San Diego Auto Repair

If you're reading this article, then you are probably a driver that cares about your car and how it runs. Even though you care, there is still that moment of dread when your service technician tells you the manufacturer recommends some additional service. Your heart beats a little faster, your blood pressure rises. You worry about spending more money than you expected. And you worry that if you say "no" you might be harming your car or compromising safety. At the risk of sounding like your dad, you really should have done your homework. All of this stuff is in your owner's manual. But it is not like you want to keep your maintenance schedule on your nightstand for bedtime reading. Cars are complicated machines and it takes care to keep them running well. That is why manufacturers have maintenance schedules that explain how to keep your vehicle performing efficiently and prevent costly break downs. In a typical owners manual you'll find ... read more

Sometimes when we talk about exhaust service, we think about exhaust pipes and mufflers. And if you can see smoke, or if it’s too loud. But, exhaust service at a place like Convoy Auto Repair is really a lot more comprehensive these days. For example, in the U.S., the federal government mandated catalytic converters for all cars in San Diego in 1976 and on-board emission control computers in 1990. CA and federal emissions requirements have forced manufacturers to come up with much more sophisticated ways to comply with environmental regulations. Cars sold in Canada follow the same guidelines. So, exhaust service has really become exhaust and emissions service. High-tech computer-controlled emissions devices are now a big part of that. And because it’s so sophisticated, your vehicle manufacturer recommends having your emission system checked out by a qualified technician, like the ones we have at Convoy, regularly to make sure everything’s working right – which is usually every six mon ... read more

Our cars have to operate in a wide range of temperatures and our engine coolant must be able to perform 'no matter what'. Think for a moment about the environment where the coolant works. Very hot, high pressure, corrosive... And all the while, it has to protect the components of the cooling system from corrosion. These components are made from steel and aluminum, plastics and rubber. The coolant has to be formulated to protect against corrosion for all of these different materials. That’s why different manufacturers recommend different types of anti-freeze for our San Diego, CA vehicles. There are several different 'families' of anti-freeze available to us here in San Diego. Your owners’ manual will tell you what kind you should use. Of course, Convoy Auto Repair will know what to put in your car. It’s important to stay on top of this because coolant system failure is the most common mechanical problem people have here in San Diego, CA. Regular service at Convoy needs to be done to a ... read more

What is a cabin air filter? Is it: Clever you, it’s C. A cabin air filter cleans the outside air before it comes into the passenger compartment. It filters out common San Diego air particles like dust, pollen, spores, bacteria, pollutants, exhaust gas, odors and even sparrows. These high tech filters can block particles larger than 3 microns. By contrast, a grain of sand is about 200 microns. Not all vehicles in San Diego have cabin air filters. They are fairly new on the scene. About forty percent of new vehicles sold in San Diego come with cabin air filters, but the number is growing every year. Cabin air filters can make for a very nice driving environment. Your car can be a haven during our San Diego allergy season with very little dust and pollen getting into the cabin. However, the filter eventually gets clogged. When this happens, your heating and air conditioning flow can become restricted. The filter can even get kind of smelly. Check your owner’s manual for recommended repl ... read more

Getting enough fuel to your engine is very important for performance, fuel economy and safety. In order to accomplish this, your fuel system needs to be clean. Today’s production cars have fuel injectors, rather than a carburetor. The injectors need to be cleaned from time to time in order to deliver the fuel with the correct pressure, spray pattern and volume. You can buy fuel system cleaners that you just pour into your gas tank that can help maintain an already clean fuel system, but can’t do a major cleaning. For that, you need to see Convoy Auto Repair. They have the tools and chemicals to do the job right. Convoy can remove particles, gum and varnish from your fuel system and get those injectors running cleanly and efficiently. You’ll enjoy more power, better gas mileage and reduced exhaust emissions. The cleaners also help prevent rust and corrosion in your fuel system and lubricate vital engine parts. And, as with all car maintenance ... read more

