Aiea Auto Repair

Alignment recommendations typically suggest getting an alignment check every 12 months or 12,000 miles. If your vehicle is pulling to one side, misaligned steering wheel, uneven tire wear or after hitting a curb or pothole, we recommend to get your alignment checked. Alignments are also recommended after tire or suspension/steering component replacement. Pearl City Auto Works is now equipped with an alignment rack & tire machinery to assist you. Please don't hesitate to give us a call at 808-486-4848 or visit us at pearlcityauto.com.  

WE'VE EXPANDED!!We are so thrilled to share the exciting news that our small family owned business since 1987 has expanded. We love our community so much that we are striving to service you with an experience that you can trust. We are also training up & coming technicians to enhance the quality of automotive repair to keep everyone safe on the road. We now provide alignments & tire service to our menu of options. Don't hesitate to give us a call at 808-486-4848 or visit us at pearlcityauto.com.      

Engine damage can occur if oil changes are not done in specific intervals per recommended oil viscosity. Viscosity measures the oil's resistance to flow (thickness of oil). Oil viscosity low (thin) leads to high oil velocity. Oil viscosity high (thick) leads to low oil velocity. When starting a cold engine, your engine oil needs to get to the moving components to lubricate & circulate. When your engine is at normal operating temperatures, the engine oil needs to have sufficient to form a protective layer of lubrication for the metal surfaces. Regular engine oil's  replacement interval is 3 months &/or 3,000 miles. Synthetic engine oil's replacement interval is 5 months &/or 5,000 miles. Here at Pearl City Auto Works, we will care for you & your vehicle by recording the date & mileage of oil & filter change. We will remind you when your servicing is due & take care of you in a timely manner at our expanded facility. Give us a call at ... read more

While emergency repairs get you back on the road after auto failure or an accident, routine auto maintenance will help deter malfunctions. While modern cars can be driven for long periods between servicing, they benefit from periodic tune-ups to keep their essential systems and components in peak condition. Use the following guide to determine if your ride is due for a tune-up. How to Know When to Service Your Vehicle 1. Frequent Stalling Stalling, which occurs when the engine stops unexpectedly, can be due to insufficient air or fuel intake, electrical problems, or failed engine components. All cars stall occasionally, and restarting the engine is usually enough to resolve the issue. However, if your vehicle stalls frequently at intersections or when accelerating, schedule auto maintenance immediately. 2. Poor Fuel Economy A wide range of factors affects fuel efficiency, from the wheel alignment to the car’s electrical s ... read more

Extended Auto Warranty While it may sound like a good idea to purchase an extended warranty for your vehicle, they often come with a high price tag and don't necessarily cover repairs that are needed. Plus, many consumers who buy extended warranties never use them. In that case, an extended warranty becomes a cost with no financial return. Extended warranties do not cover scheduled maintenance such as oil changes, timing belt replacements or tune-ups. Most extended warranties don't cover wear & tear items, such as brake pads and windshield wipers. Our experience is that warranty companies have a hard time with pricing in different areas of the United States that they cover. We here in Hawaii have a higher cost of living so our parts cost more & we charge a higher labor rate to survive. Warranty companies are mostly not willing to consider this & make it hard for the consumer to find a reputable repair shop to cover the repairs. Consumers should do their research b ... read more

High Octane Fuel Myth or Fact? Unless your engine is knocking, buying higher octane gasoline is a waste of money. Premium gas costs 15-20 cents per gallon more than regular.. Studies indicate that altogether, drivers may be spending hundreds of millions of dollars each year for higher octane gas than they need. It may seem like buying higher octane “premium” gas is better for engine performance, but take note: the recommended gasoline for most cars is regular octane. If you car recommends regular fuel than putting a higher octane will be a waste of money. It won't make your car perform better, go faster, get better mileage, or run cleaner.  The only time you might need to switch to a higher octane level is if your car engine knocks when you use the recommended fuel. This doesn’t happen too often.  But if it does, than put a higher grade. What are octane ratings? Octane ratings measure a gasoline's ability to resist engine knock — a rattlin ... read more

What Causes the Car AC to Smell Bad? Moisture Your vehicle’s AC system does not actually create cold air. The AC system takes heat and moisture out of the air that is outside of your car, which in turn, makes it feel much cooler than the air around you. Hot air flowing into the unit can create moisture pockets that surround the condensing unit in your AC system. This may create small pools of water that are drained outside of the car. However, if moisture becomes stuck or for whatever reason cannot find its way out of the AC unit, by drainage or evaporation, the water will pool inside the unit and around the coils creating moisture inside of the AC unit. Mold AC systems collect moisture which creates mold. The air that passes through the evaporator and the units’ mold build-up will carry the foul smell inside of your car through your dash vents. Mold is the most common culprit for causing smells to come out of your cars’ AC. As a vehicle gets older, bacteria, mold, an ... read more

Using your sense of smell to determine if your vehicle needs attention:   The smell of burnt rubber could be faulty drive belts. The belts may be rubbing on a binding pulley or attached to a faulty rotating component. Check engine components when the engine is cooled down.  The smell of hot oil could mean that oil is leaking onto the exhaust system. To verify the leak, take to a certified repair shop. Leaking oil on the exhaust may cause a fire or major damage from the loss of oil.  The smell of gasoline is likely the sign of a gas leak in some area of the vehicle. Any smell of fuel can result in a possible fire, so immediate attention should be given.  Take to a certified repair shop to get the leak repaired for safety.  The sweet smell of syrup may be a sign that your car is leaking engine coolant from a leaky component related to the car’s cooling system. A coolant leak can be detrimental to a vehicle’s operating performance. Do not open the ... read more

Many of our cars will be parked in the driveway for about another month during a statewide “stay-at-home” order which mandates a lot of people to remain home unless they are making essential trips. Here’s some car care tips for longer-than-expected parked vehicles: Battery Boost: Start your vehicle every couple of days to keep the battery at a full state and prevent unexpected drain. Let the engine run for a few minutes to recharge the battery, then turn it off.  You can also consider using a battery tender to keep the battery charged up. The battery tender would remain connected to the stored vehicle. Tire Pressure: Adding an extra 10 psi of pressure than the recommended psi to each tire to prevent flat spots from forming on the tires while the vehicle sits. This occurs when the area of the tire touching the ground becomes rigid due to sitting in one position for an extended period. Moving the vehicle would be suggested to keep this from happening.  Winds ... read more

Keeping your vehicle in optimum operating order by regularly maintaining your vehicle may be the link to minimal breakdowns. All brands, Acura, Honda, Lexus, Toyota, Infiniti, Nissan, Hyundai, GM, Cadillac, Ford, Dodge, Audi, Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes.....all need to be maintained in order to prolong vehicle life. Regular oil changes & tire pressure maintenance should be done between 3-6 month intervals. Efficient repair shops will constantly inspect the other fluids to keep the fluid breakdown to a minimum. Pearl City Auto Works is an Aiea repair shop that will be on the lookout for these services for our valued customers.    Vehicles with warning lights on in the dash should be brought into the shop immediately. Check engine lights are an indicator that something is going on with the mechanical operations. If the check engine light is blinking, vehicles need to be driven to a safe area & possibly towed into the repair shop. Airbag lights are indicating an error in ... read more