Graham Auto Repair

How do you know when to change brake pads? Knowing when to change your brake pads is important! Not only for your safety, but for the longevity of your vehicle. Brake pads are located between the caliper and the rotor. Their purpose is to create friction to help slow down or stop your car. Over time they will wear out, which will impact their performance and your safety. There are a few signs that indicate its time for a change! When Braking it Feels Spongy Pay attention to how the brakes feel when you use them. Does it feel spongy when you press down on the brakes? Spongy may feel like you're pushing against a spring. This may indicate there is air in your brake system or that you have contaminated brake fluid. You may also have a bulging brake hose or a sticking caliper. In some instances it can also mean that the brake pads have worn down and need to be replaced ... read more

The video above is meant to make you laugh! But expensive vehicle repairs are not fun! It is our job to partner with you in maintaining your vehicle. We know that you have places to go! You want to get there safely, preferably without any breakdowns. By completing Maintenance Services you can extend the life of your vehicle. How do maintenance services extend the life of your vehicle? When you keep the fluids inside your engine clean, they can do their job better. Their job is to protect your engine and keep your vehicle running smoothly. Performing maintenance services will reduce the wear and tear of the engine and it's components. In turn this extends the life of your engine, and keeps you on the road longer! There are many different Maintenance Services that should be performed on your vehicle. Which ones and how often will depend on many different factors. The year, make, and model of your vehicle is one part. It will also depend on how often you drive, th ... read more

  How Do I Save Money on Gas? With gas prices on the rise, we are all looking for ways to save money at the pump! Other than not driving or car-pooling (those aren't always options) what can we do?? I asked my team for help. Keep reading to find out some pretty simple tips we can follow in order to increase our fuel economy. Give us a call if you have any questions! Our Service Advisors will be happy to tell you which services are applicable to your specific vehicle. 1. Complete an Oil Change Service Engines are made up of many moving parts which need to be lubricated to avoid damage. By maintaining your vehicle with regular oil services you will improve your gas mileage and your vehicle's longevity. Ready this blog, " ... read more

Thanksgiving is coming up this week, and Christmas is right around the corner! A lot more people are planning to travel this year than last year. Keeping you and your family safe while driving is one of our top priorities! So today we want to give you a few safety tips before you hit the road.    Traveling with your family for the holidays can feel like a burden --- especially when the weather is dark or dreary. If you can find ways to make it fun, it will add to the holiday spirit! If you have kids, you can play driving games, listen to music, or listen to a book on CD. If you can use Bluetooth in your car, you can also listen to a Podcast. Be sure to bring things to entertain your youngest passengers. You can bring books, toys, or movies for children who may get bored. We all want to avoid the dreaded question, "Are we there yet?" If you have time, planning a few stops along the route can give you all something to look forward to! We hope this list helps you and ... read more

Why is My Check Engine Light On? We all know that the Check Engine Light means something is wrong! Unfortunately finding what is wrong can be difficult. Why? Because it could be so many different things! The check engine light can mean something simple like a loose gas cap. But it could also mean your engine is misfiring. There are many different things in between! My Check Engine Light is Flashing! You definitely shouldn't ignore any check engine light. But if the light is flashing it can mean something more serious. Please don't ignore it! At Graham Auto Repair we have trained and certified Automotive Technicians ready to help you diagnose your concerns. Give us a call as soon as possible!   When you call, the more information you can provide us the better! Let your Service Advisor know of any possible concerns you have been experiencing. Has your engine been making strange noises? Does it hesitate when you drive? Any details you can provide will help our Technicians ... read more

Why is My Car A/C Blowing Hot Air? There may be huge gaps in time when you don’t need the Air Conditioning in your car. Especially in Washington State! When it gets hot you finally reach for that A/C button … You wait expectantly for that refreshing cold air! If you are reading this blog you are probably not that lucky. You may be asking, "Why is my cars ac not blowing cold air??" There are multiple things that can cause your car's A/C to stop functioning properly. It could be caused by low Refrigerant (also called Freon) or by a breakdown of the Compressor. There could also be a problem in the Electrical System or with the Cooling Fan. These are just a few examples. To find out what's going on in your A/C System you can schedule an A/C Service with us at Graham Auto Repair. How Can We Help? At Graham Auto Repair we have an Air Conditioning Service to diagnose your A/C concerns. I will give you a quick run-down of the steps that are performed during t ... read more

How Often Should You Change Your Brakes? Brake Pads and Brake Shoes will wear out over time. The more often they are used, the thinner they will become. As they thin out they are no longer able to generate the same amount of friction and heat. This makes it harder for you to stop your vehicle quickly, which will increase the distance that’s required for you to stop. There are many factors that contribute to how quickly our Brake Pads or Brake Shoes need to be replaced. Our driving habits and the environments we drive in both make a difference in how fast they thin out. The material our Brake Pads or Brake Shoes are made from also makes a difference. Different materials have a different amount of durability. Let’s talk about the different warning signs that you can watch for, to know when it’s time to change your Brakes. 1. Vehicle Warning Light One sign you should watch for is the Brake System Warning Light. If this warning light comes on it could mean more t ... read more

How Do I Check My Oil? It is important to Check Oil Often. In today’s blog we are going to give you a few steps to follow so that you can Check Your Oil today. If you are asking, “How Often Should I Change My Oil?” you can  read our blog post here. Step 1: Prep Your Car First thing you want to do is park your vehicle on a flat, level surface with the engine turned off. Let your car cool down before Checking Your Oil. Pop the hood open and get ready to Check The Oil! Step 2: Find the Dipstick Next you will need to locate the Dipstick. This may or may not be easy to find. Sometimes it will have a colored handle that is yellow or orange. If you do not see it, you can check your owner’s manual for it's location. Step 3: Clean the Dipstick Next thing you will want to do is clean the Dipstick off so ... read more

Is it Worth it to Buy a New Car Right Now? I am sure that you’ve seen the commercials or even seen it online: Auto Sales Companies are offering to help us get into a new or used vehicle quickly during this crazy time. They are doing this by offering things like, 90 days deferred payments, free ship to home, 60 or 84 month extended loans, and some are even offering 0.0% Interest payments. But are these great deals, really? At Graham Auto Repair we have a few questions that we suggest for you to consider before deciding if right now is, “the right time” to purchase a new vehicle for yourself or for your family. Click on the link to watch the YouTube Video on our YouTube Channel. 1. Were you already in the market for a new vehicle? If your immediate answer is, “Well no, but… it would be nice to have a new vehicle with these deals!” then I would like to caution you to take a step back. Continue through the rest of the questions and at the end of the Bl ... read more

How Important is Coolant & Antifreeze? Check out our YouTube Video about Antifreeze and Coolant! We all know that it's important to get our Oil Changed regularly (even if we do procrastinate) and we all know that it's impossible to drive our vehicle without filling it up regularly with Gas (boy do we all wish THAT wasn't true?!). But do you know that Antifreeze/Coolant is another very important fluid for our vehicles? Making sure that our vehicles have Antifreeze/Coolant with the proper amount of protection is VITAL to our vehicle's well-being. What is Antifreeze/Coolant? Before we get into the finer details about Antifreeze and Coolant you should know this: The names "Antifreeze" and "Coolant" are interchangeable. In the Summer it's better known by the name "Coolant" and in the Winter it's better known by the name "Antif ... read more