Memphis Auto Repair

Most Memphis drivers know something about preventive maintenance on a vehicle. We know we should routinely replace the oil and wiper blades and other fluids. But have you heard of a PCV valve ? This little car part needs to be replaced regularly or it can cause some serious problems in your vehicle engine.PCV stands for Positive Crankcase Ventilation. The crankcase holds your motor oil and is located at the bottom of your engine.When fuel is burned in your engine, it produces waste gases that are mostly vented out through your exhaust system. But some of these gases push their way past the pistons and into the crankcase. There, these gases can mix with motor oil to produce oil sludge, which can damage vehicle engine parts through corrosion and by clogging engine passages. Memphis vehicle owners should be advised that if the engine is running at high speeds, these gases can also cause pressure inside the crankcase to build up. This pressure, in turn, ca ... read more

So you've bought a used vehicle in the Memphis area. Do you know what you're getting? It is hard to know what you're getting because people in the Memphis area sell vehicles for different reasons. Think about why you've sold vehicles. Did you just want something new or were there problems that you wanted to run away from? Maybe it was a little of both.Used vehicles in Tennessee with 25,000 to 35,000 miles/40,000 to 55,000 km on them are often lease returns, corporate program cars or rental fleet vehicles. Most Memphis buyers feel pretty confident about these because they're newer and may still be under warranty. But how well have they been maintained?Memphis drivers who are planning to own a vehicle for a long time will keep up on auto maintenance so that they can avoid repairs down the road. But, if you know you're only going to have the vehicle for two or three years, you may not be so committed to maintenance. It would be easy to think that ... read more

Starting in 1996, Allen's Automotive Center service technicians have been able to use a standardized diagnostic system to help determine what is wrong with a vehicle. This diagnostic system works in tandem with the Engine Control Modules for each vehicle's engine. The Engine Control Module is a computer that monitors and controls many engine functions.Sensors throughout a vehicle send readings to the Engine Control Module. These readings help the computer make adjustments in various vehicle systems to allow for constantly changing driving conditions and even to compensate for minor problems. However, if the computer encounters a situation it can't adjust for, it turns on the Check Engine light. (The Check Engine light is called the “service engine soon” light on some vehicles.)If the Check Engine light is burning steadily, it indicates a problem that needs to be taken care of soon. If it is flashing, however, the vehicle ne ... read more

A big part of the service we provide at Allen's Automotive Center for our Memphis customers is education. We want you to feel confident with your service decisions. And we're always open to questions from our valued Memphis area customers. Even though we try to be proactive in our Allen's Automotive Center automotive education, we sometimes get busy fixing vehicles and need a reminder. Please, just ask. We've found our Memphis customers like the service reminders. They've grown to trust that our recommendations are based on the vehicle manufactures’ published maintenance schedules and that Allen's Automotive Center is not just pulling them out of the air. We know that people in Memphis live a busy life with a lot more to think about than wondering if it's time to replace the PCV valve on their vehicle. Part of our Allen's Automotive Center service process is checking the vehicle manufacture's schedule to make sure we don't overlook service. We ... read more