Gig Harbor Auto Repair

Driving on bald tires is like playing roulette. Though you may be fine today, eventually your luck is going to run out. The Feds don't have any laws for tread depth, but 42 of the states, and all of Canada, do have regulations. They consider two-thirty-seconds of an inch to be the minimum legal tread depth. Two other states, including California, consider one-thirty-second to be the minimum and six states have no standards at all. Call us at Mackert Automotive; (just call 253-851-3307) to find out what your requirements are in the Gig Harbor, Washington area. Since 1968, U.S. law has required that a raised bar be molded across all tires. When tires are worn enough that this bar becomes visible, there's just 2/32" of tread left. But does that older standard give Gig Harbor motorists enough safety? Consider this: Consumer Reports recommends tire replacement when tread reaches 4/32". And the recommendation is backed by some very co ... read more

Hello Gig Harbor motorists. Have you ever had your check engine light come on? Did you panic? Or just scowl and ignore it? What should you do? Pull to the side of the road and call a tow truck? Or just keep driving? What does that little light really mean for Gig Harbor car owners? First of all, the Check Engine or Service Engine light does indicate that something is wrong. That's why it is called a warning light. But the something that is wrong might be a loose gas cap, or it might be serious car, truck, SUV engine trouble. That's why Gig Harbor auto owners often don't know how to respond to it. The check engine light has two modes: it flashes or it stays on. A flashing light is serious. You need to get your vehicle to Mackert Automotive in Gig Harbor ASAP. No, you don't need to call a tow truck, but, yes, you can't wait to get your car serviced. If your check engine light is on and flashing, you ... read more

Sometimes we hear Gig Harbor drivers say, "What's up with all this maintenance stuff? Modern cars just don't break down." While it is true that today's cars and trucks are extremely reliable, they are also becoming increasingly complicated and use more exotic materials than ever before. All that complexity demands higher tolerances for everything. For example, most Gig Harbor motorists don't realize how high tech automotive fluids have become. Fluids like, engine oil, transmission fluid, coolant and brake fluid. Did you know that a modern engine would not run for more than a few months using motor oil formulas from 30 years ago? Today's automotive fluids contain a much higher percentage of additives to protect your vehicle's components from premature wear and corrosion. Time and miles march on for all of our cars. Please don't think we're using scare tactics to get you to take care of your maintenance - but here are some perso ... read more

Remember snow tires? They were basically just regular tires with big, knobby lugs to get them through deep snow. They were loud and rode hard, and Gig Harbor drivers couldn't wait to get them off the car. Then along came television advertisements for "all-season" radials. Washington drivers ran out and bought some and we thought we were done with snow tires forever. Tires have come a long way since then. Modern winter tires sold in the Gig Harbor area are much better designed for the wide range of dangerous conditions that come with Washington winter weather. They are made with a rubber compound that helps them stay flexible in cold weather. Regular tires become hard and stiff at Gig Harbor temperatures below 45°F, which reduces their traction. That's a key concern in winter, especially with snowy or wet Gig Harbor conditions. But it also means that Gig Harbor drivers are better off with winter tires in cold weather even when it's dry. The tread design on wi ... read more

When we shop for shoes, most of us know that we can get two pairs of cheap shoes or one good pair for about the same price. And since the two cheap pairs wear out in about the same time as the good pair, there really is no difference in cost. If you like having a closet full of shoes to match your moods and outfits, then cheap shoes can be what you want. But if you spend a lot of time on your feet, you probably know that cheap shoes can come with an added cost of sore feet and other foot ailments. When you add in the benefits of comfort and protection, the more expensive shoes are actually the better value. Buying tires at Mackert Automotive in Gig Harbor is a lot like buying shoes, except that Gig Harbor car owners' vehicles don't have changeable apparel and don't need a closet full of tires to match. Vehicles spend a lot of time on their tires-all the time, in fact-so they need tires that can stand up to the job. Tires are work shoes: th ... read more

If you've walked through the automotive fluids of an auto parts store in Gig Harbor, you'll know how overwhelming the sheer number of products available can be. How do you know what's right for your vehicle? As you know, these fluids all serve a function in making your car run as you drive around the Gig Harbor area. Your vehicle manufacturer has specified a particular type of fluid for every system from the motor, to the cooling system, brake fluid and so on. When you realize that not every variation is applicable to your vehicle, the task becomes more manageable. First let's talk about why there are so many varieties. Starting with motor oil, we see that manufacturers match the properties of a particular weight or type of oil with the design needs of the engine. For example, engines with sophisticated valve trains often require a thinner weight of oil. Some vehicles around Gig Harbor come from the factory filled with syn ... read more

Your engine is like a finely choreographed dance. All the parts have to work together. If the timing is off at the ballet, dancers crash into each other and fall down. It the timing is off in your engine, it may not run at all. One of the most intricate dances in your engine, has to do with the combustion cycle. Your car, truck, SUV engine has cylinders in which a piston travels up and down. At the top of the cylinders are valves open to bring in the air and fuel. And there are valves that open to let out the exhaust after the fuel has been burned. It's critical that the values be timed to open and close at precisely the right time in the combustion cycle, or the engine will run poorly or not at all. The timing belt is responsible for rotating the shafts that control the valves. It's vital and precision work. Timing belts are made of very tough flexible material. They can last a long time. But they eventually wear out and ... read more

Have you ever noticed that your vehicle manufacturer has a schedule in your owner's manual for what is called "severe service" maintenance? Let's define what severe driving conditions aren't: The easiest driving a vehicle experiences is traveling on the interstate for twenty miles or more at a constant rate of 65 miles per hour in 75°F weather with only passengers on board. Change any one of those parameters and you are adding stress to your engine. Change them significantly, and you are driving under severe conditions. Let's look at the essential parameters one a time. First, the length of the trip. Short trips around Gig Harbor are harder on an engine than longer ones. As your engine cools down, water in the air condenses onto the engine. When you heat the engine again, the water evaporates off. This is healthy. But on short trips, the engine doesn't stay hot enough long enough for all of the water to evaporate so it starts to build ... read more

Hello Gig Harbor motorists! You would never like to drink a glass of mud, right? Well, your car, truck, SUV feels the same way. It needs a steady supply of clean fuel in order to run well and deliver good MPG. The fuel filter's job is to clean dirt and rust out of the fuel before it gets to your engine. A clogged fuel filter can actually choke off the engine so that it won't start or run. Some fuel filters have a bypass valve that allows fuel to go around the clogged filter so your car will still run. But, then the contaminated fuel can clog your fuel injectors and allow harmful particles into your engine. A car with a partially clogged fuel filter might run well around Gig Harbor, but sputter and strain on the highway because it's starving for gas. There are two things that affect how often you need to replace the filter. They are: where you drive in Washington and the gas you buy. If you drive a lot on dirt or gravel roa ... read more

When it comes to preventive maintenance and car care, most Gig Harbor drivers know how vital it is to check their brakes. But brakes are more than just brake pads and shoes. There are a lot of components in the brake system, and they all need to be in good working order. The pads and shoes are known as the friction materials in the brake system. They push together, providing friction, which stops the vehicle. It's no wonder they have to be checked regularly for wear, and that brake pads and shoes need to be replaced periodically. Brake pads/shoes gradually wear out, but that doesn't mean your braking gradually becomes less effective. The pads are engineered so that they maintain good braking until they wear too thin to provide adequate friction. At this point, they need to be replaced. But your braking system also has mechanical parts. These pistons and springs can also gradually wear out or get gummed up by oil, dirt and other road spatter ... read more