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What Does It Mean When Your Car Smells Like Rotten Eggs

May 19, 2020 by t3atlanta Leave a Comment

A friend once said that every car is a brand new experience. The feel of the seats, the bounce and flow of the car, and even the smell. Cars smell differently, right? Doesn’t matter if they have the same air freshener – they always have a distinct smell in them that makes them unique. But what if your car smells like rotten eggs?

Now that’s something nobody wants to smell inside a car – or anyplace else, for that matter. When a car smells like rotten eggs, there is no amount of air freshener that can make it smell better. On top of that, it is proof that there is something wrong with your car (unless you do have real rotten eggs inside your car, which is a different problem altogether).

Bad Smells Inside Your Car

To any car owner, smelling different things from inside your car spells trouble. For example, if you smell something musty like used socks, then it’s probably mold and mildew within your air conditioning vents. If you don’t address that right away, you might endanger the very people riding your car.

If you smell rubber then something is probably burning or heating up. It could be your clutch plate or a slipping drive belt.

Simply put, these weird smells help you recognize if there is something wrong with your car. But what about smelling rotting eggs while your car is running?

Smelling Rotten Eggs Inside Your Car

Assuming you have ruled out the presence of actual rotten eggs inside your car, this smell should tell you that there’s something wrong with your car. This could mean a few things.

First, this could mean that there is something wrong with your car’s catalytic converter. The catalytic converter is the part of your car that converts harmful gasses into safer ones. One such harmful gas is hydrogen sulfide and this is the cause for the smell. If the catalytic converter is faulty, it cannot effectively convert the hydrogen sulfide into the harmless and odorless sulfur dioxide. If this is the case, you really need to replace the catalytic converter because this can lead to a car fire if not addressed right away.

One of the more common issues with catalytic converters is when their fuel pressure sensor fails. If it fails, the catalytic converter gets filled with oil and it affects the whole emission system, which leads to the harmful gasses to leak.

Another less common cause of a rotten egg smell inside your car is old transmission fluid. For manual cars, transmission fluid is expected to be replaced regularly. If you haven’t done that lately, the transmission liquid might have leaked into other parts of your car and stagnate – causing it to smell.

What Should I Do If My Car Smells Like Rotten Eggs?

The good news here is that smelling rotten eggs inside your car won’t mean it’s going to explode anytime soon. This gives you enough time to have an expert check your car. As a rule of thumb, if you feel something is off in your car, then you should let a mechanic check it.

If you have a Lexus, Infiniti, Toyota, and Nissan in Atlanta, then you can trust T3 Atlanta to take care of all your maintenance and repair needs. We have expert technicians ready to service your car. Call us today and have your appointments set. Our garage practices physical distancing and proper disinfection practices to comply with recommended COVID-19 guidelines.

Filed Under: Car Tips

How to Parallel Park

May 12, 2020 by t3atlanta Leave a Comment

Parallel parking is a real challenge that is a real beauty to behold, especially when an expert does it. It’s mind-baffling how they manage to make something so complicated look so easy. Not to mention very useful in different situations. For city people, learning how to parallel park is a necessary skill because it is hard to find good parking spaces.

How To Parallel Park Step-By-Step

So, how do you parallel park? Is there magic involved? Do you need years of apprenticeship to do it? Truth be told, parallel parking is a mix of familiarity with the vehicle you are using and a little bit of logic.

Depending on who you ask, there will be a good mix of answers. But here’s a definitive guide that can help you parallel park just about anywhere.

  1. Remember when I told you about familiarity with the vehicle you are using? This is why. To parallel park safely, you need to be able to ensure that you find a parking spot that your car can actually fit in.
  2. Line up the back of your car with the back of the front car. It does not have to be exact but you need to be as close as possible to completely lined up.
  3. Stop. Breathe and relax.
  4. While not moving (not moving forward or reversing), turn the wheel of your car all the way to the right – as far as it will go. Remember, your car should not be moving as you are turning the wheel.
  5. Set your sights on the back of your car to make sure there are no obstructions in the way.
  6. Start to back up slowly. Don’t change the orientation of the wheel. Check your left side mirror and wait until you see the license plates of the vehicle at the back. At this point, your car should be on a 45 degree angle. Stop.
  7. If you see the license plate of the vehicle behind you, bring the wheel back to the middle position. Slowly back up again.
  8. Wait for your front bumpers to be lined up with the rear bumper of the front car, then stop.
  9. Turn the steering wheel all the way to the left to slowly position your car to be properly aligned with the rest of the cars.
  10. Straighten your wheel and adjust accordingly. Make sure you give enough space in your front and back for everybody to be able to comfortably and safely drive away if needed.

But What If I Am Not Good At Parallel Parking?

Good question. You won’t learn to parallel park in a day. If you live in the city then you know parallel parking is a necessary skill. Should you just leave your car at home? Not necessarily.

While parallel parking can be hard, everybody can learn it. But expect to hit a few bumps along the way (in this case, a few front or rear bumpers). If you are not yet confident, you can install parking bumpers on your car to make sure you don’t sour another person’s day.

Keep Your Car In Tip-Top Shape At T3 Atlanta

We may not be able to grab the wheel and parallel park your car on demand, but we’re always available for advice about how to parallel park and other helpful car care tips. Give us a call whether you need routine maintenance or an in-depth repair. We’ll help you get back on the road quickly!

Filed Under: Car Tips

Fuel Additives: Fact And Fiction

May 5, 2020 by t3atlanta Leave a Comment

Need your car to run faster? Maybe want it to be more fuel-efficient? How about a cleaner engine? If you are looking for these types of upgrades, then fuel additives might sound like the perfect solution. Let’s talk about the fact and fiction of these magic car engine elixirs and, hopefully, by the end of the article you can see for yourself if they are worth the extra monthly expense.

