Johnson City Auto Repair

September is National Disaster Preparedness Month. The Federal Emergency Management Administration, National Weather Service, and Tennessee Emergency Management Agency recommend that you learn about the kind of disasters that can affect your part of the country and make plans accordingly.   In Johnson City, TN, and the Tri-Cities area that means severe storms with thunder, lightning, high winds, hail, tornadoes, snow, and icy roads. In addition to securing your home and stocking up on water, canned goods and other non-perishables, you want to be sure your car is safe and in good working order. The short checklist includes:   Checking the tread and air levels on your tires to be sure they can properly maneuver in severe weather Replacing your windshield wipers and topping off your window washing fluid to ensure you can see where you’re going Checking your engine oil and steering fl ... read more

Ponder Auto Repair in Johnson City, we know it won’t be long before coats come out, and you come in to let us fix your car heater before the cool weather arrives. No one wants to drive in that morning traffic in a cold car. For fall and winter auto maintenance and repair, we’re here to help. Stop by before you find yourself wearing full outdoor gear inside your car. Besides creating a miserable drive, a broken car heater causes other problems, too. If your windshield is icy or foggy, without your heater working it can’t blow warm air on the windshield to clear it and that is a serious hazard when you are driving. In addition, if your car should break down, not having a heater that works could be dangerous if you are stranded. Very simply, a heating system works when the vehicle gets heat from the car engine’s coolant system. So, when the engine reaches its operating temperature which is controlled by the thermostat, it ... read more

Okay, so your car won’t start but what’s wrong? Is it the battery, starter or alternator? Our technicians at Ponder Auto Repair in Johnson City can figure it out and fix it. The reliability of your vehicle is so crucial to everything you do. When you bring it to us, you’ll know the work we do is always done right the first time. The battery, starter and charging systems, including the alternator, work together in your car so sometimes it’s not easy to tell right away which one may be malfunctioning. So, let’s take a look how the battery, alternator, and starter function and how to tell which one is causing the problem with your car. The Starter Your car’s starter does exactly that, it starts the engine. The battery sends the starter a jolt of electricity. Your car’s starter component takes the electricity and uses it to turn the engine over. Now the engine is started. What happens when the starter doesn’t work? You will hear a cli ... read more

It’s important to know the signs of your brakes wearing out, so you will know, do your brakes need to be replaced? At Ponder Auto Repair in Johnson City, our technicians can also check them out for you and get them quickly replaced if needed. Good brakes are important for your safety and knowing the signs of bad brakes can prevent potential damage and injury. Eventually, your vehicle’s brake pads will wear out and you will need to replace them. If you wait, the metal parts of the brakes will grind against the rotor and carve grooves in the surface. If it gets to that point, we will try to smooth it out on a lathe. But sometimes the grooves are just too deep or rotor gets warped or cracked. At that point, you’ll need to have them replaced. Our technicians at Ponder Auto Repair will examine the mechanical sliding and mounting portions of your brake system. If the brake pistons are sticking, you might need to get them re ... read more

To keep your car running strong for longer, Ponder Auto Repair in Johnson City presents How to Maximize the Life of Your Car, Part 2. Like we mentioned in our previous article, many of us are driving our cars longer and racking up big miles. So how do you get more from your vehicle? According to a Kiplinger article, there are a number of maintenance items that should be taken care of like changing the transmission fluid or getting oil changes on time using synthetic oil. Let’s take a closer look. Fewer Short Trips Your car will last longer if you can avoid driving it short distances because the engine doesn’t have a chance to reach operating temperature. We are talking about trips of less than five miles in normal temperatures or less than ten miles in freezing temperatures. Because water is a byproduct of engine combustion ... read more

Since many of our customers at Ponder Auto Repair in Johnson City are keeping their cars longer, here’s How to Maximize the Life of Your Car, Part 1. It’s more common now for cars to be reaching the 100,000-mile mark and beyond. Our experts are dedicated to keeping these vehicles running well for their owners. According to a Kiplinger article, there are some things you can do to help get the most out of your car, including regular maintenance and paying attention to any strange sights, sounds or smells. Regular Maintenance If you make sure your car receives regular maintenance it will last longer and keep running great even past 100,000 miles. Look at the car manufacturer’s maintenance schedule in the owner’s manual for a list of services you should be doing. Our technicians can help you build a schedule of appropriate ... read more

We hear it all the time at Ponder Auto Repair in Johnson City: what does the timing belt do and how do I know there’s a problem? At some point, the rubber timing belt in your vehicle will deteriorate and snap in two or sometimes the belt’s teeth break off. If this happens, your engine won’t work. This can be an expensive tow and repair. We can check your timing belt and replace it before it breaks. What does the timing belt do? The timing belt rotates the engine’s cam and crankshaft so that each cylinder fires at the right time. It is located in the front of the engine and your engine needs the timing belt to run. Your car’s manufacturer offers a recommendation on when you should replace the timing belt. We can also take a look at it for you, but let us know if you see any of the warning signs of a worn out or broken timing belt. How to Identify when the timing belt has a problem? A ... read more

If you live in Johnson City, part of your spring cleaning should include car and truck repair at Ponder Auto Repair. We’ve worked on all makes and models of cars, trucks, and SUVs. We have been committed to our customers and our community since 1982. So, as the weather warms up and spring gets you out of the house and doing home repairs, don’t forget to take care of your vehicles. Car maintenance and repairs should be done after the cold, winter driving. Doing the needed work now can save you more expensive and time-consuming repairs later on. You don’t want to be going to a graduation or summer vacation and have car problems. Our experienced and friendly technicians are ready to help you tackle your auto maintenance and repair chores. Here are some things you may want to put on your spring cleaning list. Some of these you can do yourself like cleaning the exterior and interior of your car, but the others you should have a professional take care of. C ... read more

You depend on your car. So, taking care of your car’s engine is important. Did you know cleaning your engine helps remove build-up residue and protects the engine? It can lengthen your car’s life, make it run cooler, and resist grime. Bring your car to our technicians at Ponder Auto Repair in Johnson City and we will make sure your engine is clean and in good condition. If you have a high-mileage car like so many people do, you need to pay attention to your engine by using an engine degreaser to clean it at least twice a year. This will keep your vehicle running better and longer and will protect against wear and tear, and things like salt, tar, snow, and road grit and grime. According to a Cars Direct article, leaving grease in the engine can decrease a car’s ability to accelerate rapidly and can lower the maximum speed of the car. Here is how to ... read more

Your car’s alternator is the charging system that powers your battery and helps control all things electrical. So, for alternator problems and repair, come to Ponder Auto Repair in Johnson City. Our technicians are certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), and we’re the only shop in Johnson City to have earned the ASE Blue Seal of Excellence. Your vehicle uses a lot of electrical power. You’ve got lights, radio, CD players, and windshield wipers just to start. If the car’s battery was the only source of power, it would be depleted pretty quickly. That’s why your car has an alternator. Its job is to keep the car’s battery fully charged. A recent My Auto Repair Advice article explains how the alternator maintains the battery. The engine drive belt, called the serpentine belt, sends engine power to the alternator. Now th ... read more