Graham Auto Repair

5 Tips For Safe Driving In Winter Weather We already have our first round of snow this season! So we want to share a few tips to improve your safety out on the road. We have included a vehicle safety checklist and a list of items to keep in your vehicle. The best thing for winter driving is to be prepared and stay calm. And if possible, stay home and enjoy the beautiful snow! 1. Check the weather conditions in advance Just looking outside may not be enough! Check winter weather advisory reports for snow, sleet or ice. This will help you plan ahead. You may need to leave early, or plan ahead for your drive back home. Dress appropriately with layers, hats, gloves, and sturdy shoes. Plan your drive based on roads that may have the safest conditions! 2. Safety checklist before you hit the road When you are driving in winter weather, it's important to check your vehicle for increased safety. Here's a quick checklist of things you ... 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

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

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

We are still open during this time. Please see below some of the steps we are taking to ensure the Health and Safety of our Team and our Customers. In light of the ongoing Coronavirus COVID-19, we would like to assure you that our Team at Graham Auto Repair is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy environment in our Shop for both our employees and our customers. We constantly monitor the changing guidelines and recommendations to ensure that our Team is up to date in our processes. All of our employees use frequent hand-washing. This is one of the best steps to remove potential germs! Our Team wear masks and maintain social distancing. We have masks available for your use if you do not have one. If any of our employees are sick, especially with flu-like symptoms, we ask them to stay home and encourage our customers to do the same. If you are sick and need to re-schedule your appointment for a later date, please give us a call 253-847-2221. We ... read more

It's important to know when it's time to purchase New Tires. It's extremely unsafe to drive on worn out Tires! Continue reading below as we answer the question, "How Do I Check My Tires?" We will give you 5 different things to look for, to help you decide when it's time to Replace Your Tires. You can also watch our YouTube Video. Our Service Advisor, Rob will show you step by step what to look for when checking your Tires. 5 Ways to Check Your Tires   1. Check the Tread DepthAt 3/32 it's Time to Replace Your TiresYou can watch the YouTube Video to see an example of How to Check the Tread Depth of Your Tires. The easiest, most straight-forward way to Check Your Tires is to use a Tread Depth Gau ... read more

When to Change Brake Pads Watch this Video on YouTube: What Are Brake Pads? Brakes are one of the most important parts of any vehicle! They help to ensure that you and your passengers are safe on the road. That is why it's so important to know When to Change your Brake Pads. The easiest way to find out is by scheduling a Brake Inspection. Most of us wait until something breaks before we actually look into fixing it. With an Automobile this can often be a mistake! Especially with something so vital as your Vehicle's Brakes. The last thing that any of us wants is: to find out that our Brakes are bad in an emergency, when it's too late! If someone runs out in front of our car while we're driving; if someone slams on their brakes in front of us unexpectedly - those are both times that we really need to be able to depend on our Brakes. What Ar ... read more

Summer is here! It's during this time of year that most of us are getting ready to go on our next big Road Trip. The kids are out of school, and it's time to take that Big Family Vacation that you've been longing for all year. When the weather is nice we are ready to put the windows down and get out on the Open Road! Most of us take the time to do a lot (or at least some) planning ahead for Road Trips. Unfortunately, many of us forget to make sure that our car is ready for that big Road Trip! For that reason, we want to give you a few tips on Preparing Your Car For Your Road Trip. Quick Note: At Graham Auto Repair, when you come in for an Oil Change Service we always perform a Courtesy Check on your vehicle, every time. Make sure that you plan ahead before your Ro ... read more

How often should I change my oil? Many people ask the question, "How Often Should I Change my Oil?" The standard saying that we’ve always heard is, “Change Your Oil Every 3,000 Miles or Every 3 Months.” But is that still true? The answer may surprise you: YES! A quick Google Search and you will find conflicting information. Many articles will tell you that the best thing to do is to consult your Owner’s Manual. Some articles will tell you that Auto Repair Shops are lying, telling you to change your oil too often. Let’s stop and consider something for a moment: if you wait 10,000 or 15,000 miles (or even more!) to get an Oil Change, your car will break down faster! Who is benefiting from this the most? The Car Sales Industry would surely benefit, by selling you a new car. Even Auto Repair Shops would benefit from your car breaking down! We would make a lot more money on repairs that happen when you don't change&n ... read more

If you've ever had a dead battery then you've probably found yourself asking the question:   "How Do I Jump Start My Car?"   The first thing that you need to know is if your battery is actually dead. If you need help with this, check out our other post, “Why Won’t My Car Start?”   If you’ve already verified that you have a Dead Battery, it’s time to Jump Your Car.   Caution: If either vehicle has an Electronic Ignition System or is an Alternatively Fueled Vehicle, the use of Jumper Cables may damage it. Also, NEVER allow any of the Jumper Cable’s Clamps to touch each other while they are being used. This could result in an Electric Shock!   9 Steps To Jump Your Car   Step 1: Find a Vehicle With A Good Battery ... read more