San Diego Auto Repair

Chances are, if you're getting rid of a car it's because you upgraded to newer and better (maybe Santa was extra generous this year!). Congratulations! Unfortunately, selling your car can be a frustrating task. Even if you plan to skip the hassle and trade it in, you want your car to be in the best shape possible so you can get the most money for it. So what should you do to entice buyers or help the dealer see the value of your ride? Image: Flickr First things first: clean it up! Empty all your personal items out of car and remove any parking permits or bumper stickers. If you’re trying to sell your car to a private party, spring for a full detail. For roughly $200, you can get your car looking and smelling as new as possible with shampooed carpets, freshly waxed paint, and spotless windows ... read more

It’s the holiday season, which means an estimated 90% of holiday travel will occur via automobile as people head out to join their families (according to the AAA 2012/2013 Year-End Holidays Travel Forecast). Is your car ready for the journey? Image: Flickr Depending on how far you’re going, you’ll want to make sure you’re prepared in different ways.  If you're sticking to shorter trips (say, from San Diego to Los Angeles) you should inspect and top off your fluids, inspect your tires for damage or excessive wear, and maybe make sure there are spare batteries around for any electronics your kids are using to distract them from the drive. For longer trips, such as up to the Bay Area and beyond, you should take a little more time with your fluid checks. If you’re already overdue for a service such as an oil change or a new set of brakes, you should ha ... read more

Last week, we showed you the 10 most unreliable cars of 2013, but wanted to leave some hope for the future (the new year is fast approaching - we like to start it off on the right foot). This time we're featuring the 10 safest cars for 2014, but you'll be pleased to see some stylish, high performing vehicles among the safest. Car Safety Ratings New car, truck and SUV safety is a difficult thing to gauge not only because there are two main sources of information regarding crash testing—in the United States the Federal Government runs the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), which also issues vehicle recalls, and there is also the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety), which recently came out with an even more stringent test for new models, but also because "safety" can be a relative term when it comes to something as personal and important as driving. While we find the NHTSA&rsqu ... read more

Everyone loves to write about the best and brightest new cars that come out each year to the delight of auto journalists and new car buyers everywhere. But you have to admire the chutzpah of Consumer Reports for releasing a list of the ten LEAST reliable new cars from 2013, the last model year that they have complete survey records from their readers. If you're planning on making a big car purchase this month for yourself or as a gift, take these models into consideration before throwing thousands of dollars on something you'll end up regretting. Also note, Consumer Reports' focus isn’t really on “driving fun” but they do not accept advertising from any automakers and pay their bills through subscriptions from readers of their website or magazine, making it harder for ... read more

Image: Flickr If there’s anything that San Diegans love more than outdoor adventures, it’s craft beer. With perfect weather year-round, every weekend is the perfect opportunity for a road trip and no road trip is complete without some liquid refreshment at the end of it (stay classy - no drinking and driving). Unfortunately, there are fewer disappointments more epic than cracking open a delicious beer at the end of a long drive and encountering a warm or skunked brew. Oh, the humanity! However, there are ways to avoid this tragedy. We’re here to let you in on some craft beer secrets – what are some beers that travel well on long road trips? First off – the container. Beer growlers most often hold 64 fluid oz. of delicious beer and generally are made of brown glass or stainless steel. “Why ar ... read more

Convoy Auto Repair is getting into the holiday spirit with a month-long toy drive to benefit the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program.  We are collecting new, unwrapped toys from November 15 through December 15. The mission of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community in which the campaign is conducted. We chose to support this very successful charity as it has an outstanding track record for doing so much for the less fortunate children of San Diego. It is our hope to fill our donation box many times over to help as many children as we can have a wonderful Christmas. "We are extremely grateful for the on-going suppor ... read more

San Diego may not suffer the extreme temperature drops that other cities do, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have winter! In colder climates, drivers need to think about how to prepare their cars for winter: antifreeze, engine heaters, ice scrapers, snow tires...the list goes on. Here in Southern California, we only really have one major concern: tire pressure and condition. Image: Flickr As the temperatures drop in the winter months, the air in your tires gains density. That increased density means lower air pressure in your tires, leaving them under inflated. What does that mean? Underinflated tires can cause improper tire wear, reducing the lifespan of your tires. They can also reduce your fuel economy, as a tire with low pressure has increased resistance. Most importantly, an underinfla ... read more

Did you know that every time you go in for an oil change and tire rotation that you should also be prepared for the possibility of brake maintenance, brake repair or other brake work? Well, as your tires come off every time they're rotated and your car is in the air having its oil changed it just makes sense for any sensible mechanic to check the brake pad life, look for fluid leaks and make sure the brake fluid reservoir is topped up with a dense looking brown fluid. That stuff helps you stop faster and is thus known as “brake fluid.” The one thing that is totally unpredictable from car to car and even from model to model in a brand’s lineup is how quickly your brake pads will wear out each time. Some drivers get fewer than 10,000 miles on a set of pads while others get well over 50,000 miles. That all depends on the quality of the materials selected by the manufacturer of ... read more

OK guys, it has officially begun raining in San Diego. If you've driven at all the last day or so you're aware of the condition of your windshield wipers (possibly cursing in traffic if they just aren't wiping like they should). We don't have to tell you how important windshield wipers are... that fine layer of dust that has been just fine up until now was likely a thick layer of mud this morning, and between that and your wet brakes and the roads that are now seeing more slick oil than they have all year, it's amazing you made it to work on time and in one piece. Funny thing is, this same scenario seems to happen every year. San Diego gets real warm in October, until one night it just starts raining, and suddenly you're caught with dry, brittle, or even torn windshield wipers. Windshield wipers should be supple - smooth, without cracks or tears, and should glide along your windshield with ease. Maybe, just ma ... read more

Admit it: you judge other drivers. Everyone judges other drivers based on their car and their driving habits (but come on - a Prius driver and a Porsche driver are going to take the roads differently), just like we're all excellent drivers. We all know that minivans are driven by soccer moms, luxury car drivers are rude, and lifted truck drivers have something to prove, right? As much as these conclusions are widespread, they're usually unfounded and ridiculous.  But when a car provides the opportunity for the driver to craft the ultimate expression of who he is and what his life is about (as our cars tend to be for many of us), it does open up the door to judgment. However, a recent (albeit not terribly scientific) study to connect driving habits with the type of car driven has shown that some of these conclusions aren't that unfounded - in fact, the stud ... read more