Corpus Christi Auto Repair

When you're hitting the road for a weekend trip to the beach, park, etc. this summer, you should make sure your vehicle's glovebox: Spare sunglasses - It's hard enough to focus on the road during long road trips, but when the blinding sun bears down on your all day through your windows, it can become miserable. Keep a backup pair of shades in your glove box, preferably polarized to help reduce glare. Hand wipes - Whether you're cleaning up germs, ice cream messes, or sticky children, having wipes handy is always a blessing. Sunscreen and lip balm - One thing you never want to be without during sunny summer days here in Texas is sunscreen. Keeping spare sunscreen and lip balm with SPF in them in your car will prevent you from having to stop at the gas station and pay an arm and a leg for them. Furthermore, be sure to put some on before getting in the car and star ... read more

Is your vehicle harming the environment? Carbon emissions is a natural result of the combustion engine, but if your vehicle is spewing billowing clouds of purple smoke into the atmosphere every time you press the gas pedal, you have much bigger problems.But not to fear! Here are three ways Dub’s Garage will help you Go Green with your vehicle to reduce the harmful effects on our environment, keep Corpus Christi clean and healthy, and ensure your family is safe as you drive on the roads.First, have your gas cap tested. The seal inside can be come worn with time, meaning the gas cap can no longer provide a tight seal for your gas tank. On warm days, your gasoline may evaporate straight into the atmosphere! Not only is this harmful for the environment, but it costs you money. The next time you bring your vehicle into Dub’s Garage, ask us about this effect – our technicians will test your gas cap and make sure it is ... read more

Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for car owners to come into repair shops with severe leaks from around the front seal area of their transmission. The fluid pours out so fast you’d think the front seal popped out.Then, once the car sits and cools off, the leak goes away… until it heats up again.Would you believe the problem is being caused by low engine coolant in the radiator? It’s true. Here’s what happens:During normal driving, the transmission gets hot just like the engine. To cool the transmission, the fluid is directed through a cooler that sits inside the radiator.When the engine cooling system is working properly, the engine coolant passes over the transmission cooler in the radiator. This allows the heat from the transmission to transfer to the coolant, and then be carried away to the outside air.But if the engine coolant level is low, the coolant won’t immerse the transmission cooler properly. So the cool ... read more

While most auto shops you’ll deal with are honest, reputable establishments, there are unfortunately a few bad apples out there that don’t treat their customers with the level of respect they deserve. If you’re concerned that you might be dealing with an unethical repair shop, here are a few red flags to look out for:Ask Questions! If a repair shop is ethical and qualified, like Dub’s Garage, they will want you to understand exactly what condition your vehicle is in and why it needs the repairs it does so that you can make informed, educated decisions. Service advisors should be able to answer your questions in simple, easy-to-understand language and avoid using confusing industry language.Look for quality technicians. If prices seem too good to be true, there’s usually a reason for that. Just like anything else, you get what you pay for in the auto repair world; inexperienced and ... read more

No matter what make or model your vehicle might be, it needs to be equipped with healthy tires in order to perform effectively. As such, keeping your tires in good shape should be a big part of your vehicle's maintenance plan and having your tires rotated regularly should be a cornerstone of that plan. The life of a tire improves by a factor of 20 pct. when regular rotation is conducted which will ensure you get your money's worth out of the tires. In addition to getting you more value out of your tires, regular rotation will also save you money at the pump as your ride will be smoother for longer and you'll be burning less fuel. As a rule of thumb, it's recommended that your tires be rotated every 6,000 miles or so. This can be expedited depending upon a variety of factors. A major source of tire wear is weight distribution. This is especially true for front-wheel drive vehicles as two tires are absorbing the bulk ... read more

You might not consider fluids to be a vital component of your engine but they’re just as important as anything else and critical to your vehicle’s health. Just like you need to perform regular maintenance on the physical components on your car to keep it in good shape, your fluids need to be tended to regularly as well in order to stay safely on the road.Automotive fluids are involved with a wide variety of mechanical functions, all of which are designed to make sure your motor is working properly. Your fluids should be monitored consistently and changed out regularly so your vehicle stays safely on the road between tune-ups.Brake Fluid. Responsible for amplifying the force with which your car comes to a stop, this hydraulic fluid is typically glycol-ether-based but can also be comprised of silicone or mineral oil depending on the brand. You should generally change this liquid out every year or so to ensure your brake system is able to continue working at an optimal le ... read more

Having your vehicle stolen is one of the most frustrating and distressing experiences you can go through as a car owner. Even in the event your car is recovered, it will most likely require extensive repairs in addition to your having to fill out forms and paperwork galore and quite possibly engage in turbulent talks with unsympathetic insurance companies.If you’re looking to avoid having to deal with all the headaches and heartaches that tend to come with having your car, or its contents, stolen, here are a few steps you can take to help reduce the odds of your vehicle being taken:Have a thievery deterrent installed. Devices like “The Club” and “Lo-Jacks” are relatively inexpensive and serve as a good visual deterrent to potential thieves. If your car didn’t come with an alarm system installed, it’s not a bad idea to buy one and make sure its presence is well-advertised by stickers and such.Park in well-lit areas. Car thieves tend to avoid high-traffi ... read more

While it might be easy to let Mother Nature take care of rinsing your car with the occasional rain storm, you still need to have it thoroughly cleaned with regularity to avoid your vehicle’s body being attacked by iron oxide which can cause long-term damage.The easiest way to avoid rust issues and to keep your car looking spiffy is to regularly visit automatic car washes. It takes, on average, less than eight minutes to go through an automatic car wash. In addition to being time efficient, this method of cleaning your car is also more effective than scrubbing it with soap and water in your driveway; it’s pretty easy for a small rock to make its way onto your sponge and inflict some damage on your paint job. You can also possibly miss a cluster of dirt, which can also be harmful. Automatic car washes are thorough and are all but guaranteed not to harm your vehicle’s finish. A good number of modern car washes are a ... read more

We’ve all done it. Misjudged the distance from car to the sidewalk and – bam! Slamming your car into a curb one or two times can’t cause that much damage, right? Actually – it can.While it may seem like an insignificant occurrence, hitting a curb can potentially cause issues for your vehicle. Do not ignore it and cross your fingers that nothing was *too* damaged.One impact you could soon notice is your tire performance. Even when you hit a curb going just 5-10 miles per hour the effects can be felt. Drive as few as 200 miles and you may begin to feel the real impact of the damage done when you slam into something. So what can happen to your car when you bump that curb?In addition to your tires performing differently, your car’s tie rods are likely to be damaged. These rods connect the wheels to the steering system so you may notice a difference in how well the steering wheel responds as you use it. It’s likely that you’ll first notice this in poor conditions like wet roads.Another mech ... read more

On good road surfaces around Corpus Christi, cars are meant to drive smooth and steady. However, most people have experienced steering wheel vibrations at one time or another. Car parts can break or fail after continued use, and it’s not uncommon for car components to need to be replaced.Top Causes For Steering Wheel VibrationBecause your steering wheel is your connection to both your car and the road, your first indication that something is not right with your vehicle may be noticed first through the steering wheel. The top reasons for a steering wheel shaking while driving are:Tires – Because the steering wheel is used to direct the wheels, tires that are out of balance are likely to manifest signs here first. With this problem, you are more likely to feel the shakes at higher speeds than lower ones. Furthermore, make sure all four tires are properly inflated, especially with larger tires, as a deflated tire can cause a steering wheel to shake. Also, rotate your tires if you start to ... read more