The water pump in your vehicle is the heart of the engines cooling system -- and therefore it’s the most vital component of that system. This is especially true in Arizona where nothing ruins a vehicle quicker than an overheated engine. The water pump continually pumps coolant through your car’s engine preventing overheating. Any disruption from the water pump almost immediately causes overheating. An overheating engine in Arizona often results in serious damage costing you thousands.

Don’t ignore your water pump! Water pump leaks and loose bearings are a good sign of problems. That is if the water pump is visible. You never want to ignore a sweat smell coming from your vehicle or a puddle. Remember, engine coolant (aka antifreeze) is hardly ever green anymore. It comes in all colors. So it is never good to ignore a puddle. Get it to the shop before catastrophic failure of the cooling system.

The modern water pump is a housing made of aluminum and contains an impeller that circulates coolant throughout the engine. The water pump impellor rotates by means of the drive belt in some cases or timing belt in others applications. Without the water pump drive system working properly, you have no water circulation. A good belt system is a necessity.

How Long Does a Water Pump Last?

We see water pumps start to fail rarely as early 60,000 miles and in some cases last as long as 140,000 miles. There are a couple basic types of water pumps. Type one is timing belt driven and is not easily visible without engine disassembly and type two which is drive belt driven and generally readily visible. The timing belt driven types are generally replaced with the timing belt due to access. The drive belt driven water pumps are replaced if they visibly show warning signs of starting to fail.

Warning Signs That Your Water Pump May Need to Be Replaced

• Leaks, Leaks, Leaks! Any coolant underneath your vehicle or that sweet smell described above is reason to get into our shop for cooling system analysis.
• A fluctuating temperature gauge. Your engine temperature gauge should start out at the cold mark when you start the car and reside in the middle 10 minutes into the drive. Low coolant is often identified by a fluctuating temperature gauge.
• Groaning or Grinding Sounds: Once the water seal has been compromised, coolant leaks into the bearing and washes out its grease. Without grease, the bearing will overheat and cause these sounds to come from the water pump. This noise will get louder as engine speed increases.

Why Tri-City Transmission?

• Quality Workmanship. This is always key when performing a Water Pump Replacement. At Tri-City Transmissions, we use Sr. Technicians only. Poor workmanship ruins cars -- we recognize that immediately and see it daily. Poor gas mileage, annoying check engine lights, catastrophic engine failure -- just to name a few.
• Quality Parts. We use only OEM, OES or equivalent. We use original parts, not generic. Everyone will tell you they are using good parts, but are they?
• Complete Repairs. Timing belt tensioners, timing belt idlers, and necessary seals are all easily accessible while working on a water pump. Avoid paying for repairs twice by taking advantage of this and repairing or replacing all necessary parts while we are already deep within your engine.

If you plan on owning a car and get years of service, then a water pump is a crucial component. You can’t trust this to just anybody. This is an important point not to be overlooked. If you view auto repair as a commodity then you assume all technicians and shops are the same. This is not true. Some technicians graduated top of the class, some graduated bottom of the class and some never went to class. Some are even under the influence of illicit substances somewhat common place in auto repair.

Regardless of education, some have your best intentions at heart and some don’t. At Tri-City Transmission we realize it’s in our best interest to have your best interest at heart. It’s a win win situation for everyone. Some are to short sighted to see this. Experience the Tri-City Transmission difference.

Water Pump Repair and Replacement Arcadia Neighborhood AZ

Is It Time to Service Your Car's Air Conditioning System?

If you've spent even a single summer in AZ, you know how crucial your vehicle's AC is. Like many other services or repairs, it's best to have the work done sooner than later- before your car starts blowing warm air on a hot day!

We are Tri-City Transmission and we’ve been in Arcadia Neighborhood for over 40 years. We provide complete auto repair in the East Valley.

Here’s what people are saying about Tri-City Transmission:

“They treat all of their customers, especially the females, as if they are our mother, daughter, or sister." -Tyra C. (via BBB.org.)

“I have nothing but praises for this organization and every person who I met there. They were all honest and helpful with their advice.” -Roger W. (via BBB.org)

Read our reviews and find out why thousands of families choose Tri-City Transmission for air conditioning repair and more in the East Valley!

Here’s what you need to know if you are looking for AC repair!

If the AC in your car is running warm now, just think how it's going to feel at 110 degrees during the Arizona summer!

• A typical automobile AC System without leaks loses one ounce of refrigerant per year, which is considered normal.
• When your car's AC System is only low by a couple ounces, it will affect the outlet temperatures by as much as 10 degrees.

The never-ending 110 plus degree days are right around the corner and that means it’s time to have your vehicle's air conditioning serviced!

At Tri-City Transmission, our car air conditioning service includes:

• Test the passenger compartment outlet vent temperatures
• Analyze AC system pressure to determine performance
• Evaluate condenser fan performance
• Inspect complete AC system for leaks
• Evacuate system and recharge with leak detection dye
• Inspect cabin air filter
  

Don't be fooled by the trickery of $29 coupon specials that lure you in, only for you to find out later that you've been had by the bait and switch. Our air condition service is much more than a quick, cursory look under the hood.

