San Diego Auto Repair

Most newer vehicles with timing chains do not need the chain serviced or replaced unless the engine has been improperly maintained. This Nissan 240SX has over 300,000 miles and the chain is beginning to rattle and make noise. Over time, the tensioner has become worn and the chain has stretched slightly. We will be pulling the timing cover off to replace the chain, tensioner, chain gears and front oil seals. The customer came in stating there was an odd noise upon vehicle startup as if the engine was low or out of oil that quickly went away. We pulled the oil pan down to get a better look at the oil pickup tube and the lower part of the timing chain. We were able to physically see extra slack in the chain with the pan off. The pan and pickup tube were cleaned before reassembly to ensure no particles are obstructing the flow of oil. ... read more

Customers are often mislead as to when the transmission fluid should be changed on their Mercedes Benz. Rumour going around says that it is a “lifetime” fluid. As professionals, we know that nothing lasts a “lifetime”. Fluid in MOST Mercedes Benz should be changed by 100,000 miles. Newer models 2006 – Present have changed the maintenance interval for the transmission fluid. Mercedes is now scheduling to have the fluid changed around an average of 30,000 miles. We aren’t sure what prompted this change, but it could be due to the fact that consumers were mislead and felt that the transmission never needed service which leads to mechanical breakdowns and expensive transmission repairs. The transmission pan gasket was leaking on this 2005 Mercedes Benz S500 so we needed to remove it, scrape the old gasket off, replace the filter while we were in there, re seal and put it all back together. Low fluid causes the transmission to shift hard or may even cause it not to shift at a ... read more

Question: My tire pressure warning light came on recently. What does that mean? Answer: It means that one or more of your tires has low air pressure. The dashboard warning light, which looks like a cross-section of a tire with some lines in it, comes on when the tire pressure is 20% below what the auto maker recommends. So if your recommendation is for 35 psi (pounds per square inch), the light will come on when your pressure falls to 28 psi. It’s vital to note that 20% below recommended pressure is significantly under-inflated. This means that you will be experiencing degraded handling and that your tire will be running hotter than it should. This can not only be a safety hazard, but your tires will wear prematurely and could even suffer a heat related failure. San Diego drivers should not use their Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) warning light as their trigger for checking their tire pressure. They should still check their tire pressure at least once a ... read more

We are proud to announce a new blog feature on our website. Here we will be posting update information to common problems found on the various vehicles we work on. We will also be posting pictures and information of repairs currently in progress in our shop. You are free to comment on this blog with any questions you may have

Here we have a 2005 Volvo S40. The vehicle was towed in and not running. Found low compression on cylinder 5 and had suspect of a possible bent or burnt valve. Upon checking the timing, we noticed the belt was falling apart and had skipped a couple teeth. We needed to install a new belt and get the engine to the proper timing to verify cylinder number 5. After the new belt was installed, the compression on cylinder number 5 was restored and luckily for the customer, we do not need to pull the cylinder head to replace valves. The belt had been deteriorating due to oil leaking onto it from the camshaft and crankshaft oil seals. The oil had cause pre mature wear on the timing belt tensioner. We will be replacing the belt, tensioner, idler rollers, camshaft/crankshaft oil seals as well as the VVT cam sprocket to get the vehicle back in running condition and preventative maintenance to ensure this problem does not happen again! Passenger side of engine seen through fende ... read more

We would like to inform all of you that we have expanded our services here at Import Auto Specialists and are now offering full detail services for your vehicle! Not only can we take care of your vehicle’s engine, brakes, suspension, fluids and tires; but now we can also take care of the paint and body of your vehicle. Everything from a wash/wax to shampooing carpets and even dings, dents and scratches. Did you know that you should be waxing your car at least once a year? The harsh UV rays from the sun eat away at the paint’s clear coat and it will eventually chip and flake away leaving the paint exposed to fade and flake away as well. What happens when paint is gone and the metal body is exposed? RUST! Protect your investment and be sure to get a wax treatment right away before it is too late! Get your car looking like new and the paint feeling silky smooth with clay bar treatment. The clay helps remove any deposits that may have set in the paint from either bei ... read more