Las Vegas Auto Repair

Alfred Hitchcock once made a mystery thriller film called "Rear Window." It had nothing to do with the rear window of today's cars, SUVs, CUVs and light trucks.  But there is one thing that some drivers DO find mysterious.  Why don't the rear windows in the second row of many of these vehicles go down all the way? You've probably seen or owned one or two. That rear side window only goes down about a third, a half or three-quarters of the way. Yet there are some similar vehicles where the window goes down all the way.  What gives? There was the rumor going around that the restriction on how far those windows could go down was a child safety feature.  The thought was that if those windows couldn't open up fully, a child (or pet) would be less likely to fall out.  But it turns out the real reason is that the way the rear doors were designed, there was just no room for the window to go down all the way into. Many vehicles are configured so that the rear wheel arch ... read more

What part of your vehicle has little metal balls inside that are lubricated and allow you to cruise on down the road?  They are wheel bearings, and automotive designers might argue they are human beings' second greatest invention of all time (the first is, of course, the wheel!). You have a wheel bearing at each wheel.  They allow your wheels to turn freely, minimizing friction that would ordinarily slow you down when metal meets metal.  When one of your wheel bearings starts to go bad, it lets you know. A wheel bearing does its work quietly when it's in good health but starts getting noisy when it isn't.  People describe the noise differently.  Sometimes it sounds like road noise, a pulsating, rhythmic, sound.  That pulse speeds up when your vehicle speeds up.  Here's what's happening when you hear that sound.  As mentioned, the bearing has these little metal balls inside a ring.  They have a lubricant inside to reduce friction between the ... read more

About 90% of our driving decisions in the Las Vegas and Henderson area are based solely on what we see. So having a good pair of windshield wipers is extremely important.Most Las Vegas and Henderson drivers have experienced the frustration and fear of not being able to see clearly during a storm, or when our vehicle windshield is just dirty. In fact, it's estimated that 46,000,000 drivers across the nation are driving with wipers that can't adequately clear their windshield in a storm.It seems like our wiper blades are always at their worst when we need them the most. If that sounds like you, you've got plenty of company in the Las Vegas and Henderson area. 78% of drivers only change their wiper blades after the blades function so poorly that they become a safety hazard.Las Vegas and Henderson drivers need to change their thinking. Instead of blades being something to replace when they fail, we need to consider wiper blades as vehicle saf ... read more

Las Vegas and Henderson residents' vehicles have to operate in a wide range of Nevada temperatures which requires the engine coolant to be able to perform 'no matter what.' Think for a moment about the environment where the coolant does its thing. Very hot, high pressure, corrosive...And all the while, it has to protect the components of the cooling system from corrosion. These components are made from steel and aluminum, plastics and rubber. The coolant has to be formulated to protect against corrosion for all of these different materials. That's why vehicle manufacturer’s recommend different types of anti-freeze for our Las Vegas and Henderson, Nevada, vehicles.There are several different 'families' of anti-freeze available to us here in Las Vegas and Henderson. Your owner's manual will tell you what kind you should use. Of course, the automotive professionals at Asian Imports Auto will know the right kind for your vehicle.It's important to stay on top of this b ... read more

Many Las Vegas and Henderson drivers have been hearing about technological advances in power steering, specifically electric power steering. Some very high-end cars have been featuring electric power steering. Power steering fluid has the necessary hydraulic properties and the ability to lubricate the internal parts. The power steering fluid also protects vehicle components from rust and corrosion.Las Vegas and Henderson car owners should be aware that vehicle manufacturers recommend that the fluid be replaced on schedule. At Asian Imports Auto, the old fluid is drained and the system cleaned thoroughly. Fresh fluid is then installed.Unfortunately, many Las Vegas and Henderson drivers don't realize how important it is to service their power steering, and some may not even know that it's necessary in the first place. A neglected power steering system can develop leaks that will shorten the life of the ... read more

