San Diego Auto Repair

Is your car drifting on the road? Is the steering not as responsive as it normally is? Does something just feel off when driving? If so, there might be a problem with the wheel alignment on your car that needs to be addressed by a certified professional technician. However, poor alignment is not the only potential cause of these problems—meaning it’s time to put on your Sherlock Holmes hat to determine if you actually need a wheel alignment. But don’t worry, it won’t be tough if you follow these 5 easy steps to identifying if your car needs a wheel alignment. Step 1: Eliminate Other Tire Issues Aside from poor alignment, tire issues are the other main culprits that cause symptoms like drifting and unresponsive steering. The first step in identifying if you have an alignment issue is to eliminate any other tire issues. Check the air pressure in all of your tires, because low air pressure could be causing similar problems. Although obvious, make sure your tires ar ... read more

Kearny Mesa is definitely the best neighborhood in San Diego. Okay, we know we’re biased. Convoy Auto Repair has been part of the Kearny Mesa neighborhood for the last 39 years, but that means that we know what we’re talking about when it comes to Kearny Mesa (and your car as well). Today, we’re counting down the 5 reasons we think Kearny Mesa is the best neighborhood in San Diego. 5. It’s Old School Every neighborhood in San Diego has its stereotype. The Gaslamp is “crowded,” North Park is “trendy,” Pacific Beach is “full of bros,” and La Jolla is so beautiful we all forget it's slowly eroding into the ocean. Kearny Mesa, on the other hand, is unabashedly unpretentious and vintage. Where else can you enjoy a non-ironic, retro bowling alley, such as Kearny Mesa Bowl? This neighborhood is full of San Diego spots that locals have been enjoying for decades: the ... read more

As any pet owner will tell you, four-legged friends are basically family. Despite this, many pet owners don’t take into account their pet’s safety when they are in the car. You wouldn’t let your human family members ride around without seatbelts or leave them in a hot car, but many pet owners do exactly this. That’s why we’ve put together 5 easy tips for protecting your pooch and how to drive safely with pets. Get a Crash-Tested Crate While your dog may love the freedom of roaming around the car and sticking his head out the window, the fact is that it simply isn’t safe for your pet or anybody else in the car. Sudden stops and accidents can cause your pet to fly around like a missile which can seriously injure your pet or anybody else in the car. The safest way to transport your pet in the car is to put them into a crash-tested crate. These crates are designed to withstand hard braking and accidents, giving your pet a better chance of making through ... read more

San Diego is close to snowy mountains, pristine beaches, wild deserts, and everything in between, leading to some spectacular drives worth taking a vacation for. Luckily, living in San Diego means that you don’t need to use up any of your vacation days to see these spots, so get your car ready to enjoy these best scenic drives near San Diego. Palomar Mountain Loop Get a spectacular view of Southern California and one of the world’s very best observatories at the same time with this hour-long loop drive. Begin your trip on the Palomar Mountain Loop at Highway 76 in Lake Henshaw, continue on until you head up the mountain on East Grade Road, and then take head down the steep west side of the mountain. The scenery on this drive is amazing— make sure to pay attention to the road, since it’s one of the most technically challenging drives in the country. And m ... read more

Thanks to the recent highly publicized ​wrongdoings by a certain German automaker, car recalls have been in the news lately—and there’s a good chance your car might be next on the recall list. But what exactly does it mean when your car is recalled? Many people out there aren’t entirely sure. That’s why we’ve taken a deeper look to explain what a car recall means and what you should do if your car is recalled. Car Recall 101 A car recall is basically when your manufacturer says, “Oops, we messed up.” More specifically, a car recall is when your car’s manufacturer simply says that there is something on your particular model of car that is defective. They key here is to not panic. In most (if not all) cases just because your car has been recalled, doesn’t mean it’s too dangerous to drive, but it’s important that you fix the problem as soon as possible. Step 1: Check Your Mail Even if you already heard about your car being ... read more

Kearny Mesa is an exciting place to be right now, especially if you like to eat. Even though we here at Convoy Auto Repair have been in Kearny Mesa for 39 years already, it’s still exciting to see fresh new faces in our neighborhood. And it’s even better when these new faces are cooking up some of the best food in San Diego. Read on and say hello to the best new restaurants in Kearny Mesa. Nishiki Ramen 8055 Armour Street, Suite 201A This one is for the noodle lovers out there. Highly regarded Japanese ramen restaurant Nishiki Ramen is opening up its very first US location right down the street from us in Kearny Mesa. What makes Nishiki Ramen different than every other ramen shop? They make their own noodles in their own noodle room (a San Diego first), and all their ingredients are MSG and preservative-free, which means t ... read more

Your car’s air conditioning unit has had a rough summer. Record high temperatures in San Diego means that you car’s A/C has been working overtime for weeks and months at a time. That kind of wear and tear makes it much more likely that your A/C unit might run into a problem, so you always have to check to make sure you aren’t missing the warning signs of broken air conditioning (it can be harder than you think!). Here is how you can diagnose broken air conditioning, so you’re not stuck in a hot and stuffy car. Step 1: Turn On Your Car and Air Conditioning The first, and most obvious, step in seeing if your air conditioning is broken is to turn on both your car and your air conditioning. While any setting will work, it’ll make your job much easier if you roll up all your windows, ensuring that the air is coming from outside (by having the recycled air setting turned off), and turning your AC onto it’s ”MAX AC” (or it’s highest) sett ... read more

Two of the biggest players in the smartphone world, Apple and Google, are taking their talents to a new location, your car’s dashboard. Apple Car Play and Google's Android Auto systems are coming to a car near you a lot sooner than you think. So what’s the deal with the latest in-car “infotainment” technology? Check out our take on the Apple CarPlay vs. Android Auto debate to find out. Best Interface - Tie Apple CarPlay: If you know what it’s like to use an iPhone or iPad, you’ll feel instantly familiar with Apple’s CarPlay interface. Yet again, Apple has gone for a simply designed interface that is very easy to use (perfect for in the car) but sometimes lacks the functionality that you get from Android Auto. Android Auto: The Android Auto interface is a bit more advanced in that you can switch from one app to another without having to return to the home screen thanks to a series of icons on the bottom of the screen. It also integrates Google N ... read more

No matter where you work, having a go-to fast food lunch spot is important for short lunch breaks. Kearny Mesa’s finest employees at Sharp and SDG&E are constantly are on the lookout for new spots that are as tasty as a fine dining restaurant and as fast as our complete car checkup at Convoy. That’s why we’ve decided to help out our neighborhood workers (and anyone else in need of some quick eats in Kearny Mesa) with this list of the 5 best fast food spots in Kearny Mesa. Bento Box from Nijiya Market 3860 Convoy Street There is no meal that is more designed for on-the-go than a bento box from Nijiya Market. All you need to do is just run in and grab one of these pre-packaged boxes of deliciousness. A bento box is simply a box filled with a starch (almost always rice), something that goes with rice (like teriyaki chicke ... 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