Memphis Auto Repair

We all want to breathe clean air and keep our planet green.  One of the ways to do that is by requiring all vehicles with internal combustion engines to pass an emissions test.  That’s because these vehicles can be big polluters.   Everyone wants their car to pass the test so they can continue their day-to-day driving routine.  But then comes that one day when they tell you your vehicle has failed.  Why does that happen? One of the most common reasons is that your gas cap is leaking or loose (or maybe you don’t even have one on your vehicle!).  The gas cap is supposed to seal in vapors, but sometimes its seals or gaskets dry out or crack. Replace it, and you’re good to go. Another common reason your vehicle failed the test is that your catalytic converter isn’t doing its job. It is supposed to convert toxic gases from your engine into ones that don’t pollute the air.  There are many reasons the catalytic converter may not ... read more

Tires are so reliable these days that few drivers pay much attention to them.  But tires wear out.  They have a tough job since they are the only point of contact between your vehicle and the road.  They have to get your vehicle going from a stop, keep it going, make sure it is headed in the direction you want it to go, and –importantly – slow and stop it.   The only time many drivers think about their tires is when there's a problem, such as a flat.  Or, they may lose control when they find their vehicle isn't stopping or steering like it used to.  One major safety organization estimates that 1 out of every 11 crashes is related to a tire issue.   Many of those problems are caused by tire tread wearing out.  The rubber is worn off by friction after hours and hours on roads.  The sidewalls can also be damaged by your tires hitting curbs, potholes, or other debris. Plus, rubber ages as time passes.  We recommend you let us in ... read more

Few of us ever drive somewhere without encountering some pretty rough roads, and it's amazing how well our vehicles are able to smooth out the ride. Thank your shocks and struts. The two parts are similar.  Some cars have shocks in the rear, and struts in the front.  Others have struts all around.  A shock absorber uses a cylinder filled with gas or liquid that's connected to your vehicle's frame and axle.  When your vehicle encounters an imperfection in the road, the shock dampens the motion.  A strut is essentially a shock absorber mounted inside a spring and can support more weight than a shock by itself. Shocks and struts take a lot of punishment and wear out.  When they do, your tires are not contacting the road as much as they should, and that can result in a bumpy, unstable ride. Worn-out shocks and struts also transfer the impacts of road imperfections directly to your vehicle's body which can cause further damage to other parts. You can tell when ... read more

While many components of your vehicle are complex and composed of lots of mechanical and electrical parts, there's one that isn't complicated but still important.  It's your engine air filter. (And, we should point out, the engine air filter isn't to be confused with the cabin air filter.  The cabin air filter cleans air that goes into the passenger compartment while the engine air filter cleans air that goes into the engine itself.) Why does your engine need a filter? Think of all the stuff–dirt, dust, and debris in the air¬–that gets kicked up on the road.  If that were to go unfiltered into your engine, it could damage other components. There are many different materials used in an engine air filter, including paper, cloth (frequently cotton), and other synthetic fabrics.  The material is usually folded tightly to maximize the filtering capability over a relatively small surface.   Before computers were employed to determine the proper mix of ... read more

When you are pointing your vehicle straight down the street, it should go straight.  That’s pretty straightforward, right? Sometimes, though, you may notice you have to keep adjusting the steering wheel to keep going straight.  While that could be caused by many different issues, one possibility is that you have a failing or bent control arm. Another sign is that when you brake, your vehicle pulls to one side or the other.  Sometimes your suspension may sound noisy, especially when you’re traveling on rough surfaces.  A damaged control arm may also make it almost impossible for you to get a good wheel alignment.  The control arms are part of your suspension, and some vehicles have upper control arms and lower control arms.  Not all have the same number of control arms, but one thing is important: If you have worn bushings on your control arms or a worn-out ball joint, the control arm on the other side should also be replaced.  The rubber b ... read more

There’s an important part in your vehicle that shields your timing belt, timing chain or cam belt from the debris and gunk that can be kicked up from the road.  It’s called the timing cover.  It’s important because the timing belt or chain is what coordinates parts of your engine called the camshafts and crankshaft.  When they’re in sync, all runs smoothly.  When they’re not, it can cause some serious engine problems. If your vehicle has a timing belt, without the protection of the timing cover, that belt can come loose from the timing gears or break.  If your vehicle has a timing chain, the cover keeps engine oil circulating around it which lubricates it.  When that starts to leak because of a bad gasket, the chain may not be getting adequate lubrication.   If your vehicle has a timing cover problem, you may notice engine oil leaking if a gasket is not sealing tightly.  You may hear a strange metallic sound coming f ... read more

Maybe your vehicle feels like Breaking Bad.  In other words, when you brake, things are bad.  You may find it takes you a longer distance to stop, you feel a vibration, or it’s pulsating when you depress the brake pedal, or perhaps your vehicle pulls to one side. Those can be symptoms of failing brake drums.  While a lot more vehicles these days have disc brakes, many vehicles still have brake drums, almost always in the rear wheels. The drum is a cast iron shallow cylinder that surrounds the other parts, including curved brake shoes that press pads against the drum to slow you down or stop the vehicle. Any time you have things going wrong with your brakes, you should get them fixed soon.  Safely operating any vehicle depends on having the brakes be able to slow and stop you dependably.  It can make the difference between avoiding a collision and having one.  When you bring your vehicle in, a technician will inspect your braking system. Depending on ... read more

When you start your vehicle’s engine, there’s another motor that makes that whole process possible.  It’s called the starter, and it’s a small electric motor that gets your vehicle running.   As you can imagine, it’s quite a chore for a little electric motor to turn over the big engine that powers your vehicle.  And after hundreds of successful starting missions, after a while, it will start to give out. You’ll know the starter is starting to give up the ghost when it turns too slowly or sometimes doesn’t do anything when you turn on the ignition.  Maybe it makes funny noises like grinding when you try to start your vehicle or maybe there’s just a click. Those are all reasons to get your vehicle over to us so we can see what’s going on.  A technician will make sure the problem is the starter and not in the battery, a switch, or other electrical component or connections.  If all of those are ruled out, y ... read more

A driver called in to the shop the other day saying his European sports sedan had an odd problem.  He was driving when his car started to slow down.  Applying more throttle didn't help.  He pulled over to the side of the road, shut the engine off and waited a few minutes before starting it up again.  It ran fine… for a couple of minutes.  Then the same thing happened.  He was able to finally get home by stopping and restarting, and he was calling to see if we could take a look at it.  Turned out it was one of his car's fuel filters that choked up with debris so badly that enough fuel couldn't get through it.  When he stopped the car, enough fuel could flow through the unpressurized fuel line to supply enough fuel for a couple of minutes when he restarted his car. But then the pressure would cause things to clog again.   There are other symptoms that point to a failing fuel filter. Perhaps your engine misfires, your vehicle is hard to ... read more

You may have heard about an important part of your vehicle's engine called a timing belt, and many know that if that belt breaks, it can cause some very serious engine problems.   Not all vehicles have them, and the ones that do generally have smaller engines.  The timing belt keeps the engine synchronized so that every time a spark plug fires, the crankshaft, camshaft, pistons, and valves are all working together.  Timing belts will eventually have to be replaced, and most vehicle manufacturers recommend when that should be.  Typically, it's around every 60,000-100,000 miles, or 100,000-160,000 km. It's a good idea to stick to your vehicle's schedule or be alert for signs that the timing belt may be failing prematurely. Some of those symptoms? Maybe your engine won't even turn over when you try firing it up. You might hear a ticking or banging sound under the hood.  Perhaps you spot an oil leak or notice the engine misfiring.  If any of those are happenin ... read more