San Diego Auto Repair

Vehicle suspension is an important aspect of every vehicle. It keeps the car balanced, stable, and able to react to maneuvers during operation. It's one of the less obvious systems of your car, but it's one of the hardest working. Without suspension, your car's safety and comfort would be severely compromised. Read on to learn more about this essential system: What is Car Suspension? Suspension refers to the overall system of tires, springs, and shock absorbers that connect the car body to its wheels. The suspension system performs two main functions: assisting with the car's handling and braking, and providing a comfortable ride for the passengers. Without suspension, the vehicle would be at risk for tipping over and passengers would experience a bumpy, jarring ride. Over time, vehicle manufacturers have utilized different suspension types, including: leaf springs, torsion beam suspensions, springs (coiled), air springs, and various gas/hydraulic fluid pressure syst ... read more

The phrase "tune-up" is a nuanced one. You probably hear it all the time in radio or TV advertising. But what is a tune-up? For some people, the phrase conjures up 1950's Grease-style images of hot-rodders fixing up custom cars before a race. However, nowadays the term means something closer to a maintenance check up. It still retains its connections to performance and racing, though: a tune-up typically involves maintenance and repairs performed under the hood rather than on other parts of the car, like tires or suspension. Understanding what a tune-up is and how it helps your car last longer is important, as regular tune-ups are needed to keep engines running smoothly and powerfully. Here are the most important things to know about tune-ups: What is a Tune-Up? An engine tune-up usually focuses on repairing, cleaning, or replacing parts under the hood. This includes: Spark plugs Caps Rotors Wires Fuel injection systems Some tune-ups may involve inspections o ... read more

If you're like most people in San Diego, you rely on your car for many aspects of your life, including getting to and from work, running errands, picking up the kids, and getting around for leisurely pursuits. This means it can be extremely unsettling if your car is being towed. Whether it's a planned tow or an unexpected one, you want to be prepared at all times to deal with the situation. Here are some helpful tips to follow for when your car is being towed: For Planned Tows If you know in advance that your car will be towed (referred to as consensual towing), there are steps you should take to ensure that things go smoothly. A planned tow is usually due to the car needing repair or maintenance. Sometimes, it's because you've been in an accident, and the car is unsafe to drive. Before you have your car towed, be sure to: Remove valuable items from your car. Towing companies generally are not liable for any lost or stolen items during the tow ... read more

There are certain things we can do to improve and prolong our cars’ life and performance. For instance, everyone knows that regular checkups and maintenance can definitely stretch out car’s lifespan. But did you know that the way you drive can have a direct bearing on your car’s longevity? The following are some good driving habits that you can develop to make sure your car stays healthy in the long run: Follow the Speed Limit Your car was designed to perform optimally at a certain speed- right around the highway speed limit. If you go faster than the speed limit, you will be putting additional strain on your car’s engine. In addition, you’ll likely be burning through gas more inefficiently. Do yourself, your car, and your wallet a favor, and follow the speed limit. Avoid Heavy Cargo Loads Unless your vehicle was designed for hauling heavy loads, be wary of weighing down your car with lots of weight. Heavy cargo loads can easily put additional wear and te ... read more

Washing and caring for your car here in San Diego means that you have to take special considerations in mind, especially when it comes to the weather. Here in sunny California, our cars are exposed to much different conditions than say, out in the East coast. You may know practice some of these out of habit or instinct, but knowing what you can do to prolong the beauty and functioning of your car can help that much more. Read on to learn about some carwash and car care tips specific to San Diego and Kearny Mesa: Exterior Care San Diego has some unique climate characteristics. If you drive to the west towards the beach, the climate can be a bit cooler and more humid due to the coastal conditions. However, the further east you drive, you might start coming up against drier, more desert-like conditions. This can cause earlier wear of certain parts like the tires, which become subject to alternating expansion and dryness, which can lead to early cracking of rubber and other similar parts ... read more

September means that it’s back to school time for high school and college students all around San Diego. San Diego Mesa College, The University of San Diego, National University, San Diego State University, and University of California San Diego are all just a few minutes drive from our location in Kearny Mesa, and they’re about to be flooded with students! For all the learning that San Diego students are going to do this year, there is one thing they probably won't have a lecture on--proper car care. That’s why we’ve put together a student’s guide to car care to help you get through this school year and beyond in style. Batteries Nobody wants to finish a long day at school and get met with a dead battery in the parking lot. Some signs that your battery is struggling and needs to be replaced are if your car struggles to start, or any of the electrical equipment on the car (radio, headlights, wipers, etc.) isn’t working properly. Plus, car batteries ne ... read more

As soon as you buy a car it starts to depreciate, but there are several steps that you can take to lower its depreciation as much as possible. Taking care of your car, ensuring that cosmetic defects are fixed quickly, and keeping regular maintenance will ensure that you get the most money when it comes time to sell it. ​ Keep the mileage down as much as possible The more long trips that you take with your car, the greater the wear on it and the shorter its life will be. You won’t want to drive it much more than 15,000 miles per year. When traveling long distances, try to use other methods of transportation instead of driving if you are trying to protect your car’s value, or rent a car. Also keep in mind that the lower your odometer reading is when you sell your car the more you’ll get for it. Keep the interior and exterior clean Simply keeping the interior of your car clean will go a long way in maintaining its resale value. It’s one of the major differenc ... read more

We’ve all heard horror stories about botched repairs or high charges at both dealerships and independent repair shops. But how do you decide where to repair your vehicle? The truth of the matter is that either option can be good depending on the quality of the shop and its reputation, and either option can be bad if the shop or the dealership has a bad reputation. You have to do your research on the independent shop or dealership that you are interested in and also consider pricing and repair time. Here are the pros and cons of repairing your vehicle at independent shops vs. dealerships: Cost Matters One main thing to consider is that an independent repair shop will often cost less than a dealership. Dealerships almost always tack on a premium with their repair services because they have more overhead costs and other costs. Or, they simply are looking to make a higher profit and know that the ... read more

Spring has nearly sprung for those of us on the West Coast, and it’s time to think about spring cleaning. Before you go diving into that hall closet, have you thought about spring cleaning your car? Throughout the year, all kinds of gunk gets into the nooks and crannies of your car. Here are a few tips and tricks for spring cleaning your ride! Cup Holders: These always seem to be a magnet for grime and dirty pennies. The condensation from your drinks merges with the general fuzz and dirt that accumulates in a car and together they form some kind of unholy paste that seems impossible to remove. We always start with a good vacuum of the cup holders, just to get anything loose out of there. Then we use a cleaning solution (a simple all-purpose cleaner is fine) and a paper towel or sponge and really get in there to clean out the gunk. The same basic techn ... read more

Car maintenance costs are rarely taken into consideration with new cars, and only slightly more with used cars. Car buying sites like Edmunds.com and Kelly Blue Book provide 5-year estimates of the cost of ownership of a selected vehicle, including insurance costs, fuel spend, and dealer recommended maintenance (at dealership rates), but even those estimates don’t tell the whole story. Often, drivers don’t realize this until they’ve already bought the car (or have owned a similar car in the past). While these needs don’t always result in massive maintenance costs, it is a good idea to be fully prepared before buying your next ride. Regardless of how old or new your car is, or what type of powertrain it has, you can usually save money on maintenance and repairs by taking it to an independent auto shop (like Convoy Auto Repair) rather than the dealership. It’s not just our friendly mechanics and personalized attention that keeps our customers coming back, af ... read more