Blog

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 […]

Vehicle vandalism has become a pandemic within the Pandemic. Specifically, the systematic extraction of expensive exhaust parts has become an economy in Fairbanks. If you drive these cars, you are the supply chain*: Honda Element Toyota 4-Runner Toyota Tacoma Toyota Tundra Toyota Prius (especially 04-08 second generation) Nissan Pathfinder All four-wheel drive pick-up trucks 1998 […]

Let’s debunk the “Parking Brake” Myth Put your car in “P” for park. This is more than enough to keep it still. Reefing on the hand-brake after parking has become the emotional equivalent of cinching a good knot so your pony doesn’t run off. But you know what’s funny? It’s been 50 years since anyone’s […]

Ever tried to sip frozen custard through a straw?  Welcome to what your car engine does when you choose the wrong oil-change provider. Oil changes alone are the difference between a tight, lasting engine and a car racking up an expensive repair.  Maintenance is when you run out of toothpaste, wear out a toothbrush or […]

We love picking crans and freezing them. It requires some planning to harvest and store enough crans to have muffins, apple cranberry pie, cranberry chutney. Some of our customers have dedicated “berry freezers”. One for berries, one for salmon and moose. At any rate, cranberry muffins are just around the corner and for us at […]

Let’s talk about dirt. Vehicles are never able to relax in Alaska’s climate. Mud and dirt seem innocent enough, but they are not! Read on to get the scoop from METRO.