Gilbert Auto Repair

Your car is always going to take a beating unless you keep it stored in a climate-controlled garage and under glass. Everything wears down your auto including the weather, the road, and good old fashioned Father Time. All this wear and tear builds up and damages the car. This is why you need to have a multi-point inspection done to your vehicle. These give you the best method of keeping track of every system on your vehicle and assessing how much maintenance, if any, needs to be done before the problem can become a real issue. You might not remember that time the curb jumped out of you “once” but your car can remember in the form of a worn tire or damaged suspension. These are the kind of problems that a multi-point inspection can uncover. So just what is a multi-point inspection? It’s when all of the essential pieces of your car are inspected. This includes the fluids, the air filters, the brake pads, the batter, and the tires; including a pressure and tread dept ... read more

Let’s talk about serpentine belts, specifically: what they do and how frequently they need to be changed? The serpentine belt is a single, continuous belt that operates multiple devices in an engine including the alternator, air conditioner, water pump, and power steering pump. In engines that have v-belts, individual belts operate these components and the automobile can have up to four different belts. The advantage of a serpentine belt is its efficiency. Having a single belt increases fuel economy and available power. The disadvantage of a serpentine belt is if it breaks several critical functions of the engine are lost and the engine will conk out leaving you stranded. How often do you need to change a serpentine belt? It depends. Serpentine belts are tough so they can handle a lot of wear before they completely fail. Typically, a belt will last around 60,000 to 100,000 miles. That is why a good rule of thumb is to have your belt inspected at 60,000 mile and replaced at ... read more

Avoiding performing recommended maintenance service can come with a hefty price tag. Here are four important steps you can take to protect your vehicle.   1) Change the Oil Regularly   First up is the simple oil change. Bottom line – if you change your oil on schedule, your engine will be properly protected. Go past the recommended mileage interval, typically every 3,000 to 5,000 miles depending on driving conditions, and sludge begins to build up in your engine. This sludge can clog small oil passages that keep important parts of the engine from being cooled and lubricated. That is never good for your engine. If your engine has variable valve timing, as most do nowadays, or a turbocharger, then these expensive components are at high risk for failure and expensive replacement. If you’re not sure how often you should change your vehicle’s oil, ask your Service Advisor.   2) Change Timing Belts and Chains Timely   Many vehicles come equipped ... read more

No matter what kind of engine your vehicle has it will require the right fuel to work properly. When you get to the pumps though there are often three or four different fuels with names like “Regular”, “Premium” and “Plus”. The reason these fuels have these names is because of their octane rating. They should also be marked with a number between 87 and 91. The octane rating is simply how compatible a grade of gasoline is with a particular engine. After you add fuel to your gas tank and get on the go the gasoline is compressed with air in the combustion chamber of your engine. When the pressure reaches a certain point it can cause the gas to spontaneously combust and you hear a “knocking” sound. That’s what you don’t want to happen. This is what is known as an uncontrolled combustion and it happens more often when you use a low octane fuel with a car that has a high performance engine. When this happens it causes the gas to c ... read more

There are around 162 million vehicles in the United States that go without being serviced when they need it. A recent report suggests that around 80% of the cars on the road right now have at least one service repair that isn’t being addressed. While some of these can be small and simple things, there are others that present major safety concerns for the driver and everyone around them. So what stops people from having their car serviced? There are a number of reasons why people are hesitant to have their vehicle serviced, even for something as minor as an oil change. How comfortable one feels about car care can be a major deciding factor. If someone feels that the decision to have the car serviced might not be the right one they won’t go through with the service. People who don’t understand cars too well will often hesitate to ask questions out of fear of looking ignorant. You need to understand that the technician wants to answer your questions. They want you ... read more

"Child abuse casts a shadow the length of a lifetime." - Herbert Ward   One of the great privileges of running a small business is being able to give generously to community organizations and charitable causes. We've been looking at local organizations to support and we're proud to be associated with pastor Michael Chalberg and the  ... read more