San Diego Auto Repair

Warm weather or cold, San Diego drivers still need to think about their sedan's air conditioning. Most people don't service their air conditioning until after it fails. At Convoy Auto Repair, we can advise you on your vehicle manufacturer's preventive maintenance schedules for air conditioning service, just as we do for transmission service, oil changes and so on. Air Conditioning Maintenance Maintaining your air conditioning system means that you always have enough refrigerant to properly do the job. Small leaks in the sedan's air conditioning system allow the refrigerant to escape and the system can't cool the air as well. We see that a lot at Convoy Auto Repair in San Diego. The refrigerant also contains a special oil that lubricates air conditioning components, and keeps the seals resilient. Low refrigerant and lubricating oil means that the air conditioning parts will wear out prematurely, and all car owners know that air conditioning repairs can ... read more

The push for fuel economy has two benefits: using less gas, and fewer emissions. Cars and trucks run cleaner than ever. People may not realize that the first federally mandated pollution control device came out almost fifty years ago. Mission Valley folks that were around in the early 60's may remember that the PCV valve came out on 1964 model cars. PCV stand for Positive Crankcase Ventilation. The crankcase is the lower part of the engine where the crankshaft is housed and where the engine oil lives. The crankshaft is connected to the pistons that power the engine. When fuel is burned in the sedan engine, it pushes the pistons down and the crankshaft rotates and sends power to the transmission. Some of the explosive gases from combustion squeeze past the pistons and down into the crankcase. Now this gas is about 70% unburned fuel. If it were allowed to remain in the crankcase, it would contaminate the oil and quickly turn it to sludge ... read more

Apple has done it again! Within this next year, consumers will begin to see vehicles containing Apple’s new Eyes Free Siri Integration. If you aren’t familiar with Siri, it is the iPhone’s voice-command/digital-assistant that was launched with Apple’s latest iOS 5 series. With the Eyes Free technology, users can press a voice command button to speak into the car’s microphone system that is connected to the iPhone. In the next 12 months, this new technology will be built directly by car manufacturers into the new vehicles. This system will be compatible with any iDevice using the new iOS 6 software. Some partners in the automotive industry that will be implement this plan include BMW, Audi, Chrysler, General Motors, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, and Jaguar/Land Rover. This hands-free technology adds a user-friendly appeal and, more importantly, it boosts road safety. With an option like this, eyes can have full attention to the r ... read more

We've all seen people do crazy things while driving to or from San Diego. A guy shaving in the rear-view mirror, a woman applying makeup, people talking on their phones, texting or drinking from an enormous coffee mug. All of these are an accident waiting to happen.The truth is everyone in San Diego CA is distracted when we drive. Traffic, road construction and other things outside the car are beyond our control. But the distractions inside our car are things we can often control.Here's some things that'll give you more control in your car, and help keep your attention on the roads around San Diego CA.Handling Distractions While Driving Drivers who are 16 to 20 years old tend to be more distracted by the radio, CD or MP3 player. Drivers who are 20 to 29 are more distracted by passengers in the car, including small children. And those over age 65 tend to be more distracted by objects or events that are outside of the vehicle.Other factors like fatigue, stress and lack of sleep make it ... read more

There’s a segment of the Tierrasanta population that’s not committed to proper vehicle maintenance. Mistaken perceptions have crept into the CA area over time. Many Tierrasanta motorists think the root lies in the fact that modern cars are so reliable. Reliability has improved dramatically in recent years. Quality surveys report fewer problems with new cars than ever before. Busted: The Maintenance-Free Myth Back when cars spent more time in the repair shop, Tierrasanta drivers were more mindful of routine service. Now, it’s much easier to put it off. Take tune-ups for example. In the days of mechanical ignition systems, an engine needed to be tuned-up every couple of years. The ignition points had to be replaced, spark plugs and coils replaced and the timing adjusted. If your engine was out of tune, you knew it. It ran poorly and got bad fuel economy. Now, the ignition system in your sedan is electronic and controlled by the engine management computer ... read more

