We will be closed for the following days in 2024:

4/8/2024
5/24-6/6/2024
7/4-7/7/2024
9/2/2024
10/14/2024
11/28-12/1/2024
12/25/2024-1/5/2025

Click here to check out our recent community events!

Articles:

Allen's Automotive Center Often Asked About Premium vs. Regular Gas

Memphis residents often ask the question: "Will using premium gas make my car run better?" The answer is simple. But first, let's talk about what exactly premium gasoline is.Different grades of gasoline have different octane ratings. Regular gasoline has the lowest octane rating and premium the highest. Most gas stations around Memphis, Tennessee, also carry a mid-grade that falls in between the two. The octane range for the different grades of gas varies by region due to altitude differences.Engines require different octane ratings because of design differences. For example, turbocharged engines usually require premium gas.There's a sticker on your gas tank filler lid that tells you the minimum octane rating your vehicle manufacturer recommends. For help identifying the type of gasoline your engine needs, come by Allen's Automotive Center in Memphis. Allen's Automotive Center1195 WINFIELD AVE.Memphis, Tennessee 3811690

Categories:

Fuel System

Keeping Your Memphis Air Fresh When Driving With a Clean Cabin Air Filter

Pop quiz: What is a cabin air filter? A. A filter for your Memphis house?B. A fresh, piney scent?C. A filter for the passenger compartment of your car? Clever you, it's C.A cabin air filter cleans the outside air before it comes into the passenger compartment of your vehicle. It filters out common Tennessee air particles like dust, pollen, spores, bacteria, pollutants, exhaust gas, odors and even sparrows.These high tech filters can block particles larger than 3 microns. By contrast, a grain of sand is about 200 microns.Not all Memphis vehicles have cabin air filters. They are fairly new on the scene in Tennessee. Last check, about 40 percent of new vehicles sold in Memphis come with cabin air filters, but the number is growing every year. Cabin air filters make driving a lot more pleasant for people in Memphis. Your vehicle can be a haven during our Tennessee allergy season with very little dust and pollen getting into the cabin. Of course, like all filters, the cabin air f ... read more

Categories:

Cabin Air Filter

Memphis Alignment Service

Your car might have an alignment problem if: it drifts or pulls to one side, your steering wheel is off center, you have uneven tire wear or your car doesn't feel like it handles right. When all of a vehicle's wheels are lined up exactly with each other, your wheels are in alignment. Running into potholes around Memphis and smacking a curb or other object are great ways to knock your car out of alignment. Then, one or more of your wheels starts pulling in a slightly different direction and the problems begin.There are several things involved in an alignment check at Allen's Automotive Center. First, there's an inspection of the steering and suspension systems - their components should be checked to see if anything's bent or broken. Then the tire condition needs to be inspected. From there, the vehicle is put on an alignment rack and an initial alignment reading is taken. If all four wheels are adjustable, they are lined up perfectly parallel with the vehicle's center line. If ... read more

Categories:

Alignment

Allen's Automotive Center Helps You Decipher the Menu Board: Part 2

Tennessee service centers have a menu board that lists the services they provide. Some Memphis drivers may not be familiar with all of the items on the board so here is a quick description of some of the typical services that might be listed.Allen's Automotive Center fuel system cleaning: Over time, the vehicle fuel system gets gum and varnish built up. A fuel system cleaning gets rid of that and cleans out the fuel injectors. Saves gas, by the way.Allen's Automotive Center headlamp replacement: Halogen and standard headlamps gradually fade. It's usually good to change them every year or so.Allen's Automotive Center inspections: Memphis drivers get inspections for many reasons. Maybe they're going on a trip or just want to make sure their vehicle's ready for a Tennessee summer or winter. Maybe they just bought a used vehicle and want to give it the once over. An inspection may reveal some things that ar ... read more

Categories:

Maintenance

PCV Valve Service at Allen's Automotive Center in Memphis

Today, we are talking about your PCV valve. Unburnt fuel is forced into the crankcase as your engine runs.  The PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) valve vents this unburnt fuel and oil vapors from the crankcase and sends it back into the air intake system to be burned in the engine.  A clogged PCV will not allow these vapors to escape. This can dilute and contaminate the oil, leading to damaging engine oil sludge. It can also cause vehicle engine corrosion, something we see occasionally at Allen's Automotive Center. At high speeds on Tennessee freeways, the pressure can build up to the point that gaskets and seals start to leak. Back in the old days, vehicles were simply installed with a hose that vented these gases out into the atmosphere. But starting in the 1964 model year, environmental protection laws required that these gases be recycled back into the air intake system to be mixed with fuel and burned in the vehicle's engine.This is much better ... read more

