San Diego Auto Repair

The winter solstice is just two short days away, which means we'll officially be in the swing of winter. And we've certainly been feeling the winter already with all this rain! Fortunately, we live in San Diego so we don't have the same perils of winter that other cities and states have, like ice and snow and crazy winds for three months. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't be taking precaution and getting your car ready for this new season. Here are the top tips for how to get your car ready for winter, and you can always reference these tips on driving in the rain as often as you need to. Winterize Your Car Check your battery: Car batteries can be reduced by cold weather, and even though chances are slim it won't be getting terribly cold in San Diego it's still a good idea to check your battery capacity and the battery wires. If there is ... read more

We may still be in San Diego, but even paradise gets a little rain. With the rainy season upon us (and those menacing rain clouds overhead more frequently now), it's time for a refresh on how to safely drive around in the rain. Any San Diego driver who's ever been on a freeway when it's raining can attest that traffic seems to slow to a crawl or stop completely, sometimes even when it's just sprinkling. Frustrating, right? Hopefully everyone will follow these tips and we can all get to work and home safely. Stick to the speed limit: Rainy weather is not the time for speeding no matter how late you are because that's how accidents happen. You don't need to drive extra slowly, either, unless there is torrential rain, or you could get rear-ended. If it's the first rain of the season the roads will be extra slick with oil coming out of the cracks, so be extra careful. Stay out of the fast lane: There wi ... read more

Traveling is tough in general, but traveling with kids is even more difficult. Long car rides can make for restless children and frustrated parents. To avoid hearing the infamous “are we there yet” line, entertain your kids with fun family car games! For individual entertainment, game books are best. For kids a little older who are good with numbers, Sudoku is a great choice. Critical thinking skills will provide a distracting challenge. If your child is more of a word fan, Crosswords will do the trick. And for the creative kid, you can’t go wrong with coloring books and crayons. Having a tablet or smartphone handy can keep your child entertained for hours with kid-friendly apps and games. Guessing games are always a fun group activity. A guessing game to try is I Spy. One person starts by saying something like, “I spy something red” and then everyone else has to guess what it is. You can also say ... read more

This year, with Black Friday sales starting while some families will still be enjoying their pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving evening, Small Business Saturday is aiming to take a step in the opposite direction by encouraging shoppers to spend their money locally. Rather than give all of your holiday spending money to giant corporations who care about nothing but a profit, spend at least some of your money at local small businesses this Saturday, November 24th, 2012. Convoy Auto Repair, along with hundreds of other local small businesses, is taking part in Small Business Saturday with special deals and discounts for San Diego natives and their visitors. Small businesses are vitally important to communities around the country and they deserve support year round. This year is the second annual Small Business Saturday event, whi ... read more

The lovely year round San Diego weather making you want to get out there a little more? Getting the itch to see the sights with the nice fall crisp air? Itch no more. While sunshine year-round isn’t a bad thing, it does make the changing seasons less noticeable in San Diego proper. To feel like fall is here and see the leaves turn, have a little weekend getaway. Don’t worry; you won’t need to travel far to feel the new season! ProSoaring San Diego Day Trips Temecula Celebrate autumn in Temecula with horseback rides through wine country or a hot air balloon ride over it. Other great outdoor activities include a nice day of golfing or getting close with nature by hiking. Enjoy the orange and brown colors with any option you choose! Feel like relaxing with food and drink instead ... read more

Small businesses are often touted as being a boon to local communities, doing things larger companies never think to do. This is the story of how one San Diego business reached out to a fellow resident and bicyclist, directly helping his neighbor and community. Those in San Diego, as well as many other cities around the world, may know of an event known as Critical Mass. Started loosely as a protest in San Francisco in the early 1990s, Critical Mass is a massive community bike ride around town. Hundreds and sometimes more than a thousand residents gather on their bicycles to take a ride through the city. San Diego's route, which is the last Friday of the month at 8pm, goes from Balboa Park, through South Park to the Gaslamp,  to the airport, and then back to Broadway Street and Seaport Village, where riders are free to go where they choose. However ... read more

Although it's officially been the fall season for some time now, it's only just now starting to feel like autumn in San Diego. However, this means cool weather - and rain! - is not far behind. As preparation for the season, make sure your car is in prime condition. When the seasons are a-changing, it 's always a good idea to take your car to a local mechanic for a check-up. Things to look at include the battery, antifreeze level, heater, brakes and defroster. In addition, have any other miscellaneous fluids checked, especially if the last maintenance check was over summer. This will ensure the basic functions are in order and you won't be subject to unpleasant surprises. Another important place to focus on is the tires. Be sure there is enough tread left to handle the slick roads and rotate the tires. Rainy weather also calls for the use of ... read more

  Any driver today simply turns a dial to cool themselves in the car, and auto air conditioning systems come standard. However, that wasn’t always the case – there used to be a day when that system was simply a luxury. In fact, modern cars aren't even advertised to come with air conditioning because it's expected: a car that is advertised to have an AC unit will sound like a car that is advertised to have tires to new drivers. Have you ever wondered how this cooling device got its start and became so popular? The History of Auto Air Conditioning The earliest forms of air conditioning began in the 1830s. A Florida hospital created a system that blew air over a bucket of ice to cool patients. In 1902, Willis Carrier created the “Apparatus for Treating Air” which is the closest mechanism to the modern day air conditioner. Also in that year, Alfred Wolff designed a system using ref ... read more

Because many areas on an automobile need maintenance, the air-conditioning system can often get overlooked. To avoid a neglected A/C giving out on you, especially in the middle of a heat wave, regular checkups are necessary. The first step to maintain your car’s A/C system is by understanding how it works. An auto air conditioning system is made up of five parts: a compressor, condenser, receiver dryer, expansion valve and evaporator. Put simply, air is cooled by a change in pressure through the system, which results in a lower temperature. When you turn on the A/C in your car, the compressor applies pressure to the system’s refrigerant (Freon), which raises its temperature. By doing so, air loses heat while it flows through the condenser; air then passes through the dryer to remove moisture and to the expansion valve where the refrigerant slows down even more, which causes the tempe ... read more

It may be fall in San Diego, but it's still as hot as summer. Unfortunately, not every car has air conditioning, making getting in a hot car near unbearable. Perhaps the A/C system is too costly to repair, or maybe the car is just too old. Regardless of the issue, cars without an interior cool-down can be brutal during a heatwave. Here are some ideas of how to cool down your vehicle sans air conditioning. Park in the shade: If it’s sizing up to be a hot day, try to find a covered spot to park your car. This will keep the sun from beating down on it, which leads to a cooler car inside. Buy a sunshade: If you must park in the sun, which is a more likely scenario, have your sunshade ready. The reflective piece placed over your windshield will reflect the light – and heat – from your car. Windows down: If you feel safe to do so, keep your windows c ... read more