San Antonio and Boerne Auto Repair

It seems like a couple sizable hurricanes hit the coast each year, wreaking havoc on homes, upsetting people's schedules, and submerging many vehicles in filthy floodwater. Some of those vehicles are demolished legally, but dishonest intermediaries occasionally sell them to willing or unwilling sales outlets, frequently with no knowledge of the vehicle's murky past. Therefore, it's always a good idea to go over the fundamentals of how to avoid purchasing a used car that has flood damage. First, realize that flood damage cannot be repaired. The modern automobile is a computer system on wheels, loaded with electronics like airbag circuits, engine control units, and seat heaters. Even without considering engine, mechanical, or body problems, that alone can cause considerable damage when a car has been submerged. Not only may windows or radios fail, but airbags might fail to inflate during a collision, endangering your life. And even if a car looks or drives fine right now, ru ... read more

The thermostat is an essential component of the cooling system in your car because it is largely responsible for controlling the engine's temperature. It regulates the coolant flow between the engine and radiator. The thermostat remains closed to allow the engine to warm up if it is cold. The thermostat gradually opens as the engine heats up, allowing coolant to enter the radiator. Despite being a fairly straightforward component, it is a wear-and-tear item that requires replacement from time to time. If you suspect that your thermostat is malfunctioning, keep an eye out for some of the following signs. Overheating (or overcooling) First of all, keep in mind that air-cooled vehicles do not come with thermostats, at least not the kind we're going to describe here. However, modern air-cooled engines are rare, so there's a good chance that this information applies to your vehicle. Having said that, the most typical sign of a defective or failing thermostat i ... read more

Most of us don't view our vehicles as family, but it's still important to treat them as such if we want them to last. Caring for your car is a lot like caring for your children. Don't feed them junk food, keep them clean so the neighbors don't complain, and patch up their bumps and bruises when they get a little too rowdy. Once you learn how to parent your car or truck, you'll both be on your way to happier and healthier lives.   If Only Children Included Operating Manuals... At least our vehicles come with books that explain everything we need to know. Inside your owner's manual, you will find everything from safety features and fluids specifications, to what each little button does and how to set the clock (seriously, why does setting a clock have to be so difficult?!). Your recommended maintenance schedules can also be found in the owner's manual, usually with some blank lined pages to use as a maintenance log. So while there is no manual t ... read more

Did you know that over 300 million tires are disposed of every year in the United States? Car and truck tires are some of our most reusable and recyclable items being disposed of every day. No matter what model you drive, every vehicle has tires that will need to be disposed of properly every few years (depending on how much you drive). You could recycle used tires or find a way to upcycle them. Here's some suggestions on what you can do and the benefits of that.   Why You Should Recycle Your Tires Tires in landfills introduce a variety of problems, they trap water for mosquitoes to breed in, dry tires attract rodents, and they waste a lot of space. They're also highly flammable (especially in the heat of South Texas summers) and are incredibly difficult to extinguish should they catch fire. There is an entire industry dedicated to the recycling of tires, and it's the responsible thing to do. Tires can be recycled in a variety of ways, some of which you may n ... read more

Smartphones are awesome! We carry the power of limitless communication in our pockets these days, but with great power comes great responsibility. Nearly 25% of automotive accidents involve someone using a phone while driving. There are times when, for the safety of ourselves and others, we simply can't use our mobile devices. Well, at least there were times like that up until relatively recently. As phones and vehicles become smarter, their ability to communicate with each other becomes greater and greater. Enter apps like Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto that introduce a seamless transition to on-the-go mobile device usage to keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road. In this blog, we'll be focusing on Android Auto. Developed by Google for Android smartphones, Android Auto is designed to mirror some features of your mobile device on the infotainment screen of Android Auto-enabled vehicles. These are typically features drivers need to be able to acces ... read more