Uneven tire wear, the car pulling to one side or a steering wheel that is off-center are signs for Las Vegas and Henderson drivers that their wheels may be out of alignment.When doing an alignment inspection, the service advisor at Asian Imports Auto will inspect your tires for uneven wear as well as suspension and steering parts for signs of wear or damage. He?ll also compare your current alignment with the vehicle manufacturer?s settings.Your vehicle owner?s manual will have a recommendation for when to check alignment. Of course, this recommendation is based on normal driving. If you have been in a crash, hit a curb/pothole, frequently drive off-road around Las Vegas and Henderson, or notice any symptoms of misalignment, have your Asian Imports Auto service advisor perform an important alignment check.Asian Imports AutoSW-6255 W. Maule Avenue; Summerlin-10177 W. Charleston; Henderson-1025 American PacificLas Vegas and Henderson, Nevada 89118; 89135;Southwest LV ... read more

The biggest issue for Las Vegas and Henderson area drivers is always safety. When your vehicle wheels are out of alignment, the vehicle will pull to one side, which could lead to an accident. When you're vehicle is out of alignment, you should have it taken care of right away at Asian Imports Auto in Las Vegas and Henderson. When undergoing an alignment service at Asian Imports Auto, your vehicle is put on an alignment rack where the tires, steering and suspension parts are checked for damage. Then the alignment is charted and checked against the factory settings.Precision adjustments are made to bring the wheels back into alignment. This gets all four wheels going in exactly the same direction.Las Vegas and Henderson drivers should be aware of the signs of alignment problems. These include the car pulling to one side. Also, the steering wheel may not be centered when you're going straight. If you ... read more

For those of you in Las Vegas and Henderson, Nevada who pay attention to these things, you may have been hearing about the new direct injection engines and want to learn more about them. Some deliver the power of a V8 with the economy of a V6.For example, in one family of engines the conventional V6 makes about 250 horsepower. The direct injection version of the same engine makes over 300 horsepower and gets essentially the same fuel economy. The turbocharged version makes over 350 horsepower.So what are the differences from a conventional engine?The core difference is in the fuel injection system. The system most vehicles use now is called a port injection system. The fuel injector squirts fuel into a port just outside the cylinder where it's then drawn into the engine with the air.With a direct injection system, the injector squirts the fuel directly into the cylinder. The gain in power and economy come because fuel injected directly ... read more

Here is a questions for Las Vegas and Henderson drivers: What is a cabin air filter?Is it: A filter for a house in the middle of the woods? A fresh, piney scent? A filter for the passenger compartment of your car? Clever you, it's 3.A cabin air filter cleans the outside air before it comes into the passenger compartment. It filters out dust, pollen, spores, bacteria, pollutants, sparrows, exhaust gas and odors.These high tech filters can block particles larger than 3 microns. By contrast, a grain of sand is about 200 microns.Now not all vehicles in the Las Vegas and Henderson area have cabin filters. They are fairly new on the scene in Nevada. About 40 percent of new vehicles come with cabin air filters, but the number is growing every year.Cabin air filters can make for a very nice driving environment for Las Vegas and Henderson. Your car can be a haven during Nevada allergy season with very little dust and pollen getting into the cabin. However, lik ... read more

Let's talk about alternative fuel vehicles. In their quest to reduce the use of fossil fuels and harmful exhaust emissions in our Nevada environment, automakers will have a number of alternatives for Las Vegas and Henderson drivers very soon.For instance, Flex Fuel vehicles are already available in the Las Vegas and Henderson area. Flex Fuel vehicles can run on gasoline or on E85 fuel. E85 is a mixture of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. The ethanol is made from corn. The benefits to Las Vegas and Henderson drivers are in using less petroleum and reduced pollution. The drawbacks are that E85 gets lower gas mileage and when gas prices are low, E85 can be more than straight gasoline.Las Vegas and Henderson drivers should only use E85 if they have a Flex Fuel compatible engine. Flex Fuel vehicles have special seals and gaskets that can stand up to the high alcohol content of E85. Using E85 in a regular engine can lead to gas leaks and fires ... read more