San Diego Auto Repair

Photo by Malachi Brooks on Unsplash   With wildfires becoming more violent in the state of California, we have to make sure that our car is in top shape in case of an evacuation. Although nothing beats checkups with a professional mechanic, here are some bullet points to help you determine if your car is ready if disaster comes in your region:   Check your tires. If your tires have dry rot or are coming apart, it’s best to replace them immediately if you can. If your tires have hard rubber in some places, that’s also an indicator of worn-down tires.   Avoid soft brakes. Soft brakes can be caused by a couple of things, but most oftenly, they are a sign of contaminated brake fluid. It’s a rule of thumb ... read more

Photo by Gabriel Sollmann on Unsplash   Car commercials can move us, educate us, make us laugh, and even make us angry. The annual Super Bowl tradition of car commercials has produced some very funny, lasting characters. And Mercedes-Benz has done many exciting commercials over the years. But the five commercials featured in this blog will likely never be beaten!   Take a look at some of our favorite commercials from Mercedes-Benz!   The 2012 CLS Commercial - This commercial is a pretty crafty way to combine technical knowledge with a sense of humor. Part of Mercedes-Benz's charm as a brand!     Appa ... read more

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash   Welcome to the June blog! This month, we’re having a look at some of the coolest cars in television and film.   We’re skipping cars that are mostly made up of the adventurer’s exploits and going to cars that do exceptional things.   5.  Pursuit Special, Mad Max, 1979: Also known as The Interceptor, this was Max Rockatansky’s police pursuit vehicle in Mad Max and the sequels. Set in a dystopian future where gas had run out, outlaw societies form based on fuel dependence and access.  Max’s car had all sorts of custom riggings, including booby traps for those not mechanically minded, to ens ... read more

Welcome to March, and the first moments of Spring!  If you’re itching to get outside, there are so many adventures that you and your family can enjoy. That is why this month, we are highlighting some of the best outdoor events in the San Diego area. Four things to do around San Diego during March: Do you love surrounding yourself with flowers? If flowers make your heart melt, consider visiting the Flower Fields of Carlsbad. This garden is impressive and beautiful in its size and colors. But, be sure to bring your allergy medications for when you start sneezing or experience itchy eyes.  Speaking of gardens, the San Diego Botanic Garden is an excellent destination for people of all ages. With four miles of garden trails and vistas, you, the kids, the grandparents, and extended family can spend some quality time together among flowering trees and plants. Again, make sure you wear a mask and pack extra allergy meds, just in case.  During non-pandemic circumstance ... read more

This December, some new drivers may wake up Christmas morning to find keys to a car in their stocking. As they prepare to move out of the home and on to college, parents are buying their kids used cars, more and more, as their ‘starter’ car.    If you’ve been thinking of a car to pair with your new driver, U.S. News and World Report has done a very comprehensive look at the best used cars for new drivers. Here’s a look at what they found out!   The features most parents want their kids’ first car to have are very safety-focused:   Driver Assistance features - forward collision warning automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, and teen driver controls (with notifications for parents) Strong predicted reliability ratings Excellent crash test scores   The things that we most important to avoid were the unsafe elements:   Sports cars - showy cars that go to drivers’ heads High seating cap ... read more

The holidays will soon be here, and with it, the horrors of mall shopping for gifts and the traffic that comes with it… in the time of COVID-19, too. Traffic is going to get hot soon, and it’s important that you keep your cool on the road, whether alone or with your family. Have you ever noticed that the better behaved you are in traffic, the more likely it is that someone will absolutely take advantage of your good nature?  You’re following the speed limit, over to the right to let fast traffic through, letting in anyone who signals. You’re obeying all the rules, and giving adequate braking distance between you and the car ahead of you, when some %#$&# (let’s call this driver So-and-So from now on, even fake cursing is a bad habit) decides to put on their blinker and swerve right in front of you in the very same motion. Then the car ahead of them brakes... and the So-and-So has to hit their own brakes, forcing you to suddenly brake, too, sendi ... read more

Although National Brake Month is actually the month of July, many auto mechanics, including the ones at Import Auto Specialists in San Diego, think October is the most important month for getting your brakes checked out and dealt with if they need repairs or parts replacement. Why is that? You know how important it is to have good working brakes. Losing control of a car in an emergency stop situation is a terrible situation. The best measures in your car -- in terms of not just your car’s care, but your own expenses -- is to be proactive with preventive repairs.  There are a variety of elements around October that make us mindful that people need to attend to their brakes: School’s back in session. With kids back out in the streets, and coming home in the late afternoon, you will once again have to worry about kids suddenly in the road. Not to mention inexperienced teenage drivers learning to drive for the first time in the midst of COVID19.  Halloween is at t ... read more

At Import Auto Specialists, we do a lot of preventive maintenance work for the vehicles that come into our auto repair shop. When people start to compare Asian vehicles with European vehicles, our team will often hear the question, “What’s the main difference between Asian and European vehicle maintenance?”. In this month’s blog, without getting too technical, we will explain the main differences, plus the pros and cons of each category of vehicle. First and foremost, the main, number one difference between Asian and European vehicle maintenance is cost. Asian vehicles are mostly less expensive to maintain than European vehicles. Why is it more affordable to maintain Asian vehicles? Simply put, the parts for Asian cars are less expensive. Plus, their engines are designed to last for high mileage, like upwards of 250,000 miles.  European vehicles, on the other hand, have more expensive parts and the engines typically are not designed to last beyond ... read more

For several generations, owning a car gives a sense of independence and freedom. We can remember when we started wanting to own our first car when we were kids. Owning a car meant you were (almost) an adult, that you could go where you wanted to go, and you could go on an adventure on a moment’s notice. But, this begs a discussion with drivers of all ages about what independence and your car means. From the teens learning how to drive defensively, to the elderly drivers who need to surrender their car keys for safety, we all have something to talk about.  Teen drivers. We know how it feels. We’ve been there. You dream of the car you want. You talk your parents into letting you practice driving. You eventually get a car to drive. And you have to listen to your parents lecture you throughout your early driving career to be safer behind the wheel. We get it. A car gives independence, yes, but freedom comes with responsibility.  You parents want yo ... read more

With the COVID-19 crisis, a lot of summertime car shows have been canceled. It’s sad, for sure. But there are some online alternatives that will allow you to enjoy seeing automobiles in a virtual format. For example, we have a friend in Monterey who attends various car shows at Monterey Auto Week every August. Though this year’s Concours d’ Elegance and Monterey Auto Week is cancelled, here are a few videos from past years. Carmel Concours on the Avenue <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HM9kw90wiMY" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> Pacific Grove Little Car Show <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WEfc8s9DxfU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture ... read more