Today in the Convoy Auto Repair auto care blog, we're going to talk about oil change intervals. It seems that as engine technology advances, recommended oil change intervals have gotten longer for Convoy Auto Repair customers. High quality oil in a well-engineered sedan engine has lead to extended intervals. But it's also lead to some confusion among San Diego drivers. The old mantra "change your oil every three months or three thousand miles, whichever comes first" once applied to every vehicle in your garage. Time and miles take their toll on motor oil. But now, you could have a different oil change recommendation for every car or truck you own. San Diego people are like everybody else, they have a tendency to put off all the oil changes to the schedule of the vehicle with the longest interval. Of course, that can lead to problems. For example, recently four of the world's largest auto manufacturers shortened the published intervals ... read more

There are a surprising number of small, inexpensive parts that can lead to expensive engine damage when they fail. It doesn't seem right. Fortunately a lot of those things can be taken care of in routine maintenance. They may not be easy to remember, because it is a long list, but your service center at Convoy Auto Repair can help you know what's scheduled to be taken care of. Some of us in San Diego really don't look forward to going in for an oil change and then getting a list of the other things the manufacturer recommends. But automotive maintenance is all about prevention, and addressing small problems before they get big. Let's take the fuel filter for example. Fuel Filter Service in San Diego CA You may not know this but the median age for private vehicles on our San Diego roads is over nine years. When cars get older, five years or so, they've accumulated a lot of dirt and rust in their gas tanks. If that dirt gets into the engine it can cause ... read more

It's a scary thought to be driving in the middle of nowhere and have a tire that goes flat. But with the proper preparation and tools, this is a situation that can be easily handled. The tools you should keep in your trunk include a car jack, a wrench and a spare tire. Keeping a flashlight and tire blocks are useful to have as well. After you realize there is a tire issue, find a safe and flat place to pull your car over, set the parking brake, and turn on the hazard lights. Next, take all of the stored tools to the location of the flat tire. Once this is done, it is time to change your tire. How to Change a Tire <>Step 1: Loosen the wheel boltsYou may need to remove the hubcaps from the wheels beforehand. Then, use the wrench to loosen the bolts on the wheels by turning counter-clockwise. Do not completely remove the bolts at this point. Step 2: Raise the carThere are four main jacking points on a car. If you are unsure of the exact points, the owner ... read more

Most of our Kearny Mesa clients want to save on gas and seek our advice on improving fuel economy. At Convoy Auto Repair, we are frequently asked, however, just how much money Kearny Mesa motorists can actually save. Well the US government has a website dedicated to helping us use less fuel. It presents the cost savings in a way Kearny Mesa car owners can relate to and is relevant for all vehicles. Let me give you an example: Having your sedan engine properly tuned, can save up to 4%. If you’re paying three-fifty for a gallon of gas, you could save fourteen cents a gallon. In today's Convoy Auto Repair post, we’re going to talk about several things you can do to improve your sedanfuel economy driving around Kearny Mesa. We’ll tell you the potential savings per gallon of gas at three dollars and fifty cents, and we’ll show a graphic that also shows the savings at three and four dollars. DOLLARS PER GA ... read more

The cooling system keeps our engine from overheating while you are driving around San Diego CA. Its job is to move heat away from the engine. Let's talk about the various components of the system and how they work to accomplish this. The radiator is the part most everyone associates with the cooling system. Coolant flows through the radiator which has fine cooling fins that draw the heat out of the coolant and dissipate it into the air. To make sure there's enough airflow over the radiator, a fan pulls air over the cooling fins even when the car is idling. In some vehicles, the fan is powered by the serpentine belt. On others, an electric motor runs the fan. Electric fans turn on and off as needed. You may have heard the fan kick on shortly after you turn your car off. The sensor has determined that the engine needs a little help cooling down to a safe temperature. A hose connects the radiator to the water pump. The ... read more