Aiea Auto Repair

Hawaii roads can tear up your shocks and struts. Potholes and patched up roads can cause your car’s suspension to take a real beating. A typical shock or strut is designed to have a life of about fifty thousand miles. When your suspension starts to wear out your car’s ride might become harsh, stiff, excessively bouncy, or make strange noises. These things may present a real safety hazard. If your suspension isn’t in great condition, it may cause a reduction in your ability to avoid an obstacle in the road or a compromised handling in an emergency. The suspension system of a vehicle (i.e. struts or shocks) is something that many people often take for granted. However, it is vital for providing a comfortable, stable, and safe ride. It absorbs the bumps and lumps found in various road surfaces and helps you corner, accelerate, and brake safely. Over time, the suspension components wears out, and you may start noticing that the ride is rougher than usual. If your suspen ... read more

Meaning of warning light indicators in your dash: Modern cars have sensors and warning systems that notify you that something is going wrong. Consumers that take great precautions to keep their vehicles as healthy as possible can’t cover all these areas of their vehicle, even with meticulous maintenance.  Luckily, nowaday vehicles come with super systems to help in these events. Check engine light – This indicates a problem in the many systems of your vehicle that have various sensors controlling different areas. There are more than 4,000 OBD-II codes that can light up the “Check Engine Light”. If this indicator light comes on, you want to contact a certified repair shop to have this diagnosed. Maintenance light – This indicator light that will usually tell you you’re of need of a scheduled maintenance service. It may come in various prints like “service”, “maint reqd&r ... read more

Be aware of the road conditions, so you don’t get into an accident or become the victim of a blown out tire or worse.   Clear Zone Issues – Examples include utility poles, fallen trees, uncovered water drains,  or debris. Irregular Intersections  – Examples include narrow roads, sharp turns that require mirrors, one way streets, or misguided turning lanes. Pothole Fillers – Temporary fix for roads that need to be resurfaced. This temporary fixes can have high or low points.   Lane Guidance – Poorly painted lines, broken, hidden, or missing signs can cause accidents on roads. Construction Signage – Roads marked with construction signs, when the construction isn’t being worked on may cause confusion to drivers. Wheel Ruts – When roads haven't been resurfaced in a while, grooves where wheels often go dig into the road and make it uneven and unsafe ... read more

Brakes are a normal wear item for any car and eventually they’re going to need to be replaced. A vehicle’s braking system should be checked at least once a year and a thorough inspection should include brake lining wear, brake fluid level, condition of hoses and brake lines, brake and dash warning lights, as well as taking the car for a test drive to detect other potential brake system problems.  Brake inspections are more crucial when your vehicle is driven in a lot of stop & go traffic.   If your car is pulling to the left or right, or if you hear odd noises when you apply the brakes, they should be inspected. Other warning signs include an illuminated brake warning light, brake dragging, low pedal, pulsation, hard pedal feel and squealing.   Pearl City Auto Works will inspect your car’s brake system and diagnose any problems right away. We will service any worn brake components on Toyota, Lexus, Nissan, Infiniti, Honda, Acura, Kia, Hyundai, M ... read more

The spark plug performs a huge job in delivering a vehicle’s power, performance, and fuel efficiency. Spark plugs may be one of the hardest working parts of a vehicle. A spark plug can fire 400 times per minute per cylinder.  Car owners make the mistake to delay spark plug repair on their vehicles, even after they have failed. This is a mistake since faulty spark plugs can lead to engine damage, reduced fuel efficiency and poor performance.  Faulty spark plugs can cause “check engine” lights, misfiring, & poor driving operation. Periodic maintenance may reduce the following issues to cause breakdown.  Rattling, pinging or knocking noises. When spark plugs begin to misfire, you may notice unusual noises from the force of the pistons and combustion not working properly. Pistons travel at high velocities; if the spark plug fires at the wrong time, this could lead to constant rattling, pinging or knocking sounds. Hard vehicle start. If your car is ha ... read more