Posted on 1/17/2021
Your vehicle's suspension system has two jobs: to prevent the passengers from getting tossed around inside the vehicle every time it hits a bump in the road and to keep the tires firmly planted on the road around every corner and over every bump.To see your suspension system, you'll have to look under your vehicle. Anything that connects the wheels to the vehicle's frame is part of the suspension system. They're heavy-duty parts that work hard while you're driving and take a lot of wear and tear. Because of this, you should have your technician at Mackert Automotive LLC look at them once a year as part of your preventive maintenance routine. A good time for it is every time you get your alignment checked. If your suspension is in trouble, you often feel it in how your vehicle drives. You should get a check of your suspension system: if the vehicle pulls to one side or wanders, if the steering is erratic, if your ride isn't as smoot ... read more
Posted on 1/3/2021
Your vehicle may be like that famous battery bunny, the one that just keeps going and going. But while it may seem sometimes like you never need to take your vehicle in to be worked on, there are some things you should keep your eyes, ears and nose out for. They are warning you about something that needs attention at your vehicle service facility. If a warning light is on, don't ignore it; do something about it. There are warning lights for battery, oil, engine heat, tire pressure… you name it. And the manufacturer put them there for a reason. They're telling you something isn't normal. So when one goes on, have it checked out soon, especially the blinking Check Engine light. The earlier you have any warning light issue diagnosed, the more likely you are to avoid a more serious problem. If your vehicle is vibrating or shaking, it's not only annoying, it could signal trouble. You can bet your vehicle didn't do that when it came out of the fact ... read more
Posted on 12/27/2020
We've all seen drivers who do things that—let's be frank—really irritate us. They're inconsiderate, can put people in danger and make the road a much less friendly place. They really "T" us off. These are the bad drivers who fit their description to a "T." The Tailgater. You've seen this terrible driver who follows a few inches off the bumper of the vehicle ahead. We all know what's going to happen if the driver ahead of the tailgater has to slam on the brakes. And we've all been that driver followed by the tailgater, whose vehicle fills up your entire rearview mirror. The tailgater is likely not in a great frame of mind and, thanks to his or her stupid driving practices, the "tailgatee" is getting pretty ticked off as well. That's a formula for a big problem. Know anybody who respects or likes a tailgater? Didn't think so The Texter. All sorts of people think they are perfectly capable of texting while driving. I ... read more
Posted on 12/20/2020
Car care is part of auto safety in GIG HARBOR. But the most important thing we can do to improve safety on WA roads is to drive safely.Defensive driving begins with the proper attitude. Have in mind that you won't let anyone take your safety away from you. You'll be aware of your surroundings, road conditions, other vehicles and hazards. And the first person to be concerned with is you: start with your own environment.Don't leave without securing all occupants including children and pets. Watch for loose items that can become projectiles during evasive maneuvers.Driving too fast or too slow increases the chance of an accident.Never drive impaired: Alcohol is a factor in half of all fatal crashes. Never drink and drive.Other impairments include being sleepy, angry, daydreaming or talking. If you suddenly wonder how you got where you are – you're not paying enough attention.Keep your windows clean and uncluttered. No fuzzy dice and stickers.Keep your car ... read more
Posted on 12/13/2020
Hello GIG HARBOR! Let's talk about alignment. One of the most important parts of preventive maintenance for your vehicle is keeping the wheels in alignment. Poor alignment causes your tires to wear unevenly, which can significantly reduce their lifespan. This means you will have to replace them more often, which can be costly for drivers in GIG HARBOR.It can even damage your suspension system, which is costly to repair. But even more importantly, uneven tread wear can lead to blowouts on the road, a dangerous and potentially deadly safety risk for GIG HARBOR drivers and their passengers.It may not take an accident or bad driving habits to “knock” your tires out of alignment. Tires can go out of alignment with just everyday WA driving. GIG HARBOR road hazards, pot holes, uneven or gravel roads, and even the bumps and bounces of normal GIG HARBOR roads and surface streets can gradually put your vehicle tires out of alignment.So it's good aut ... read more
