Gilbert Auto Repair

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

Here's something very interesting that I found a few weeks back on the Car Care Council web site (btw tons of great info there regarding maintenance and repairs if you're interested in that kind of stuff). It's a simple do it yourself car maintenance checklist for your car. This infographic helps you understand what items should be inspected, either by you or your mechanic. It's all about avoiding breakdowns and saving money by determining if there is a maintenance need before it becomes a bigger problem. When you come for an oil change we always make sure that these items are checked but because of longer period between oil changes you have to be aware of this and make sure that you're taking the time to go through that list yourself. It doesn't take very long and it's pretty st ... read more

It's back to school time and college students across Arizona (and other part of the country) have or will soon be packing up their cars and heading off to college. If you are searching for that perfect gift for the college-bound kid in your life, the Car Care Council suggests putting together a roadside emergency kit. “A roadside kit is easy to assemble, not too expensive and extremely useful, plus it could be a life saver in the event of an emergency,” said Rich White, executive director of the Car Care Council. “While it’s always a good idea to be prepared for the unexpected while on the road, the best option is to avoid breakdowns and car trouble wherever possible. Performing basic maintenance and observing a regular service schedule can hel ... read more

In today's Spectrum Car Care auto care blog, we are focusing on battery maintenance. Eventually your car battery will fail and you will need to replace it. In fact, 70% don't even make it four years and it's even worse here where they usually last about two years. There are some things that you can do, however, to make their battery last a little longer. It's all about the flow of electrical power. When you start your vehicle, the battery uses power to get your engine cranking. As your engine runs, your alternator generates electricity to run all your electrical systems: like lights, a half dozen computers, anti-lock brake system, traction control, power windows, electronic fuel injectors, stability control, air conditioning, transmission servos – the list goes on. Any leftover electricity goes to recharge your vehicle battery. Then you turn on your radio and seat heaters; maybe plug in your cell phone and computer; the kids watch a DVD and pretty ... read more