Blog

This is the perfect time to check through your Winter Emergency kit to make sure it’s still in-tact following a summer of packing and unpacking your car.  Between the eleven of us here at METRO, we have spent most of our lives in Alaska’s Interior. We’ve had our share of going in the ditch and […]

A car AC unit and heater are not independent systems like you would think. In theory their separation stands to reason. Since when is a fridge integral to your wood stove cranking out heat? It makes sense that systems so different in purpose would have little overlap in design.  Climate Control, not Heat + Air […]

Good protein is Alaska’s new gold rush. Safe, truly nutritious protein is an elusive component of daily life in the American economy. It has never been as obvious to Alaskans as it is now that they enjoy an unusual marketplace of pristine meats. However, this protein is not sold in stores. It requires the initiative […]

When you are thrown by a frost heave or slammed into a pothole, does it ever make you wonder if your car is OK? So many key components are destroyed when vehicles encounter road damage as extreme as the frost boils and potholes that routinely surface on roadways every summer in Alaska. None of these […]

Motor mounts are essential. They are literally what fastens two hundred horses to your car’s frame! Think of them as the saddle for your engine. Without being securely fastened, you could be in for a very bumpy ride. What are motor mounts?Motor mounts (also known as engine mounts) are brackets that attach the engine to […]

Car exhaust has never been so expensive, both to the environment and to motorist’s wallets.  You WISH your body had a catalytic converter! A Catalytic Converter is the vehicle equivalent of a fat-burning miracle machine. Engine exhaust is picked apart and turbo-digested (converted) into relatively harmless, spent waste. Here’s How First Layer: Metal It looks […]

Does your Fairbanks Auto Repair Shop have a pecking order of “master technicians” vs. “lube-oil techs?”  In the historical and currently prevalent business models in the automotive industry, “Master Technician” refers to individuals who both get run over or left behind because they sit still.  Evolution is something to keep up with on Earth. We […]

If you want to add a couple of seasons to your winter tires, pay attention to how they spend their summers When you get your tires home, here’s your to-do list: Take them OUT of the plastic bags the tire store gave you. Most people don’t realize it, but these bags are meant only to […]

DOT has been busy all winter keeping roads cleared. But summer is when the salts used in road maintenance get BUSY. Your car, snow-machines, water haulers—anything that has been on a paved road since the first snowfall—needs your attention. If you are not proactive you can look forward to 20-50% more on equipment repair than […]

Rebecca Levey 2 min read This is what we see when a customer comes in reporting “a deafening roar under the seat upon starting vehicle”. Sadly, we don’t have to look far to find the cause. Catalytic Converter theft has become as common as moose on ski trails. To us at METRO, it is startling […]