Why Choose Tri-City Transmission for AC service or repair in the East Valley?

• We Stand Behind Our Work: We are a family-owned business for over 40 years and we stand behind our name and reputation. We are here to build long term relationships not short term sales. We want to fix your car, your kids’ car and your grandkids’ car. Because of this, all of our work is guaranteed beyond industry standards.
• We Provide Friendly and Personal Service: We take the time to get to know you and your car, and we strive to treat each and every customer like they are our family.
• We Won’t Try To Sell You Services You Don’t Need. It’s as simple as that.

Read our reviews and find out why thousands of families choose Tri-City Transmission for air conditioning repair and more in the East Valley!

Automobile Air Conditioning Car AC Repair and Replacement in Arcadia Neighborhood AZ

Timing belt replacement isn’t just a commodity. An improper timing belt replacement is worse than not replacing your timing belt at all.

That might seem extreme to some, but here at Tri-City Transmission, we know it to be true. Bad timing belt replacements wreck the performance of your car -- and in some cases the engine.

What is a Timing Belt?

You car’s timing belt is the belt that controls the camshafts in your engine, opening and closing valves at just the right time for smooth operation. It is a simply rubber belt with rubber teeth. Once a single tooth happens to get caught the wrong way, you have a broken timing belt. On most vehicles, a broken timing belt leads to thousands of dollars in repairs.

When Does a Timing Belt Need to Be Replaced?

Since there are no obvious warning signs, there is really no way to know when your timing belt might snap. That’s why your car owners manual tells you at exactly what mileage intervals you should change it, regardless of whether you are having car problems or not. Typically, that will be anywhere from 60,000 to 120,000 miles.

The timing belt is buried deep inside your car’s engine, so it is very labor intensive and the cost is considerably more in time and labor than in the actual cost of the belt. To save money in the future, you should seriously consider replacing your water pump at the same time -- even if it isn’t bad or leaking at that time – The new timing belt will outlast the water pump and the water pump is driven by the timing belt. You will save money on labor preventing a pump replacement that is going to require taking all that stuff apart again. Also, when water pumps fail, they can ruin a brand new timing belt causing the catastrophe listed above that we were trying to prevent. Additionally, timing belt idlers and tensioners should be addressed for exactly the same reasons as the water pump.

Why Tri-City Transmission?

• Quality Workmanship. This is always key when performing a Timing Belt Replacement. At Tri-City Transmissions, we use Sr. Technicians only. Poor workmanship ruins cars and you won't necessarily know it, but we see it daily. Poor gas mileage, annoying check engine lights, catastrophic engine failure -- just to name a few.
• Quality Parts. We use only OEM, OES or equivalent. We use original parts, not generic. Everyone will tell you they are using good parts, but are they?
• Complete Repairs. Water pump, timing belt tensioners, timing belt idlers, and necessary seals are all easily accessible while working on a timing belt. Avoid paying for repairs twice by taking advantage of this and repairing or replacing all necessary parts while we are already deep within your engine.

Timing Belt Repair and Replacement Arcadia Neighborhood AZ

Is It Time to Service Your Car's Catalytic Converter?

A catalytic converter is a crucial part of your vehicle's exhaust system. It works to take the harmful gasses in exhaust systems and turn them into safe compounds that can be emitted into the atmosphere, causing less damage to the environment.

If you sense a lack of performance with your car's exhaust system, it's important that you have our mechanics take a look as soon as possible. A clogged catalytic converter greatly reduces engine performance and symptoms can often look like transmission problems. You may have a failing catalytic converter if you're noticing a decrease in your fuel economy and engine performance.

We are Tri-City Transmission and we’ve been in Arcadia Neighborhood for over 40 years. We provide complete auto repair in the East Valley.

Here’s what people are saying about Tri-City Transmission:

“They treat all of their customers, especially the females, as if they are our mother, daughter, or sister." -Tyra C. (via BBB.org.)

“I have nothing but praises for this organization and every person who I met there. They were all honest and helpful with their advice.” -Roger W. (via BBB.org)

Read our reviews and find out why thousands of families choose Tri-City Transmission for catalytic converter service and more in the East Valley!

Here’s what you need to know if you are looking for Catalytic Converter Replacement!

A catalytic converter is a vehicle emissions control device that converts toxic pollutants in exhaust gas to less toxic pollutants by catalyzing a redox reaction (oxidation or reduction). Catalytic converters are used with internal combustion engines fueled by either petrol (gasoline) or diesel—including lean-burn engines.

A clogged catalytic converter can reach a Arcadia Neighborhoodrature of over 1,200 °F, and can lead to problems like boiling of the transmission fluid, break down of the transmission system, slipping of the clutch, and too much RPM. You may have a failing catalytic converter if you're noticing a decrease in your fuel economy, or misfiring in your engine system.

If you've noticed any of the blocked catalytic converter symptoms, you must take the vehicle to an expert mechanic who can get to the bottom of the issue ASAP!