Posted on 12/6/2020
You've just arrived at the store shopping and you're ready to head home. You put your key in the ignition and… oh, no! The ignition won't turn! What do you do now? Don't panic. There are some things you can do to get going again. The first thing to do is see if you have a locking steering wheel, an anti-theft feature that was introduced around 1970. Sometimes it sticks. Move the steering wheel side to side while you try to turn the key and you might be able to get it to release. Another thing to check is to see if your vehicle is in gear. Most vehicles will only allow you to start the ignition if it's in park or neutral. If you have an automatic transmission vehicle and it is in park, try jiggling the shift lever and try the key again. Sometimes the safety mechanism doesn't properly make contact or gets a little sloppy. If both of these don't work, it could be your vehicle's battery is dead. Some newer electronic ... read more
Posted on 11/29/2020
You know you have an accelerator pedal; step on it and your vehicle is supposed to go. But did you know there is a part in your vehicle that keeps track of where the throttle is? It's called the Throttle Position Sensor, or TPS. The TPS is a sensor that helps your vehicle figure out the right mix of air and fuel is reaching your engine. It does that by keeping track of the throttle and sending that information to your vehicle's computer. Other factors play a role in how well your engine is performing, including air temperature, how fast the engine is turning over and air flow. When the TPS isn't working right, you may find your vehicle won't accelerate or doesn't have the power you're expecting when you press on the accelerator. In some cases, it may accelerate on its own. Sometimes your vehicle won't go over a certain speed. Your Check Engine light may go on. Any of these symptoms should be checked out soon. If your TPS stops working rig ... read more
Posted on 11/22/2020
If someone asked you what gas made up the largest portion of the atmosphere, what would you guess? Well, it's not oxygen; it only makes up 20.9 percent. But since we're talking about oxygen, you should know that your vehicle uses oxygen sensors to make sure your engine is running the way it should. The oxygen sensors measure how much oxygen is in your exhaust. If there's too much, it means there's a problem with the mixture of fuel and air. The sensor sends signals to computers in your engine and adjusts the mixture so it maximizes performance and efficiency. It does this constantly. Many vehicles have multiple oxygen sensors. Some have one close to the engine, another close to the muffler. Two measurements are better than one since they allow readings to be more accurate. You may have a vehicle with a dual exhaust, so you'd have twice as many oxygen sensors. Your oxygen sensors can fail. One thing that can damage them is contaminat ... read more
Posted on 11/15/2020
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 2/32 of an inch to be the minimum legal tread depth. Two other states, including California, consider 1/32 to be the minimum and six states have no standards at all. Call us at Mackert Automotive LLC; (just call 2538513307) to find out what your requirements are in the GIG HARBOR, WA, 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 inch/1.6 mm of tread left. But does that older standard give GIG HARBOR vehicles enough safety?Consider this: Consumer Reports recommends tire replacement when tread reaches 4/32 inch/3.2 mm. And the recommendation is backed by some very compelling studies. Now before we go into the studi ... read more
Posted on 11/8/2020
When you start up your gasoline engine car, you may not know that it's using the same ignition principles as it has for decades. You have spark plugs that require enough power so a spark can jump across a gap at its tip. Years ago, a vehicle's 12-volt system had to produce 15,000-25,000 volts to do that, so engineers came up with something called an ignition coil that bumps up the voltage. It also has to be done at just the right interval called timing. The first systems had a distributor, a mechanical device with a rotating disc that switched the power to the ignition coil on and off. That higher voltage then was sent to the spark plugs at the correct time interval. But the mechanical "points" had to be replaced and adjusted every 12,000 miles/20,000 kilometers. Engineers later replaced the switching mechanism with solid state ones, but they still needed replacement after 120,000 miles/200,000 kilometers. The next evolution came in the 80's when the distributor ... read more