Tucson Auto Repair

We frequently get new customers into our shop that have been referred by our longtime customers. One of the primary issues we see is that the previous shops have not been doing regular maintenance on the customers vehicles. This can be a huge disservice to people as all vehicle fluids should be changed at certain intervals, mileage recommendations for fluid changes may be different for each vehicle but regardless, fluids need to be changed.  Manufacturers may claim that fluid services need not be done until extreme mileage has been reached, but that is so they can make the claim that maintenance costs are lower than they truly are for people that plan on keeping their vehicles. It is absolutely less expensive to service a transmission than it is to replace or rebuild one. The same goes for the other fluid driven systems as well. Spongy brake pedal? This can be caused by brake fluid that has been boiled due to extreme heat among other things. Brake fluid is also very susceptible ... read more

A customer recently brought in his delivery van that was running rough and had a check engine light on. The customer also complained that they had been using more gas than normal. After our diagnosis, we found out that the spark plugs were completely worn out. The vehicle had 134,000 miles on it, and had never changed the spark plugs.   Other symptoms of bad spark plugs are hesitation, lack of power, hard starts, and rough idle. When you have incomplete combustion, these unburden gas enter your exhaust system and may damage the catalytic converter. What are you going to do?  Change your spark plugs every 100,000 miles. Also included in a tune up, we would recommend changing the fuel filter, pcv valve, performing a fuel injection service, and checking the engine filters.  This is normal preventive maintenance.  You can you this on a timed schedule and bypass the check engine light coming on for this issue

Vehicle Wheel Alignments   Almost all modern vehicles require a wheel alignment periodically.  In fact, it makes sense to do it every other oil change or every 6,000 miles. We have lots of potholes in Tucson.  Hitting just one of these can cause suspension damage and therefore increase wear on your tires.  Maintaining proper alignment angles not only ensures your vehicle drives straight down the road, it also ensures your tires are wearing evenly and are creating a good contact patch with the road surface. A vehicle even slightly out of alignment can wear a set of tires up to 50% faster than a vehicle that is properly aligned.  This can also decrease gas mileage.  At One Stop Automotive we recommend a thorough inspection of all your steering and suspension components at every oil change.  This is an often overlooked maintenance item that can lead to costly repairs down the road. Call us today to schedule you free inspection or al ... read more

The importance of changing your brake fluid We are responsible as drivers to make sure we are driving safely as well as making sure our vehicles are maintained and safe for the roadways.  This includes making sure your brakes are functioning properly with no issues.  Our braking system on vehicles for not changed for decades.  The brake system consists of a brake booster, master cylinder, brake rotors or drums and brake pads or shoes and the brake lines that distribute the hydraulic brake fluid. The brake fluid is hygroscopic, therefore is absorbs moisture from the air.  This moisture starts corrosion and rust that damages components in the brake system.  To avoid this from happening, a brake fluid flush is recommended every 30K miles.  This process is completed by forcing new brake fluid from the master cylinder to each wheel bleeder to remove all the old fluid.  A complete inspection of the brake system is also completed at this ... read more

Doing a vehicle coolant system exchange? It is never a good time to break down on the side of the road in the middle of winter with your family in the vehicle.  One of the big causes of breakdowns are caused by overheating issues. Vehicle cooling system perform two things.  Cooling and lubrication.  Cooling systems remove heat from the engine using the properties of heat transfer. Modern cars use liquid cooling systems. These use a fluid call antifreeze circulated within the engine, that is then pumped out of the engine into a radiator, where the heat is released. Over time the coolant in your vehicle breaks down.  The components of the cooling system included a water pump, the thermostat, the radiator, cooling fans, the heater core, the pressure cap, the overflow tank and the hoses.  To prolong the life of the coolant system and minimize vehicle breakdowns it is recommended to change the coolant every 30,000 miles and replace the hoses ever ... read more