Las Vegas Auto Repair

As a driver, it’s important to be aware of the components inside and outside of your vehicle. Some people only think about their exhaust if there’s an unusual smell. If they can decipher what a unique smell even is. Identifying exhaust smells are essential to safe driving. Being aware allows you to seek immediate professional attention before a problem becomes worse. Below are four familiar exhaust smells and what they may mean. Normal Exhaust Smell You can’t expect the exhaust to smell like a bed of roses. A healthy exhaust has a smoky, musty smell near the pipe. The exhaust is made up of harmful toxins such as carbon monoxide. The scent is easily identifiable but shouldn’t be noticeable inside the cabin. If you notice an exhaust smell inside your vehicle, there may be an exhaust leak. You should immediately stop driving and have your car towed to your trusted mechanic.  A Sweet Smell Sweet-smelling exhaust fumes can seem more pleas ... read more

Staying on top of routine maintenance should always be a top priority for drivers in Las Vegas. Things happen, and life gets busy, so it’s not uncommon to miss a service appointment. Most vehicles need their oil changed every 5,000 miles. And if your car uses synthetic oil, you may be able to drive for an extra thousand miles or so. Outside of gas, clean oil to lubricate the engine is one of the most critical fluids for a safe drive. If you don’t remember the last time your car was seen, it may have you wondering what can happen if you skip an oil change. Engine Damage If you wait too long between oil changes, the lack of lubrication will cause the engine to shut down completely. A major engine shut down may require a replacement, leading to thousands of dollars in service and repairs. The Engine Will Knock If the engine oil hasn’t been changed in a while, the oil may become thick and sludge-like. Engine oil should be fluid and clea ... read more

This year’s summer sun is giving endless waves of heat, and during this time, your vehicle heavily relies on its water pump to help keep your engine cool. The water pump ensures that the coolant circulates between the radiator and the engine so that the engine consistently runs at a manageable operating temperature. Without a functioning water pump, your vehicle will overheat, leading to significant internal engine damage. An older vehicle is more likely to encounter water pump issues over time. However, no matter how old or new, even the most technologically advanced water pumps can run into problems. If you’re experiencing water pump problems in Las Vegas, Asian Imports Auto is here to help. Below are a few common symptoms that your water pump is failing: You Notice a Coolant Leak The radiator’s coolant is a bright greenish-yellow color and pretty easy to spot if looking underneath a vehicle. The water pump has small gaskets that can wear with ti ... read more

Since side mirrors stick out from the car’s body, they’re more prone to accidental damage. Side mirrors can end up dangling loosely off the door or end up breaking off completely. Side mirrors do not impact the functionality of the vehicle; they are designed to provide additional visibility of up to 200 feet behind the car. Side mirrors increase the driving experience by helping you park, turn, and switch lanes. Is it illegal to drive your car without one? The legality of the side mirror varies from state to state.  Some states require that both side mirrors be present and fully functional to operate your vehicle legally. However, it’s legal in most states to drive if one side mirror is damaged as long as the second side mirror is functional and the rearview mirror is intact. If there is cargo blocking the visibility of the rearview mirror, some states require that both side-view mirrors are operational.  Whether one of your mirrors has a small crack or is ... read more

A tire blowout when traveling on the interstate or highway is one of the most dangerous automotive experiences a driver can face. Most drivers’ instinct is to slam on their brakes and pull off onto the shoulder during a tire blowout. Those two first responses are probably the worst things you can do, especially if a rear tire is blown out. Turning the wheel at high speed increases the likelihood that the car will spin out or even roll.  Here are the best practices when managing a tire blowout: The first step is always to remain calm. Staying confident and calm is easier said than done -how is one supposed to keep calm during a tire blowout? Maintaining composure is a crucial part of keeping you and your passenger safe. Panicking and slamming on your brakes could make the situation worse.   Steer straight. When a tire blows out, the car will pull to one side. Grip the wheel firmly with both hands at 10 and 2 and steer it straight. You might feel the car wobble or fi ... read more

You have probably seen a local auto repair shop advertise a free code reading for vehicles that have the check engine light on. However, have you ever actually visited the shop for the free code read, and ended up spending hundreds of dollars at the shop? We understand the confusion of the “free code read”. There is a big difference between full vehicle diagnostics and a code read.  A code reader is usually a handheld device that connects to your vehicle’s computer and accesses a trouble code. That is pretty much all that a code reader can do. Once the code is retrieved, that code is looked up to determine the area of the problem. However, the code often doesn’t tell the exact cause of the issue and further diagnostics are almost always needed to figure out the problem.  An actual computer diagnostic tool is extremely advanced and is used for extensive testing and diagnostics of a vehicle with a check engine light on. This type of scan would most oft ... read more

As a vehicle owner, it is important to understand the best way to keep your vehicle safe and reliable on the road. One aspect of owning a vehicle that isn’t as well taught as it should be is the idea of preventative maintenance. Preventative maintenance is essentially the idea that you should have certain small services performed on your vehicle periodically that will help prevent larger, more expensive problems from occurring. Preventative maintenance not only protects your vehicle overall, it will end up saving you lots of money over the years by avoiding those major repairs that can become costly.  One important part of preventative maintenance is vehicle inspections. A vehicle inspection is a quick, comprehensive look at your vehicle to determine if there is any obvious issue with a major component. It also looks at fluids to make sure that they are topped off and clean, as well as checking other parts such as filters and chambers. Many people are a little scared about ... read more

Asian Imports is still open and ready to help with your auto needs during these unprecedented times. We have made a few small changes to our operation in light of the recent developments to continue serving you while protecting the health and safety of both our staff and our customers. If you do not feel comfortable coming inside, that is ok! Just fill out our drop box form/envelope with information regarding your vehicle and what your vehicle needs, enclose your key and put it through the slot. It's that easy! We will then contact you regarding your vehicle, handing all communication over the phone. We can also take payment over the phone to make our service completely contactless.  We all want to do our part to keep the community safe and still provide needed vehicle services to our clients. Our staff is disinfecting all surfaces regularly and our technicians will be disinfecting the steering wheel, door handles, shift knobs and high touch areas during ... read more

Brake pads are a vital component to your vehicle's brake system. They work to apply pressure to the brake rotors to slow and stop your vehicle. Like with most vehicle components that ensure a lot of pressure and heat, your brake pads will wear down and will need replacing over time. Your vehicle's manufactuer will outline the proper intervals for how often your brake pads should be replaced. However, if you find yourself needing brake pads way more often than you should, there could be a bigger issue at play.  Lets look at some of the potential causes for brake pads wearing down at a faster rate than normal.  More often than not, the cause of excessively worn brake pads is due to driver error. It typically happens with drivers who use two feet to drive - one on the gas and one on the brake. What ends up happening is the foot on the brake pedal never really releases from the brake pedal, causing a constant pressure on the brake pad. This is what causes the pads to we ... read more

A battery or charging warning light looks like a battery with a positive and negative indication on either side of the battery. If you see this light turn on, you may not have much driving time left. A problem with the battery or charging system can indicate that your battery isn't receiving enough charge to keep your vehicle moving, so you properly have 30 minutes at best if you are already driving. If you just start your car and the light turns on, you may not be able to drive too far depending on the issue.  This light typically indicates that the charging system is not producing enough voltage to keep your battery running. This can be caused by a number of different things, including a bad alternator, generator, loose or damaged battery cables, or broken drive belt.  If you see this light turn on, one thing you can do is test your battery. If you don't have your own voltage tester, you can bring your battery into Asian Imports. We can test the battery to see if ... read more