San Diego Auto Repair

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

There are many reasons not to text while driving, but the most important of these is your safety. Some studies show that texting while driving causes more accidents than talking on the phone or even drunk driving! Thankfully, there are several new mobile phone laws across the country that prohibit texting while driving, making the road a safer place. This fun little ditty from the ZoomSafer team features a truck driver who knows that to safely travel across the country, he must resist the temptation to text while driving. The illustrations and sing-a-long are pretty hilarious, but don't forget the important message behind the video: Stay alive, don't text and drive

Convoy Auto Repair, in partnership with the San Diego NAPA Business Development Group (BDG) and Homefront San Diego, worked together to donate a refurbished Ford Explorer to a military family in need last week. Homefront San Diego is made up entirely of volunteers, and offers assistance in emergency situations for military families who may need a little help in meeting thier needs. One of the biggest challenges military families face is unexpected expenses from vehicle breakdowns. “Roughly 42.4% of all of our expenditures are used to repair unexpected auto breakdowns,” said Mary Ann Tanner, a volunteer for Homefront. “Having local auto repair shops on our side to get costly repairs taken care of will make a huge impact on our families.” Other contributors to this donation were NAPA Auto Parts, and Carrera Auto ... read more

Something you're going to be hearing a lot about around San Diego, CA is diesel engines. We're not talking about semi-trucks and buses - We're talking about diesel engine cars, pick-ups and SUVs. Most people in San Diego, CA are surprised to learn that around half the cars on the road in Europe have diesel engines. Nearly all import auto manufacturers offer a range of diesel engines abroad - even the ultra-luxury brands like Mercedes and BMW. For the most part, these diesel engines haven't been available in San Diego, CA. But that's about to change. In the past, North American diesel fuel has had a much higher sulfur content than European fuel. Recent environmental laws have required changes in diesel formulation and emissions standards here in San Diego, CA so we are now ready to start seeing more diesel options offered over the next few years. Why are so many interested in diesel engines? Well first off, diesel fuel is more energy dense. There's more ... read more

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