Johnson City Auto Repair

Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay   Turkey time is over, Santa's flown home, and Johnson City wakes up to the light of a new day. Happy New Year's everyone, I hope you are all doing great! With that being said, I'm sure we all have some things we would like to improve this year, or maybe some goals we want to reach for the future. Let's include our vehicles in all the fun and make a shortlist of New Year's resolutions that cover their needs too.   Our vehicles work hard, sometimes too hard. Depending on our lifestyle and jobs, our vehicles might be shut away for weeks-on-end; or stuck in the field day after day. Both situations call for some special attention, and maybe ... read more

Photo by Blake Carpenter on Unsplash   The frosty grasp of winter has its grip on us here in Tennessee. While we love to see the holiday season and all of its wonderful sidekicks, like eggnog, cider, pies, and oh so much more, we can't avoid the downside of the holidays. The snowy roads, rainy conditions, black ice, and slippery muddy pitfalls are out there, and it's just a matter of time before we encounter them. It's more important than ever to prepare your vehicle for the winter conditions it will face, and December isn't too late to get started!   You can't lose by preparing your vehicle for the inevitable! Winter conditions are very hard on the underside of our vehicles, tires, fluids, and more. Prepar ... read more

Photo by Ann Danilina on Unsplash   Thanksgiving, for many of us, is our favorite time of the year. A time when we all get together to share our favorite recipes, to bask in the food-coma to come! However, it can be a deceptively dangerous time to drive with so many of us hitting the road at once. There are some things to consider before hitting the road on a belly full-o-turkey!   Crazy drivers, cars full of kids, and sleepy people full of food are some of the hurdles you might encounter on your Thanksgiving route! Let's all take the time to be a little extra careful, so we have even more to be thankful for this year. Check out this list of 10 tips for handling Thanksgiving traffic!   1. Stay Awake - This might see ... read more

Image by Amber Avalona from Pixabay    Halloween is the time to come together and let our wild sides come out! Kids spend all year trying to come up with the coolest and most unique costumes they can; it's a tradition beloved by all. Why not bring your vehicle in on the fun? There are all sorts of exciting things you can do to dress your vehicle up for Halloween!   People love to adorn the vehicles with pumpkins, gross oozing slime cutouts, and funny windshield wiper wavers! Dreaming up some hilarious and scary ideas can make you the talk of the block. More importantly, it brings the family together and lets you share in an awesome memory. Halloween is a time to get creative ... read more

Photo by Austin Ramsey on Unsplash   Not many people outside of the auto repair industry know how the steering system operates. We found this great video that shows the steering system, and we hope it helps provide you with a few “ah-ha!” moments as you learn more about how your car makes turns.   All too often, people take the steering system for granted. It’s not hard to imagine why, either. You get into the car, start, put your foot on the pedals, and turn the steering wheel. It’s that simple!   But there are several signs you won’t want to miss regarding your steering system and vehicle safety. Here are a few things to pay attention to if you notice them taking place whil ... read more

Photo by Joshua Aragon on Unsplash    When we say air filter, you probably think about your car's system working to make the air on your vehicle cleaner for you to breathe!    But there is a big difference between the cabin air filter and engine air filter that you should know, and we will explain below:    Cabin Air Filter: This is also known as an air conditioning (A/C) filter. It allows the air that comes into your cabin to filter out any pollution from the outside air that would otherwise contaminate the car's cabin. This will enable you to have your car interior air clean and say bye to allergies.    Engine Air Filter: As the name says it, the engine air filter is located on your car's engine to keep it free of any debris that might ... read more

Welcome to our blog for July! Independence day is almost here, and we would love to share with you some of the fantastic ways you can celebrate with your family and friends.  But before that, make sure to have your car ready to take your family to have fun and explore the beautiful city of Johnson, CA and enjoy all the fun activities you can do! Below are some ideas that you might want to consider for this patriotic day.  Watch the fireworks: Get ready and take all your family and friends to enjoy watching the sky at night illuminated with thousands of fireworks! One of the best places to enjoy this fantastic night show in Johnson City is Freedom Hall Civic Center grounds.  Have a picnic: Instead of having a barbecue in your house backyard, invite your family to a park and have a picnic! Take a frisbee to enjoy the afternoon playing, and finally enjoy the fireworks at night! In Johnson City, there are many parks where you can have a l ... read more

You have a busy day ahead of you, and as you are driving through Johnson City on your way to work, you notice that your check engine light has appeared on your dashboard. You forget about it, promising to yourself that you will check it later, but soon enough, one day turns into multiple days, and your check engine light has not gone away.  The team at Ponder Auto Repair doesn’t want this to happen to you. When you notice that your check engine light has appeared on your dashboard, contact our team right away. Your check engine light could easily mean something minor, but it could also indicate something more serious. At our auto repair shop, your safety always comes first.  You can think of your check engine light as your vehicle’s way of talking with you, and at Ponder Auto Repair, we are adept at speaking your car’s language. We will perform a thorough inspection designed to identity the “what, why, and how” of whatever is causing your check ... read more

It is easy to forget about your vehicle’s tires, but think about how much we rely on them. Without properly maintained tires, we would find it challenging to get to our destination. Not only do properly maintained tires last longer, but they also contribute to vehicle safety for you, your passengers, and other vehicles on the road.  It is essential to take time for your tires, specifically your vehicle’s tire pressure. Low tire pressure can negatively affect your vehicle’s ability to brake, steer, and handle appropriately. If you need to perform an emergency stop or another sharp maneuver to avoid a collision, your tires need to be at the proper pressure level.  It is also essential to get your wheels aligned along with monitoring your vehicle's tire pressure, and your tires rotated. In fact, reports from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report that poor tires are responsible for 11,000 traffic crashes each year. Even worse, 200 peopl ... read more

Think of how much your body needs water to stay hydrated! Without water, your health would quickly diminish. It is exactly the same for your vehicle -- your car needs fluids to perform in tip-top shape. Your vehicle has certain fluids, which keep systems with your vehicle performing in optimal condition.  To keep your vehicle hydrated, it is essential to check these fluids regularly:  Gas: We know all about this fluid! This fluid powers your engine, and without gas, you wouldn't be able to go anywhere.  Oil: Oil minimizes any friction in your engine. Without oil, all the moving parts in your engine would grind together, which can cause severe damage to your engine.  Coolant/antifreeze: Coolant and antifreeze regulate your vehicle's temperature, so your car doesn't get too hot during the summer or too cold during the winter.  Transmission fluid: Your transmission fluid allows yo ... read more