San Diego Auto Repair

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

One sure incident to spoil a summer trip is a car that overheats. To make certain this doesn't happen to you, taking the proper preventive care can ensure safe travels for you and your vehicle. Here are some precautionary tips and advice to prevent overheating and deal with it. An important aspect to check on your car is to make sure the fluids are at the right levels. For example, coolant is a large component to keeping the engine at a stable temperature. Maintaining a leak-free car and the right fluid levels will help in preventing a breakdown caused by overheating. Another tip to not overwork your car is to only use the air conditioning system when necessary. Instead of leaving the cooler on full-blast, turn the temperature down once the inside of the car reaches a comfortable level. Doing this will put less stress on the engine. If you do find yourself in the situation of a car breakdown, there are ways to calmly handle the situ ... read more

Here's a travel tip that'll I'll bet you didn't know, and, it might keep you safer... The average American commuter in CA spends two and a half hours daily in their car. The government says a hundred thousand auto accidents yearly are caused by drivers who fall asleep at the wheel. (Aggressive driving is the number one traffic safety concern.) So here's a question: can car scent keep you safe on CA roads? Well, which car scent did you think makes drivers more alert?It's C. Drivers are more alert and have less fatigue with pine scent in the car, according to AroMetrics. And, drivers were less angry with overall improved driving performance with strawberry and pine scents. And you thought they just smelled nice

With so many travel plans over the summer – out of town getaways, beach days, or other outdoor activities – reliable transportation is a must. Before you put these plans into action, here are five tips to prepare your car for fun in the sun. How to Prepare Your Car for the Summer 1. Make Sure Your AC System is in Working Condition Sometimes stepping into your car in the summer can feel like stepping into a sauna on a hot day. Making sure your air conditioning is in top shape can minimize your car as a heat box. The best time to get your AC system serviced is before summer, so you can be prepared before it becomes a necessity to use. 2. Replace Your Windshield Wiper Blades Your wiper blades have been working hard over the past few rainy months. The general rule of thumb is to replace your wiper blades twice a year, at the beginning/end of each season. This will ensure fresh blades to wipe away any of that summ ... read more

People near San Diego often ask Convoy Auto Repair how often they should have a particular service done. It's a great thing to ask. You can look at your owner's manual, or have your San Diego service advisor at Convoy Auto Repair look up your vehicle in a service database. What you find is often a surprise to people - there are actually two service schedules.One is the regular schedule and the other is the severe service schedule. Service intervals are shorter on the severe service schedule. When asked, most folks in San Diego will say that their driving is normal and that the 'regular' schedule probably applies to them. 'Severe service' sounds pretty extreme - 'I don't drive like that'.Well, here is what the manufacturers say constitutes severe driving conditions; you can draw your own conclusions. If that's severe driving, what constitutes regular driving? Well, it would look something like this: I live somewhere with moderate temperatures all year round - I'm thin ... read more

Having trouble with your fuel system? Bring your sedan into Convoy Auto Repair for a check up.3909 Convoy St.San Diego, CA 92111 Today we're talking about fuel system cleaning. The first thing to know is how important it is to have a clean fuel system. You need fuel to go, and the cleaner your fuel system, the more efficiently the fuel will burn. That means more power and better fuel economy. A clean fuel system saves money at the pump. We guess you could say, it all starts and ends at the pump. One of the most important things you can do to keep your fuel system clean is to buy good quality gas. Major brands have detergents that keep gum and varnish from rapidly building up in the fuel system. So buying cheaper gas can actually cost you in the long run. Now, most cars on the road are more than five or six years old. That means they've had time for some dirt and rust to start accumulating in the fuel tank. This junk needs to be filter ... read more

High gas prices in San Diego have hit most of our budgets. You've probably budgeted a certain amount for vehicle related stuff. Increased fuel costs are now consuming a bigger portion of that budget and you may be tempted to skimp in some other areas - like scheduled maintenance. According to news reports and industry studies, you're not alone. Nine out of ten personal vehicles on the road have at least one maintenance or repair item that hasn't been done. Some of these items are serious safety concerns. Others are just more likely to affect the cost of operating your vehicle. In this area, we can take a lesson from professional vehicle owners. I'm talking about fleet owners and operators. You know, San Diego folks like the trucking companies and delivery services. Because their livelihood depends on it, they have gotten scheduled maintenance down to a science. And the last thing they skimp on is regular maintenance. W ... read more

Today's Convoy Auto Repair post focuses on using the proper fluids for your vehicle. Big advances in automotive technology have lead to the development of high-tech fluids to keep pace. Some because of engineering advances and others, advances in the materials used to build sedan automotive systems. A simple example of this is the cooling system. For decades it was primarily made out of iron, steel and rubber hoses. There was one kind of coolant that protected these components from corrosion. Now cooling system components are made with various metal alloys and plastics. These materials require different additives to protect them from corrosion. Since the materials used vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, we now have a number of different kinds of coolant. And it's important that car owners use the right coolant. If you pour in the wrong kind, it won't protect the cooling system and may even void th ... read more