Courtesy Auto Service and Tire of Tacoma is your premier repair and tire shop in the Tacoma, WA area. Courtesy Auto Tacoma is a company that is based on quality service and customer satisfaction. Throughout the year, we have published advice and information that anyone looking for information on automotive topics can find interest in.
Take a dive into Courtesy Auto Service Tacoma blogs that will transform how you see mechanics and other automotive topics.
The Best Blogs of the Year – Courtesy Auto Service Tacoma!
The Importance of Vehicle Alignment
Getting a vehicle alignment from Courtesy Auto Service is an important maintenance task and one that you should not overlook. It can help to prevent uneven tire wear and tire blowouts while also making it easier for you to steer.
Wear and Tear on Your Tires

Having the proper vehicle alignment can improve the performance of your vehicle. It can help your vehicle to drive smoothly, reduce fuel consumption and improve your safety on the road.
Aside from improved performance, an alignment can also help your tires last longer. Having an alignment done by a skilled mechanic will ensure that your wheels are aligned properly. This will help your tires to wear evenly and will prevent the wear and tear…
How to Tell if your Car Heater is Failing
A Guide from Courtesy Auto Service
Car heaters are one of the most important functions of a vehicle – and here’s why: Sometimes our most underappreciated vehicle functions fail in our vehicles, like car heaters. Those chilly mornings sneak up on us quickly, especially in the Tacoma area where Courtesy Auto Service and Tire is located. One day we are basking in the warm summer sun and the very next, it’s a windstorm mixed with a frost and sideways rain all at once. Our car heaters are our only hope against the creeping cold and we don’t know if our heater has gone out until it’s too late.

Luckily, Courtesy Auto Service and Tire of Tacoma, WA can service your car heater system to get it back in tip top shape. Don’t let the mornings mean you bundled up in a blanket on your way to work! Get that system back in working order. Get yourself a small thermometer to see just how cold it is in your vehicle and read on to learn more about what is going in with your heater…
How to Reduce Braking Distance
Braking distance is the distance a vehicle travels when braking or stopping. There are many factors that can affect braking distance. Some of these factors include road conditions, car upkeep and reaction time. Regardless of the cause, you can always take steps to reduce the amount of time it takes you to stop and regain control of the vehicle.
Braking Distance Reaction Time
Reaction time to the braking distance is a crucial component of a driver’s stopping distance in real life. While race car drivers can react in as little as half a second, the average driver can take as long as 3.5 seconds. This can be attributed to factors such as driver fatigue, attitude and overall driving experience. The size, color and movement of a hazard also affect reaction time.

Road Conditions for Braking Distance
Braking distance depends on a variety of factors, including the road surface and tires. Heavy rain can reduce friction between the tires and the road, making it difficult for drivers to control the car. Fog can reduce visibility, making it important for drivers to maintain an extra-safe distance from the vehicle ahead.
In good road conditions, drivers should keep at least a decent gap from the car in front. This will give them sufficient time to stop in case of an emergency. If the road surface is wet or icy, drivers should leave a longer gap. Likewise, driving in fog and snow will make it more difficult to stop…
How Can You Protect Your Vehicle? 7 Tips!
We have all asked ourselves “how can I protect my vehicle?” There are many things you can do to protect your vehicle in various ways. From parking indoors, to rolling up windows, there is no measure too small when it comes to ways you can protect your vehicle from people and uncontrollable forces.
Car Maintenance – Courtesy Auto Service
If you want to make sure to protect your vehicle you’re on the road, you need to perform regular car maintenance. This will not only keep your vehicle in top condition, but it will also help reduce the wear and tear on your tires.
It is also important to change the oil (we can do it for you at Courtesy Auto service!) of your car on a regular basis. You should also check the belts and hoses of your car. Additionally, you should have a thorough checkup on your car’s engine, transmission, and brakes. Having your vehicle serviced by Courtesy Auto Service regularly will keep your vehicle safe and keep you and your passengers safe…

Catalytic Converters: What’s the Big Deal?
It’s a topic that is unavoidable these past few years – catalytic converter theft is rapidly rising in communities all across America. You’ve seen posts on your community Facebook pages, heard talk in line at the post office. Despite awareness, these thefts are insanely common and are occurring in broad daylight. Something must be done about this extreme issue.
What is a Catalytic Converter?
A catalytic converter is kind of like a little oven that processes the emissions from your engine. The process starts in the engine. When the engine exhausts fumes, they travel through the catalytic converter and are reprocessed to be cleaner than ordinary vehicle emissions. The catalytic converter contains precious metals that react with exhaust fumes to clean them. The most common precious metals used in catalytic converters are platinum, palladium and rhodium. Catalytic converters have been being used in vehicles to clean emissions since the 1970’s. Many vehicles have several catalytic converters and some are much more valuable than others…