Categories:

Parts

Upsizing Wheels and Tires With Allen's Automotive Center

Many Memphis drivers want to accessorize their vehicle - you know, make it theirs. One of the easiest ways to get a custom look is to get some new wheels. There are thousands of wheel designs at Memphis area tire shops to get you the look you want. And for many Memphis drivers, that look includes bigger wheels. It used to be that cars came from the factory with 15 or 16 inch wheels. Now 16, 17 and even 18 inchers are standard. And the factories are offering optional wheel packages up to 20 inches or more. So let's talk about what to consider when you want to upsize your wheels. It's not exactly a DIY project, so you need to know a thing or two before you get started. The most important term to know is rolling diameter. The rolling diameter is simply the overall height of your tire. Unless you want to modify your vehicle suspension, you'll want to keep your rolling diameter the same when you upsize your wheels.Let's think about those three golden doughnuts in front of you. They're ... read more

Categories:

Tires and Wheels

Coolant/Antifreeze Service in Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis auto owners may know that most automotive failures in Memphis, Tennessee, are tire related, but do you know the second most common cause of vehicle failure? Nope, it's not teenagers. It is the coolant system. But if you take good care of your vehicle coolant system, it will take good care of you.A vehicle's engine creates a lot of heat - so much heat, that if it is not properly cooled, the engine can lock up, resulting in massive damage and repair bills. But when everything is working right, your vehicle engine operates at the proper temperature and all is well. Without antifreeze in your cooling system, the water could freeze and cause vehicle engine damage. This could be very expensive, not to mention inconvenient.The right mix of water and antifreeze protects the engine against damage from freezing and overheating. Antifreeze also protects the coolant system against corrosion that could cause the system to fail. The thing to remember is this: coolant system failure is ... read more

Categories:

Cooling System

Keep Your Memphis Car Breathing Free: Engine Air Filter

Hey Memphis - this is something really amazing: Your vehicle uses 12,000 times as much air as fuel when you drive it. All of that air has to be filtered to keep your engine clean.That's like 100 gallons (380 liters) of air every block! The engine air filter is just another example of a very important but inexpensive part that has to do a tremendous amount of work. And when it works, everything goes well. But, when it doesn't, well, it can lead to problems. Of course, your vehicle manufacturer recommends how often to change your air filter. But like most service intervals, where and how you drive your vehicle in Tennessee affects when your filter needs to be changed.Dusty conditions around Memphis or polluted city driving means you'll need to change your filter more often. Our trained professionals at Allen's Automotive Center can check your filter for you. In fact, it's often a routine part of an oil change.When you think about it, a clogged a ... read more

Categories:

Maintenance

Training Received by Technicians in Memphis, Tennessee

When your vehicle breaks down in the Memphis, Tennessee, area, or just needs some routine service, it can make you a little nervous. Because your vehicle's so important to your life, you need to be back on the road as soon as possible — with the problem fixed right the first time.We've been checking into some of the training our Memphis, Tennessee, technicians receive, and we're very impressed. It's amazing how much knowledge and skill goes into diagnosing and repairing a modern vehicle. So it's not like when your uncle worked on his hot rod over the weekend.Today there are four-cylinder engines around Memphis that make more power than the V-8's in luxury cars did 20 years ago. A new V-6 Toyota Camry could beat Sonny Crocket's Ferrari in a race to 60 mph/97 kph.Our engines are more and more powerful. And they're so reliable. This is all due to engineering. But the benefits come to Memphis drivers at the price of simplicity. Modern cars are so much more comple ... read more

Categories:

Maintenance

Automotive Detective Work in Memphis

There's a reason we use the word “diagnose” when we talk about fixing cars in Memphis. Figuring out what's wrong with your vehicle has a lot of similarities to figuring out what's wrong with someone who is ill. Vehicles are a mass of complex systems that can produce a variety of symptoms when something goes wrong. As with human diagnoses, a specific symptom may be indicative of a number of problems, and figuring out the specific cause takes training and experience.Sometimes the diagnosis of your vehicle's trouble comes down to a matter of trial-and-error. This can be frustrating for Memphis drivers because time and money are on the line. You may feel you should only be paying for repair work. Of course, you only want to pay for the right repair – and a proper diagnosis is part of getting it right. Like at the doctor's office — some of what you pay for is the doctor's time and effort to figure out ... read more

Categories:

Diagnostics
Allen's Automotive Center is committed to ensuring effective communication and digital accessibility to all users. We are continually improving the user experience for everyone, and apply the relevant accessibility standards to achieve these goals. We welcome your feedback. Please call Allen's Automotive Center (901) 332-3279 if you have any issues in accessing any area of our website.