. Vehicle owners have to keep good records and be more involved in planning preventive maintenance if they want to keep their car, truck, SUVs on the road. First of all, any service in your owner’s manual that comes with ... read more

Unless you live in Death Valley, you really don’t hear much any more about cars overheating. That’s because cooling systems in vehicles have been much improved. That doesn’t mean you can’t overheat your car, truck, SUV engine, though. Without proper preventive maintenance, you could still find yourself on the side of the interstate in Gig Harbor waiting for your car, truck, SUV engine to cool down. When you service your cooling system at Mackert Automotive, your service advisor will check the condition of the coolant. It can become corrosive over time, which can damage a radiator — leading to an overheated engine. Changing the coolant periodically is good car care. Your car, truck, SUV owner’s manual can give you guidelines on how often to replace it. If your engine overheated, your friendly and courteous service professional will also check your coolant system for ... read more

Repair or Replace? That's a question Gig Harbor car owners ask when they have tire damage. Some punctures cannot be repaired because of their size or location. Punctures larger than a quarter of an inch are considered too large to be safely repaired. Punctures in the sidewall or near the shoulders may not be able to be repaired. And sometimes there is internal damage revealed on inspection that indicates the tire should not be repaired. Run flat tires should not be fixed. Repairing high performance tires may make them unsuitable for motorsports. Your friendly and courteous Mackert Automotive service advisor can check your damaged tire and tell you if it can be safely repaired or if it should be replaced - and then help you get back on the road. Give us a call Mackert Automotive 253-851-3307 3416-B 57th ST CT NW Gig Harbor, Washington 98335

Engines get hot when they run. This heat can build up and damage vital engine parts, so engines need a cooling system to keep them running. Cooling system failure is the most common mechanical failure in vehicles. This is unfortunate, because these failures are usually easy for Gig Harbor motorists to prevent. The radiator is the best-known and most recognizable part of the cooling system. Hoses filled with coolant (also known as antifreeze) connect the radiator to the engine. The coolant draws heat from the engine, and then flows to the radiator. Air passing through cooling fins on the radiator cools the coolant. The coolant then cycles back into the engine to start the process over again. The most critical component of the cooling system, however, is the coolant itself. A mixture of water and coolant/antifreeze helps keep it both from freezing and from boiling away. Either can result in serious engine damage. Different engines require different types of coolant/antifreeze. The own ... read more

When it comes to preventive maintenance on our vehicles, most of us Gig Harbor motorists remember to get our oil changed. But Mackert Automotive services that occur at longer intervals - like transmission service - sometimes get overlooked. Yet transmission service is a vital part of car care for Gig Harbor drivers. A poorly maintained transmission will cut down gas mileage and lead to expensive repairs. The transmission transfers power from the engine to the drive wheels. When it's clean and well - lubricated, it gives maximum fuel efficiency. But when it gets dirty or worn down, your fuel efficiency will suffer. Your transmission relies on transmission fluid to keep everything running well. Transmission fluid has two jobs: to cool and lubricate the transmission. The transmission operates at high temperatures. It can get 100-150°F degrees hotter inside your transmission than inside your engine. Transmission fluid transfers some of the heat away from the transmission. Transmi ... read more