San Diego Auto Repair

Most San Diego schools only have a few weeks before classes start up again, and that makes August the perfect time to fit in some last minute road trips before you have to get back to the grind! But even if you aren't in school (or don't have kids who are), there's something about August that just screams road trip season - we think it has a lot to do with the heat! But in San Diego, the real heat doesn't begin until September. If you're looking to heat up the summer before it ends, you'll delight in taking a trip to a hot destination during the hottest season. The desert in the heat of summer offers a dramatic experience for the more determined traveler, and a stunning road trip from San Diego. And if you're looking for a hot summer road trip destination, we have some places in mind - in the most literal sense! Image ... read more

Ever since air conditioning became a standard feature on cars, there has been passionate debate about its effect on fuel consumption. Is it negligible? Is it worth the discomfort? What about rolling down the window? How much fuel does AC really use in a modern car? There are so many conflicting reports and rumors that’s almost impossible to determine a real answer. Here, we'll go over the basics of AC and driving with the windows down (hello physics!), but at the end of the day you may make your decision based on your personal preference on any particular day. (For example, no matter how much money your car might save by not using AC, no one is driving through the desert without it!) Does using the AC use more fuel? Of course. While the quantity can change depending on the aerodynamics of the car, using the AC does use more fuel than driving with the windows closed. This might be an obvious an ... read more

When the AC in your car stops working, it can be hard to quickly identify the problem. Is it the condenser? The compressor? Does it just need a recharge? Does the belt need adjusted? The surest way to know is to grab a friend, pop the hood, and start AC troubleshooting your car's AC problems! (Or, barring that, bring it in and we’ll do the troubleshooting for you.)   Image: Pixabay   Step 1: Determine the exact problem your AC is having. Is your AC blowing hot air? Blowing cooler air, but not cold air on max AC? Now blowing air at all? Not engaging at the motor? All of these problems have a different fix, and it’s important to know which issue you’re looking at. Step 2: Check for leaks - Leaks are the number one pro ... read more

We’ve all know how it goes: white smoke starts pouring from the hood, the temperature light is on, and suddenly you’re on the side of the road with your hood up waiting for the car to cool down. The summer months can be hard for even modern vehicles; the warm weather creates some additional stress on the engine, and then use of the air conditioner adds even more heat and work under the hood. Do you know what to do if your car overheats? Image: Flickr What to do in case of your car overheating STOP DRIVING - The quickest way to be in the market for a new engine is to keep driving after your engine starts to overheat. Even driving to the next exit is too far. Pulling over immediately will save you thousands and hopefully allow you to keep your engine. Call a tow truck - The $50 or so to get your ... read more

It’s summer time in southern California and San Diego is having a scorcher of a week - and that means it’s peak season for car air conditioning. When temperatures go up, the load on your car’s AC unit is higher, especially if you need to run the AC over a long drive (such as a summer road trip!). Here are some tips to keep your car AC in tip top shape!  Image: Flickr How to ensure your AC stays in great condition Maintenance, Maintenance, Maintenance We go over this in more detail in our post about the topic, What You Need to Know about Car AC Maintenance, but there are some basic steps you can take that will keep your AC blowing cold, including changing your air filter and recharging your system as appropriate. Visual Inspection This is especi ... read more

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: preventative car care is the number one way to keep your car on the road longer, for the least amount of money. There’s a reason the old saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is so well known. No matter how old your car is, performing routine services keeps the systems in as good of shape as possible, helping you avoid more costly repairs and dangerous problems. Image: Pixabay Here are a few preventative car maintenance tips to keep in mind this summer: Regularly check and change all fluids- One of the easiest vehicle issues to avoid is a seized engine. Regular oil changes ensure you ... read more

In a major victory for families and minivan lovers everywhere (and a surprise to absolutely no one) the cheapest vehicles to insure are mostly SUVs, crossovers, and minivans, which are rarely bought by single people looking to take them to race tracks come the weekend. Oh, did we mention there is also a station wagon in the top ten? Yes, the station wagon is still being made in 2014. But it was the fact that the station wagon proved to be the cheapest to insure that sort of shocked us. Same as for the most expensive cars to insure, we checked the rates using MSN Money's insurance comparison tool for California - you'll probably find cheaper rates in other states, but then you'd have to move. So for those who just can't get enough of our amazing California sunshine but still don't want to pay a fortune in car insurance, this list of the least expensive cars to insure will be your best start to finding your next ri ... read more

We've been talking a lot about value on the Convoy blog lately, so it might seem strange to suddenly be talking about expensive cars and their just-as-expensive insurance premiums. But there is still value in a luxury car - for those who can afford the upfront cost, a luxury car comes with certain features that other cars don't, such as included maintenance, higher quality (and longer lasting) parts, and a much higher resale value compared to your average family sedan. And for those who are in the market for a higher end vehicle do have their own value needs to consider - one of which is the higher cost of full coverage insurance. You might think that insuring your new $100,000 luxury car or SUV would be a relatively affordable car to insure, given that you are older, you own your home, you have established credit, and you have a near-perfect driving record (compared to a 21-year old in a Mustang flooring it at every stop light on his way to his job at Starbucks). After a ... read more

As this month is all about getting the most value out of your car, there comes a point where fixing up an old car just isn't worth it anymore, or there are parts that are no longer usable. But what to do with the old junker? If the car still has a special place in your heart, getting $50 for scrap might feel like a letdown. Why not immortalize your car by upcycling its parts into something completely different? Upcycling is a relatively new concept similar to recycling, but it's giving a whole new life and a better quality or value to something that would otherwise have been thrown away. Car parts are inherently ideal for upcycling projects - they're already durable, they are difficult to break down so their base materials can be remade into a new object (which is what recycling car parts does), and they can very easily be made to be a better quality item as something not used in a car. Read on for clever DIY upcycling projects from old car parts! Furniture from Car Parts ... read more

Our friend James from Mantripping is here to share some of his favorite weekend road trips you can take from San Diego - and since June is Great Outdoors Month, we figured San Diego drivers would be itching to get exploring! Read on for weekend road trip ideas: It's (almost officially) summer time now and that means it's time to break out the maps (or GPS) and head off on a great American adventure! Luckily for those of us in San Diego there are a number of excellent road trips that range from short day trips to ones that would span multiple days of exploration. Before you set out on the trip, though, it is important that you get your car in proper driving condition. For the longer trips, or trips through the desert, I would recommend that you stop by your mechanic for a quick look. But there are also some things you can check yourself to q ... read more