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:

Keep It Flowing with a Fuel Filter Replacement at Allen's Automotive Center

The function of the fuel filter is pretty self-explanatory. It filters your fuel. The fuel filter is in the fuel line somewhere in between the fuel tank and the engine. Both gas and diesel vehicles around Memphis use fuel filters. For more information about your fuel filter, visit Allen's Automotive Center at 1195 WINFIELD AVE. in Memphis, Tennessee 38116.Please call 901-332-3279 to make an appointment. Generally speaking there's not a lot of dirt in our Memphis area auto fuel supply, but there is enough that you want to screen it out. The problem actually gets worse the older your vehicle becomes. That's because dirt, rust and other contaminants will settle out of the fuel and onto the bottom of the fuel tank. After your vehicle is five years or older, it can actually have a fair amount of sediment built up.That just means that the fuel filter has to work harder as your vehicle ages. It'll get clogged sooner and need to be replac ... read more

Categories:

Fuel System

Keep Your Cool in Memphis

Memphis drivers rely on their vehicle's coolant system to keep their engine cool. Coolant (also called antifreeze) mixed with water flows through your vehicle engine and absorbs heat. The mixture then flows out to the radiator where it's cooled by air flowing over the radiator. From there the coolant/water mix circulates back through the engine to absorb more heat.There's a reason we mix coolant and water. Water alone actually does a good job transferring heat from the engine. The problem is that water boils at a temperature that's easily reached inside your vehicle's engine, so it can turn to steam which does not conduct heat as well and is harder to contain.Also, if it's freezing outside in Memphis, the water in your engine could freeze while your vehicle is sitting out in the Tennessee cold.So, if you remember your high school chemistry, you'll know that a mixture has both a higher boiling point and a lower freezing point than ... read more

Categories:

Cooling System

Battery Basics for Memphis

Battery Basics for Memphis

It's important for Memphis drivers to know battery basics. First, let's talk about which is harder on a battery – hot or cold Tennessee weather. Most Memphis area drivers think it's cold weather because that's when we call on our batteries to have enough power to start a cold vehicle engine. However, heat does more damage to a battery than cold. Truth is, our batteries start to die a little from day one. Keeping a full charge slows the process, which is hard with short Memphis trips because the alternator doesn't have time to fully recharge the battery from starting the engine. Memphis drivers can top off the charge with a computer controlled battery charger – say, once a month in the summer and every three months during the winter.As far as how long a battery will last, statistics show that 70% have given up the ghost within four years. By that time, they aren't capable of taking a full charge like they used to, a ... read more

Categories:

Battery

Memphis Drivers: Is It Time to Replace Your PCV Valve?

Memphis Drivers: Is It Time to Replace Your PCV Valve?

The crankcase is the lower part of the engine where the crankshaft is housed and where the engine oil lives. The crankshaft is connected to the pistons that power the engine. When you are diving around Memphis, fuel is burned in your vehicle engine, it pushes the pistons down and the crankshaft rotates and sends power to the transmission. Some of the explosive gases from combustion squeeze past the pistons and down into the crankcase.Now this gas is about 70% unburned fuel. If it were allowed to remain in the crankcase, it would contaminate the oil and quickly turn it to sludge. Sludge is like Vaseline and clogs passages in the engine, leading to damage. Also, the pressure build up would blow out seals and gaskets. So in the old days, there was just a hose that vented the crankcase out into the air. Obviously, not good for our air quality in Memphis, Tennessee.Enter the PCV valve. It's a small, one-way valve that lets out the gases from the crankcase and routes them back into ... read more

Categories:

Parts

The Right Automotive Fluids for Memphis Drivers

All those automotive fluids can be confusing for Memphis drivers. Recent years have brought new grades of engine oil, types of transmission fluid, coolant and brake fluid. The right fluid protects your vehicle and helps it perform at its best. The wrong fluid won't work as well and could even cause damage.In addition to new grades of engine oil, many vehicles now leave the factory with synthetic oil. People in Memphis should always use the grade recommended by their manufacturer. All coolant, also called antifreeze, used to be green. Now there are several other colors of coolant sold at Allen's Automotive Center in Memphis. Each type is designed to protect the cooling system components that are particular to your vehicle. The wrong stuff can void your vehicle cooling system warranty and could even cause engine damage.Most passenger vehicles on Memphis roads today use either DOT 3, DOT 4 or DOT 5 brake fluid. Yo ... read more