So, when are your tires actually worn out? This is a question a lot of us in San Diego ask ourselves. For many, the answer is 'when they no longer pass a safety inspection'. But waiting that long can have a serious impact on your safety. The U.S. Federal government doesn’t have any laws for tread depth, but 42 of the states, and all of Canada, do have regulations. They consider two-thirty-seconds of an inch to be the minimum legal tread depth. Two other states, including California, consider one-thirty-second to be the minimum and six states have no standards at all. Call us at Convoy Auto Repair to find out what your requirements are in the San Diego area. Since 1968, U.S. law has required that a raised bar be molded across all tires. When tires are worn enough that this bar becomes visible, there’s just 2/32” of tread left. But does that older standard give you enough safety? Well, Consumer Reports issued a call to consider replacing tires when tread reaches ... read more

You would never like to drink a glass of mud, right? Well, your car feels the same way. It needs a steady supply of clean fuel in order to run well and deliver good fuel economy. The fuel filter's job is to clean dirt and rust out of the fuel before it gets to your engine. A clogged fuel filter can actually choke off the engine so that it won't start or run. Some fuel filters have a bypass valve that allows fuel to go around the clogged filter so your car will still run. But, then the contaminated fuel can plug your fuel injectors and allow damaging particles into your engine. A car with a partially clogged fuel filter might run well around town, but sputter and strain on the highway because it's starving for gas. There are two things that affect how often you need to replace the filter. They are: where you drive and the gas you buy. If you drive a lot on dirt or gravel roads in rural CA, your fuel filter will have a harder time keeping the fuel clean. And, we hate to say it, but buyi ... read more

Don’t be embarrassed if you don’t know what a differential is; you will in a moment. That fact is that if you drive a car, you have a differential. Whether your vehicle is front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, you have a differential. You might even have two or three. As you might guess from the name, a differential’s job is to compensate for differences. Specifically the differences in wheel speed when turning. For instance, imagine taking a corner. Your inside wheel has a shorter distance to travel than the outside wheel as you go around the corner. That means that your outside wheel has to turn faster to keep pace with the inside wheel. The differential allows the wheels to turn at different speeds while still providing power. Without a differential, our tires would scrub and hop along the pavement during turns. You’ve probably noticed the big bugle in the middle of the rear axle when you’re behind a truck. That’s the differential. Rear-wheel drive vehicles have ... read more

No one near San Diego, CA likes high fuel prices. But if one good thing has come about, it’s that people are really focused on how to reduce their fuel consumption. North Americans literally drive billions of miles less each month during times of high fuel prices. But we still need to drive, so it makes sense to try and increase our fuel economy however we can. Let’s look at a real life example of one of our AutoNetTV producers. He has one of those really big SUVs. Lots of kids and horses to haul around, you know. His family was planning a four day camping trip. Here’s what he did to cut his fuel costs: First, he installed a new, high flow engine air filter. Then he had his service center change his oil, flush his cooling system and service his front and rear differentials along with the transfer case. He also had a fuel system cleaning, replaced his PCV value and breather element. He also made sure his tires were up to the recomm ... read more

New car dealership closings are all over the news. Nearly 800 Chrysler dealerships canceled. About 1,100 GM dealers’ contracts will not be renewed after October 2010. And record numbers are just shutting down because they aren’t selling enough cars and trucks to stay in business. It’s estimated that some 40,000 dealership service bays could be taken out of service in the next year or so. Of course, this is a tragedy for those who work at our local San Diego dealerships and the owners that risk losing much of their life’s work. Our San Diego communities will lose some of our best corporate citizens. Think of all the youth sports team, service clubs and San Diego community events that have been sponsored by our local new car dealers. One question we hear a lot is, 'Who will service my car?' Folks are concerned that they will not get the care and attention they need. They're wondering where they will find trained technicians in the San Diego area. Will they be able to get quality r ... read more