Colorado Springs Auto Repair

Steve was recently in a minor car accident, which resulted in some body damage on his 2013 Volkswagen Jetta. He is a longtime customer of LightHouse Automotive in Colorado Springs, so he brought in his car to have it looked at by owner, Rylan Blair.  "Rylan always gets the job done," Steve writes in his Yelp review. "I had a fender bender and took my Jetta to LightHouse to see if they did body work. Normally they don't, but the damage was not too extensive. They did a good job and kept it close to the price range I was willing to spend." Major body work is not something we typically handle at LightHouse Automotive, but we have a long list o ... read more

There are a number of things that can affect how smoothly your car drives. Some factors include wheel alignment, tire treads, tire pressure, brakes, differentials, wheel bearings and axles. However, your suspension system will have the biggest impact on the ride of your vehicle, and that’s what we want to focus on in this article. Components of Your Suspension There are three main components you need to know about when talking about your vehicle’s suspension system: Springs Most modern cars will use coil springs while some older vehicles use leaf spring designs. Then, there are custom air-ride systems, as well. The springs help absorb bumps on the road and maintain a consistent vehicle height to balance against rough road cond ... read more

Today's vehicles are very advanced and your dashboard warning lights are very important. Your car will have many different sensors that feed information directly into the vehicle's computer system. When potential problems are detected, one of those warning lights will illuminate and you may need to take immediate action. The most important dashboard warning light in any vehicle is the "check engine" light. It can represent any number of problems relating to your engine and it should never be ignored. Here are a couple of different scenarios that can and will happen. The Check Engine Light is Flashing If your check engine light is flashing, it means there is a major problem. You should pull off the road immediately, turn off your vehicle and call for roadside assistance. If you don't do this, you can risk even more damage to the engine or ... read more

David wasn't sure what to do with his 2002 Honda CRV. It needed some repairs, so he was at a crossroads. Should he fix it up and keep driving it, or was it time for him to get a new car. He brought the CRV into LightHouse Automotive in Colorado Springs for an inspection and to get a professional opinion from owner, Rylan Blair. "I highly recommend LightHouse Automotive," David says in his online review. "Rylan provided me with different options for maintaining the car for a one-year period, two-year period, or longer. He provided an honest and thorough assessment of the car's overall condition." Rylan and the LightHouse Automotive team looked over David's Honda from bumper to bumper. The insp ... read more

When it comes to the health and performance of your car or truck, wheel alignment plays an important role. That’s why it’s always a good idea to get your wheel alignment checked regularly. If it is way off, then it is worth getting corrected as soon as possible. There are three things looked at when we perform a wheel alignment test at LightHouse Automotive: Camber Camber is the angle of the wheel/tire if you are looking at it directly from the front or rear of the vehicle. If it is tilted in at the top, that’s considered negative camber. If it tilts the opposite way, that’s considered positive camber. You want the right camber for cornering performance and tread wear. Caster Caster is tougher to explain. It is the angle created by the steering’s pivot point, from the front to the back of the vehicle. It mainly impacts the steering of the v ... read more

It should come as no surprise that your engine gets hot. With many repeated controlled explosions of fuel happening every second to power your vehicle, it's easy to understand why you need a good cooling system doing its job to prevent the car from overheating.  In this article, LightHouse Automotive shares the basic information you need to know about your vehicle's cooling system, its key components and standard maintenance tips. Radiator and Coolant The cooling system component most people are at least somewhat familiar with is the radiator. It's what houses the coolant (aka "antifreeze") that ultimately helps regulate the temperature of the engine ... read more

Jon had recently moved to Colorado Springs, so he didn't know many people in town and wasn't sure who to turn to for automotive repairs. His Toyota 4Runner was having some issues, so he wanted to have it checked out by a professional mechanic. Jon called around and was impressed by the response he got from LightHouse Automotive. "I called a few places around town to check some rates for my 4Runner," Jon explains in his online review of LightHouse Automotive. "Rylan [Blair, owner] was awesome!! He took the time with me to see what was really going on. Everyone else just said a high price and tried to push me off the phone." Customer service is very important to everyone at LightHouse Automotive. We understand nobody really wants to deal with ... read more

In addition to standard auto repairs and maintenance services, we actually do a lot of auto customs work at LightHouse Automotive. Our owner, Rylan Blair, is passionate about all types of vehicles. He and his team love working on classic cars, performance cars and custom rides that not every shop in Colorado Springs is equipped to handle. Customized Service It certainly takes a special amount of knowledge and care to work on classic cars and to do custom performance upgrade installations, body work and other customizations. They call it “custom work” for a reason. Each vehicle is unique. Each job is unique. And it’s that little extra challenge that fires up the team at LightHouse Automotive. Custom Exhaust Installation & Repair One of the specialties at LightHouse Automot ... read more

There's a simple equation that explains what powers your car's engine:  Fuel + Air = Combustion Gasoline or diesel is obviously the fuel in this equation, but many people overlook the importance of the air intake when it comes to the health and performance of their vehicle. First, it explains the need for a clean engine air filter. You should have your air filter checked with any automotive maintenance service visit and replaced if it is getting dirty. Otherwise, it will hinder the air flow and/or air quality being taken in, which both will impact the overall performance of your engine in negative ways.  Second, you need a system that controls the air intake and allows just the right amount of air into the engine at just the right times. This is where you'll either have a carburetor or a fuel injection system. L ... read more

Tommy is a longtime Subaru owner and he has lived in Colorado Springs for more than 30 years. Because he’s been pretty loyal to that vehicle brand throughout his life, he used to trust the local dealership and auto repair/service chains. However, Tommy recently decided to declare his independence and bring his Outback to LightHouse Automotive—a family-owned and operated Colorado Springs business. He wanted a second opinion on his suspension problems because the “other guys” quoted him a very high repair estimate. “These guys are the best I have experienced in a LONG time.” Tommy writes in his Google reviews. “I will not be using the brand name groups ever again. Rylan [Blair, Owner of LightHouse Automotive] saved me hundreds, possibly more, by being honest and showing me why I did not need the work and parts another group flat-out lied ... read more