Categories:

Fluids

Odometer Rollback on Your Memphis, Tennessee Vehicle

  How do Memphis drivers know if an odometer is telling the truth?Well, back in '86, Congress passed the Truth-in-Mileage Act to protect Tennessee consumers against mileage fraud. It says a Tennessee seller must certify the mileage reported is the actual mileage.To have your odometer checked in Memphis, Tennessee, stop by Allen's Automotive Center: Allen's Automotive Center1195 WINFIELD AVE.Memphis, Tennessee 38116   If it isn't, the seller must say why; for example, maybe the odometer is past its mechanical limits. Some older odometers only go to 99,999 and then start over at 0. Or, the odometer has been tampered with, broken or replaced.If the seller tells you the mileage isn't accurate, there's not much chance of putting a good number to it. And there's the unscrupulous seller who claims the reading is true, but it isn't. What can Memphis vehicle owners do?You can go to www.CarFax.com, where, for a smal ... read more

Categories:

Older Vehicles

Stay Headed in the Right Direction, Memphis

Power steering is standard on nearly every vehicle in Memphis, Tennessee, these days. Now there are some exotic, new types of power steering systems, but for the most part, the general setup is a pump that's driven by a belt powered by the engine. Contact the automotive professionals at Allen's Automotive Center in Memphis for questions about your power steering. The pump generates power that assists drivers as they steer their vehicle around Memphis, Tennessee. Power steering systems use hoses to move pressurized fluid back and forth. These hoses can develop leaks so it's a good idea to have Allen's Automotive Center inspect them at every oil change. A check of the power steering fluid level is on the list for every full service oil change at Allen's Automotive Center because low fluid can damage the power steering pump. And the fluid needs to be compatible with the hoses and seals, so it's important to use the correct type – ju ... read more

Categories:

Steering

Another Couple of Years: Making Your Vehicle Last With Help From Allen's Automotive Center

A while back, the Cash for Clunkers program was all over the Tennessee news. Memphis people could trade in their old vehicle for a new one that got better gas mileage and receive a government rebate. A lot of Memphis motorists had so-called clunkers that they wanted to keep. They're good commuters, grocery getters or toy haulers. They enjoy that fact that they're paid off, or soon will be. They would gladly like to keep their vehicles for 200,000 miles (320,000 kilometers) or more – as long as it's economical to do so. There are plenty of Memphis drivers whose vehicles are running after 150,000 or 200,000 miles (240,000 or 320,000 kilometers). We can learn from what they're doing to keep our own vehicles on the road in Tennessee.The Memphis drivers of high-mileage cars often report a common denominator of never skipping an oil change. That may sound a bit unsophistica ... read more

Categories:

Maintenance

Make Your Battery Last

Today's report from Allen's Automotive Center is on vehicle batteries, why they die and what we can do to lengthen their life. Most of us have had a dead battery at one time or another. In fact, it would be very unusual if you hadn't. You may be surprised to learn that only 30 percent of Memphis vehicle batteries last for 48 months.Now that's an average. How long a battery lasts depends on many factors. You may not know that one of the biggest factors is the temperature where you live and drive around in Tennessee. You might suppose that cold weather was harder on batteries because it takes more power to crank a cold engine, but the opposite is actually true. For more information on your battery, please visit us:Allen's Automotive Center1195 WINFIELD AVE.Memphis, Tennessee 38116901-332-3279 Batteries in very cold climates have a life expectancy of 51 months as opposed to 30 months in very warm climates. The reason is simple: batte ... read more

Categories:

Battery

Fuel Saving Tip: Memphis Tune Up

Have you ever gone to listen to an orchestra? The musicians take the stage early and tune their instruments. Each individual instrument must be in tune, but the critical thing is for the entire orchestra to be in tune with each other. That's why they tune up together.Now this is no surprise; I'm going to relate the orchestra to your vehicle. Your engine has many component systems that each need to be working properly. And the components need to be working in sync, all timed up together in order for the engine to work efficiently.We call this... (ta-da) a tune-up. When an orchestra's out of tune you get a bad concert. When your vehicle's out of tune you get bad performance and bad fuel economy.So check your owner's manual for recommended tune-up intervals. Or ask your Memphis service advisor at Allen's Automotive Center what he thinks....Just be careful not to say you want to make beautiful music together – that kinda makes us uncomfortable ... read more

Categories:

Fuel System
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.