Gilbert Auto Repair

When the temperature starts going up during the summer it’s important you can tell if your cooling system needs help. A faulty cooling system is the main reason that vehicles break down during the summer. The Car Council says that the four main signs your cooling system needs help are overheating, leaks, being able to smell antifreeze and having to constantly change the coolant.  When you neglect your cooling system it could lead to major damage and could cause your engine to completely shut down and stop your summer trip in its tracks.  When you don’t maintain your cooling system it really becomes a question of when it’s going to fail on you. Checking the belts, hoses, water pump, and fluids on a regular basis will keep your car cool and ensure it lasts much longer on the road.  The coolant system is important because it gets rid of the heat that the combustion process that powers your engine generates. Coolant can reach temperatures up to (and over ... read more

Have you scratched the wheels on your car? There’s not much more frustrating as a driver. It can be hard to find information about what to do if that happens even though there are countless tips on how you can keep the paint job and interior fresh. It seems silly that’s the case given how much damage car wheels are subjected to as part of urban driving. Parallel parking and going up and down the curb can really damage the rims on your wheels. Here’s how to repair your car wheels so you can save yourself a small fortune. What You Need Scratch filling primer Wheel paint in the same color as your wheels Some clear lacquer Paint thinner Bondo Spot Putty 240 and 400 grit sand paper A roll of masking tape What to Do Step 1: Start out by removing the wheel. If you’re going to leave it on then at least cover the care with a taped down piece of cloth to prevent paint splashing onto the car. Step 2: Next you need to clean the ... read more

If you were stranded in your car, would you be prepared or would your car be ready if you had to leave at a moment’s notice? In case you didn’t know September is National Preparedness Month and we would like to remind drivers of the importance of regular maintenance and do-it-yourself checks (as well as a stocked emergency kit). Make sure you check the following to make sure your car is ready for the unexpected: Tire Tread and pressure: Tire tread helps your car grip the road and having low tire tread is very dangerous when driving in wet, flood-like, snowy or icy conditions. May not be a big problem around here but driving up north may be bad with worn out tires. And did you know that if the tire pressure is too low or too high it can affect gas mileage, tread wear and vehicle performance? Check your tires regularly when they are still cold. A quick tip use the PSI (pounds per square inch) number located inside the driver door. Fluids Check ... read more

School has started a few weeks ago here and we want to reminds drivers to make sure their vehicles are kid-safe and road ready with a five-point checklist: 1) Check lights and wipers for visibility. With shorter days and inclement weather ahead, make surelights and wipers function properly so that you can see and be seen.  Check the exterior and interior lights and replace any that are dimming, rapidly blinking or not functioning. Check wiper blades for signs of wear and replace if necessary. 2) Get an annual brake inspection.The braking system is your car’s most important safety feature. Before carpool season gets in full swing, make sure that your brakes are functioning properly. Schedule a brake inspection and look for warning signs that your vehicle may need brake services, such as an illuminated brake light or screeching, grinding or clicking noises when applying the brakes ... read more

Hang in there hopefully only a few weeks left but in the meantime here's something that make you make feel cooler. You push a few buttons or turn some knobs, and voila, you have warm AZ air blowing on your feet or cool air chilling your face. How does all that happen? Well, it’s all thanks to the air blend box. This box lives behind your dash and serves up just the right temperature of air right where you want it. Let’s break it down. First there is the blower fan that circulates the air through the heating/air conditioning system. The fan can blow at different speeds, depending on how much hot or cold air you need to be comfortable. The blend box can either draw in fresh air from outside, or recirculate air from inside the cabin. Gilbert drivers often choose to recirculate air when first starting the vehicle until it starts to either cool down or warm up. The next thing the blend box does is direct airflow over the heater core to warm the air, or over the a ... read more

Your axles are the last link in transferring power from the engine to your wheels. They're strong parts that last a long time – but they can run into trouble. Axles just wear out over time and need to be replaced. And sometimes axle seals leak, causing the axle to wear out prematurely. Lubricant leaks out, and water and dirt can get in and contaminate the gears. When this happens you might hear strange noises coming from your axle. If you have a rear-wheel drive vehicle, the sound would be at the rear end. If you have a front-wheel drive vehicle, the sound would be up front. Of course, with an all-wheel drive, the sound could come from either front or back. It might be a groaning sound or clunking when turning. There are different kinds of axles, each with their own potential problems. Service technician knows this and checks for things like leaking seals, torn CV boots, worn axle joints. An inspection will reveal if there are any problem ... read more

EVAP system is to capture these vapors and direct them into the engine to be burned – kind of an on-board recycling program. The EVAP system is a complicated network of hoses, valves, filters and such. Issues with the EVAP system are in the Top 5 reasons for a Check Engine Light to be illuminated. Your friendly and knowledgeable Spectrum Car Care service advisor can pull the trouble codes and begin a diagnostic procedure to isolate the fault. With the proper equipment, your can test the valves in order to trace a blockage. A low pressure smoke test can be performed to find any leaks. The repairs are then made to get the EVAP system working again and to reset the Check Engine Light. While EVAP s don't generally lead to vehicle damage, the fact that they trigger the Check Engine Light can mask other more problems for Gilbert residents if left unaddressed. After all, there are hundreds of conditions that can trigger a Check Engine Light – but there is only one light. So ... read more

It's said that 90 percent of our driving decisions are based on visual information. Our wiper blades play an important role in this. Most Gilbert, Chandler, and Scottsdale drivers know that a dirty or streaked windshield can catch the glare of the sun or on-coming headlights and make it nearly impossible to see. Most busy car owners deal with their wiper blades from a failure perspective. They address them when they no longer function. Instead, drivers should think about wipers blades as an important safety system that they should maintain, rather than repair. And don't think that your wiper blades will last longer because you don't use them very often. Hey, they live outside in the harsh sun and freezing cold – ice and wind. They just dry out and crack over time. At Spectrum Car Care, we recommend that motorists change their wiper blades twice a year, in the spring and fall. That way you have functional blades for ... read more

What is the safest new car for teen drivers? The good news is that choices have never been safer, and U.S. News & World Report is out with its 2016 Best Cars for Teens list. The other good news is that there are options from less $20,000 to more than $40,000 including cars and SUVs.   Under $20K Chevrolet Sonic (Winner) Honda Fit (Runner Up)   Between $20K and $25K Kia Soul Mazda3   Between $25K and $30K Honda Civic   Between $30K and $35K Hyundai Sonata Chevrolet Malibu   Between $30K and $35K Ford Fusion Kia Optima   Over $40K Nissan Murano Toyota Highlander   Base prices on many of the vehicles on this list are below their category ranking, but U.S. News factored in the cost of optional safety features ... read more

The Evenflo Sensorsafe Car Seat is something great for parents who are afraid to leave their little ones in their car. We all know how critical it is to leave anyone in a non-running car even for a few minutes here in AZ so this is a very good product. This is from Consumer Reports: Here's how it works: The SensorSafe chest clip works in conjunction with a receiver connected to your car’s onboard diagnostics port.  Evenflo claims that when a child is secured in the seat, the SensorSafe technology will alert the driver with gentle chimes in one of two scenarios: Upon turning off the ignition at the end of a trip, or If the chest clip is unclipped during a trip To ensure this technology w ... read more