Tucson Auto Repair

 Sometimes you get the desire to try and do some of the work on your vehicle yourself.  We get it. It’s cheaper than taking your vehicle to a shop and you’re fairly handy with a set of tools. This particular customer decided to replace their ignition coils on their Chevy Cobalt to fix a check engine light. Which in of itself is a pretty easy repair.  During the repair, they broke a retaining bolt for the ignition coil off in the cylinder head.  They then tried to remove the broken bolt by drilling it out.  In doing so they broke a case hardened tool off in the aluminum cylinder head.  This is the point that they brought it to us for repair. The hardened tool being broken off in the aluminum cylinder head makes it a very complicated procedure to remove it without damaging the cylinder head. This vehicle is headed to a local machine shop for a very costly extraction and repair. The moral of the story is…. Know your limits. It’s okay ... read more

  No one knows your vehicle better than you do. Yes your trusted automotive shop knows the ins and outs of your vehicle, but when it comes to the performance and feel, no one is going to be more suited to tell when something is just not right than you. When you start to hear or feel something that isn’t normal it is always a good idea to have it looked at. It may be something simple and easy to fix. Or it may be a sign that something major is getting ready to fail. Whatever the outcome may be it is better to know and be prepared than it is to be surprised with an unexpected bill. The picture shown is of a manual transmission that is currently being replaced in our facility. If you look closely at the input shaft coming out of the transmission you can see that the surface is gouged and damaged badly. This is due to the customer continuing to drive after he started to hear something unusual. The clutch release bearing was starting to fail, which in of itself is a fairly easy ... read more

Although we live in the Sonoran Desert, and it doesn’t get nearly as cold as some other places, we still need to ensure our vehicles are ready for the colder temperatures. There are some basic maintenance things you can do to help prevent having issues on those cold mornings.   With the rapidly fluctuating temperatures that come with an Arizona winter, tire pressures can be affected greatly. For every 10 degrees of temperature change your vehicle’s tire pressures can change up to 1 psi. Over or under inflated tires are the number one cause of premature tire wear and can cause changes in your vehicle's fuel economy. Make sure your tire pressures are checked regularly.   Ensuring your engine’s cooling system has the proper 50/50 mix of coolant and water are crucial in preventing premature failure of the rubber hoses and plastic connectors in your cooling system. Water freezes at 32 degrees, whereas coolant is rated below 0 degrees. A cooling system fil ... read more

What is a Pre-Purchase Inspection and why should you get one?? Buying a vehicle is probably the second biggest purchase you will make in your lifetime besides buying a home.  When you buy a home it is mandatory that an inspection is done prior to a loan being issued.  I believe is should be mandatory that an inspection by a third party be done on all used vehicles prior to purchase.  We have seen, on countless occasions, customers buying vehicles and then bringing them in for inspections after the purchase. Only to later have the check engine light come on, or the brakes start making noise. Or one of the various other concerns.   So what is a pre-purchase inspection?A  pre-purchase inspection is performed by an independent, third-party professional service, that evaluates a vehicle's condition before the purchase is made.   Unless the vehicle is unsafe to drive, the third-party evaluator does not ... read more

Modern vehicles are equipped with many warning indicators, including lights and chimes, to let you know when there is an issue requiring your local repair shops attention. This if fantastic until you start to think about things that are not electronically monitored, such as your vehicles alignment. 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. Most shops offer a free alignment check and will even inspect all of your steering and suspension components as part of the check. At One Stop Automotive we recommend a thorough inspection of all your steering and suspension components at every oil change and an alignment check at least once a year. This is an often overlooked maintenance item that can lead to costly rep ... read more