Memphis Auto Repair

When you push on your brake pedal, you should find your vehicle easy to stop.  But at some point, you might notice stopping takes much more pressure on the pedal than it used to.  When it gets to that point it becomes a safety issue, and you should bring your vehicle in so we can track down what’s not working correctly. Brake pedals that are stiff mean there’s something wrong with one or more components of your entire brake system.  For example, it could be moisture has contaminated your brake fluid, making it harder to push the pedal down. Many vehicles use hydraulics to amplify your pedal pressure to a force strong enough to stop your vehicle.  Certain problems can develop with your hydraulics, such as a faulty master cylinder, a kink in one of your brake lines, or a failed proportioning valve which regulates pressure to your rear brakes. Vacuum leaks can also make your brake pedal hard to push. Another cause could be a problem with your vehicle&rsquo ... read more

Your vehicle’s engine is an engineering work of wonder with many complex parts working in harmony to get you down the road. One of those simple but important components is called a serpentine belt. It is driven by a pulley on the engine and transfers that power to many of your engine’s most important components.  The serpentine belt may drive the alternator, water pump, power steering pump and air conditioning compressor.   When it’s working like it should, you won’t even notice the serpentine belt.  But when it starts to fail, you may hear a squealing noise coming from under the hood as the belt starts slipping.  Heat and time take their toll on the serpentine belt, causing it to crack or even to start shredding.  When this happens, it may not drive your alternator correctly, and your battery light may come on.  If the water pump isn’t turning, your engine may overheat, causing the heat gauge to show hotter than usual. When t ... read more

When your vehicle’s battery is dead, it leaves you with that horrible, helpless feeling.  A dead battery means it won’t hold a charge, and there are several reasons it won’t. One is age.  Batteries have chemical and electrical systems in them that create power, and as time goes by, they won’t work well anymore.  They may have been degraded by exposure to extreme temperatures, both hot and cold. Batteries have a code on them that can tell you when they were manufactured. Another reason your battery won’t hold a charge is corrosion on the terminals, the metal posts where your battery cables are connected.  A chemical reaction between the battery’s acid and air creates a salty moisture that can corrode those terminals.   If your vehicle’s alternator is not working properly, it won’t charge your battery as it is designed to, and the battery may lose its charge more quickly than it should. Another possibility is there ... read more

When you’re driving and you hear a squeal or groan when you turn, it may be a sign your power steering pump is on its last legs.  The same is true if you feel your steering is slipping or doesn’t respond to your hands like it used to.   Precise, responsive steering is, of course, important when it comes to safe driving, so this is something you should have one of our technicians look at sooner rather than later.   There are different types of power steering pumps, and they all perform a similar function.  They make it easier for you to turn the steering wheel with little effort as the power steering system multiplies that force so you can precisely aim a vehicle that weighs thousands of pounds.   The type of power steering pump your vehicle has depends on the power steering system it uses.  One works by hydraulics, taking energy provided by belts driven by the engine which pressurizes power steering fluid to the wheels.  There are a lot of ... read more