San Diego Auto Repair

People in San Diego CA often ask the question: "Will using premium gas make my car run better?" The answer is simple. But first, let's talk about what exactly premium gasoline is. Different grades of gasoline have different octane ratings. Regular gasoline has the lowest octane rating and premium the highest. Most gas stations around San Diego also carry a mid-grade that falls in between the two. The octane range for the different grades of gas varies by region due to altitude differences. Engines require different octane ratings because of design differences. For example, turbocharged engines usually require premium gas. There's a sticker on your gas tank filler lid that tells you the minimum octane rating your manufacturer recommends.Read your owner's manual carefully to see if it's acceptable to use lower grades. With some cars in San Diego CA it is; the engine control computer can adapt. You'll lose some performance, but won't do damage. With other engines, using a lower grade of ... read more

Now that you have successfully stuffed your face full of turkey and all the trimmings, it’s time to get out of the house and enjoy some family fun events around San Diego! Check out some of the hottest hot rods around, give Mother Earth a tiny face lift, and learn how to brew your own beer, just in time for the holidays! Don’t miss the first ever Goodguys Fall Del Mar Nationals happening this weekend, November 25, 26, and 27th at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Sure, you’ve been to the huge car show they put on in the summer, but now they’re making it a semi-annual event with another weekend jam-packed with hot rods, customs, classics, muscle cars, and trucks on display. The GoodGuys & the Wounded Warriors of San Diego will also feature a “Toys For Tots” toy drop sponsored by the US Marine Corps. All ... read more

For advice on how to make your sedan last longer, visit us at Convoy Auto Repair 3909 Convoy St. San Diego, CA 92111 These days many people in the San Diego area are really committed to making their cars last a long time. First thing: you've got to start with what you've got. It'd be ideal if people started with a brand new car, never missed a scheduled service item, paid attention to the severe service maintenance schedule and had regular inspections. But if you've had the vehicle for a while, or bought it used, its maintenance history is what it is; and that's where you start. Go through the maintenance schedule for your sedan and see what's been done and when. Have your San Diego service advisor at Convoy Auto Repair do an inspection and come up with a list of stuff that needs to be done. Review the list and prioritize the work, talk about budget and make a plan to get caught up. Making a plan is so important. Suppose you go in for an ... read more

It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is really next week; it seems like just yesterday we were telling you about all the fun summer activities to be enjoyed in San Diego. Once you have done all the Thanksgiving dinner dishes, it will officially be “holiday season” in San Diego, (though, we’re sure you’ve noticed that several retailers have had their holiday decorations out since the day after Halloween!) We tried to hold off on our excited holiday posts, but we could only wait so long... Here is our first round of fun holiday activities to enjoy with your family in San Diego! Get your family in the holiday spirit with a live performance of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas at The Old Globe. The classic musical is based on Dr. Seuss’ timeless book and this year marks the ... read more

A question for our San Diego CA motorists: How long have you been enjoying the romantic glow of your check engine light? Hey, it's not there to create ambiance; it's a warning that something's wrong. When your check engine light comes on get it checked at a capable San Diego CA service station. Many conditions that cause the check engine light to come on affect fuel economy. Some very dramatically. Always make sure you tighten your gas cap until it clicks. A loose gas cap can cause a false sensor reading that'll make the check engine light come on. If your date's eyes are smoldering in the reflected glow of the check engine light, try to think of all the gas money you'll save by getting it fixed. Give us a call when you are ready

If you're gonna drive around the San Diego area, you've got to be able to see! So having a good pair of windshield wipers is extremely important. We've all experienced the frustration and fear of not being able to see clearly during a storm, or when our windshield is just dirty. It seems like your wiper blades are always at their worst when you need them the most. But windshield wipers are like most other vehicle parts - they require regular attention in order to work their best. You really ought to replace your wiper blades twice a year; in the spring and the fall. If it's going to be a particularly harsh winter in San Diego, you may even want to get special winter blades in the fall. Winter blades are designed to resist freezing. Speaking of winter and freezing conditions, if your car has been sitting for a long time and the windshield becomes frozen, don't use your wipers to clear off snow and ice. That'll just tear up the blades a ... read more

Some of us just love tires. All those little rubber hairs on new tires and the smell is wonderful. We live in a great time for tires. No matter how you drive, where you want to go or the look you're after; there is a tire for you. The same is true about wheels. The hardest part is choosing from the thousands of wheels available. We may not be able to help with that, but we can help you get some things in mind before you consult with your tire professional. Let's start with function and think about how you drive. For example, maybe you have a large SUV but you don't drive off-road, so an off-road tread isn't important. Also, because you are not out bouncing over rocks in the CA backcountry, you don't need a high profile tire to protect your rims. So that means you can probably go with the low-wide look. If you have a winter season with rain and snow or if you find you need better ice and snow performance, they make great, high-performance snow tires that won't make it look like you are ... read more

Looking at getting some new tires? The choices at tire stores can be a little overwhelming. Suppose you have an SUV and are trying to decide between all season tires or some that are also rated for off-highway. Do you get off the payment on the outskirts of more than most? If so, some additional off-road traction would be nice. Maybe the real reason for wanting those off-highway tires is that they look cool. Well there's nothing wrong with that. If you make sure that you've got your functional needs covered with your selection, then you can have some fun with where you go from there. Let's suppose you zip around in a sporty car. You may like to run a high-performance summer tire when the weather's good. When CA weather turns cold, you can put on high-performance winter tires. For the kind of driving you like to do, you want full-on performance tires. All-season tires are naturally a compromise that works well for most drivers, but since you have a choice, go for dedica ... read more

Halloween is right around the corner in San Diego and we have a week full of fun activities the whole family can enjoy together. From haunted ship tours to creepy, crawly critters, we promise this October is going to be boo-tiful! If you haven’t taken a tour of the Star of India before, October is the perfect time to check it out! The Haunted Tales of the Ship promises fun for the entire family! Bring the kiddos dressed in costume to enjoy a lantern-led tour around the ship. You will hear spooky legends from the ship’s past where many real-life encounters with ghosts have taken place. Tours are approximately 45-60 minutes long and take place between 6 -10pm on October 21, 22, 28 & 29. Treats will also be provided to all who are brave enough ... read more

For those of you in San Diego CA who pay attention to these things, you may have been hearing about the new direct injection engines and want to learn more about them. Some deliver the power of a V8 with the economy of a V6. For example, in one family of engines the conventional V6 makes about 250 horsepower. The direct injection version of the same engine makes over 300 horsepower and gets essentially the same gas mileage. The turbocharged version makes over 350 horsepower. So what are the differences from a conventional engine? The core difference is in the fuel injection system. The system most vehicles use now is called a port injection system. The fuel injector squirts fuel into a port just outside the cylinder where it's then drawn into the engine with the air. With a direct injection system, the injector squirts the fuel directly into the cylinder. The gain in power and economy come because fuel injected directly into the cylinder during the co ... read more