What Are Fuel Additives?

Fuel additives: you’ve probably seen them on the shelves of every store that sells car stuff. They come in different shapes and colors but they always have something in common. They promise something big.

It can be as simple to understand as “cleans your engine as you go” to something as grand as “make your car run like it was 10 years younger”.

While there are other tests or studies that show whether or not they are telling the truth or not, the fact still remains that a lot of people are using these additives for their promised effects. Depending on the additive you are looking at, they contain a variety of chemicals that “promise” to give your car the different benefits you see in their product cover.

Are They Really Effective?

This is the question you have been waiting to get answered, right? It’s hard to give a solid answer but the best one we can give is that while they do seem to be so confident with their promises – there’s really no evidence showing that they are all effective. We can attribute it all to their marketing. If you ask me, it’s all about the hype with zero evidence to back them up.

The good thing is that they rarely do anything bad to your engine so if you really want to try them out it shouldn’t cause you problems afterwards.

While there are people who stand by their claim that they are really effective it all boils down to the gravity of the problem in the first place. This means if your car is a bit older and already experiencing problems with, let’s say fuel efficiency, then you might get better results than newer cars.

However, it can be unfair to lump them all together. Not all fuel additives are full of hot air. Some of them actually work. For example, there are diesel additives that are designed to prevent diesel from gel in colder climates.

The performance boosting additives are the ones that really have a bad reputation for being misleading. There have been plenty of tests on different octane boosters and none of them have shown consistent and promising results.

As for the additives that promise to clean your engine, they are quite redundant in nature. A lot of fuels nowadays contain cleaning agents so you might not need to add more – unless you have a really old car and you need the extra oomph in the cleaning department.

Maintenance is Key

While the promises being made by fuel additives can be very tempting, they are not the best answers to your car issues. Fortunately, with regular maintenance (and a repair here and there), you can keep your car back in tip-top shape year-round. For older cars, this can become quite a challenge, but nothing is impossible if you have a team of expert mechanics that can turn back time to get your car into like-new condition.

The team at T3 Atlanta are the mechanics you need to help you out. You can schedule regular maintenance to keep your car running at its best for as long as you own it. Give us a call today and we will pen you into the schedule right away.

Filed Under: Car Tips

Do Fuel Injector Cleaners Work?

April 21, 2020 by t3atlanta Leave a Comment

Fuel additives are pretty much what they sound like: a substance you add to your fuel. There are a lot of types of fuel additives at your local auto supply shop, some of which prevent problems while others improve performance. Fuel injector cleaners are an additive that sounds like a great way to keep your engine running smoothly, but do they work? Let’s find out.

But First, What’s A Fuel Injector?

A fuel injector is a small part that regulates how much fuel is sprayed into your car’s engine. In some cars, the fuel is sprayed into the engine’s inlet manifold or port. In other cars, fuel is injected directly into each cylinder.

Regardless of the exact setup, the basic function remains the same: the harder you press on the accelerator, the more fuel enters your engine, and vice versa.

Why Do They Need To Be Cleaned?

Fuel injectors are one of those ‘out of sight, out of mind’ car components. You never really see them, and as long as they’re working correctly, you don’t think about them.

The truth is, fuel injectors sometimes do need to be cleaned. Debris from the fuel system or the fuel itself can accumulate in your fuel injectors. Corrosion in your fuel system can also contribute to debris build-up. When enough carbon and debris deposits have built up, this can influence the efficiency of your vehicle, increase the emissions, and even affect the way your vehicle performs.

So, Do Fuel Injector Cleaners Work?

The idea behind fuel injector cleaners is that you add them to your gas tank, where they dissolve debris and restore your engine’s function to normal. Since fuel injectors cleaners are combustible, they are burnt off with normal engine use, meaning you’ll need to add more cleaner periodically. But do they work?

The short answer: Maybe.

The long answer: There haven’t been any scientific studies definitively proving that fuel injector cleaners work. That said, there’s a lot of anecdotal evidence that they can help. So, you can always try it and see for yourself.

There’s some debate about how frequently you need to add these cleaners to your engine. Some people suggest that you add a bottle with every fill-up. Others suggest adding a bottle with every oil change, about 3,000 – 5,000 miles depending on your vehicle’s recommended maintenance schedule.

Ultimately, if you’re set on trying a fuel injector cleaner, follow the manufacturer’s recommendations and don’t expect magical results overnight. Just like it takes years for carbon to build up in your engine, it may take a few rounds for the cleaner to take full effect.

How To Prevent Carbon Buildup In Your Engine

There’s an old saying that goes, ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’. The same goes for your engine – and your fuel injectors. Keeping your engine clean can help prevent carbon buildup and the decreased fuel efficiency and vehicle performance we mentioned earlier.

No, we’re not talking about disassembling your engine and giving every component a detailed cleaning with a toothbrush. All you need to do is purchase high-quality gasoline on a regular basis. You’ll usually see these referred to as ‘top tier’ gasolines. Top tier gasoline contains special additives and detergents in their formula with superior fuel system-cleaning properties.

It’s true that even the best gasoline can still contain some impurities, often picked up from transit or from the fuel holding tanks at the gas station itself. However, your fuel system’s filters should effectively filter these impurities out.

AAA recently conducted a study with an independent laboratory to evaluate, among other questions, whether top tier gasoline is better at preventing deposit build-up in your engine. The answer was an emphatic yes. The study found that non-top tier gasolines caused 19 times more engine deposits than top-tier fuels. You can read the full report here.

So, if you want to keep your engine clean and running great for years to come, make sure to purchase top-tier gasoline with every fill up.

My Fuel Injectors Need Cleaning – Now What?

If you’ve purchased an older or used vehicle, you may have discovered that your fuel injectors are clogged and aren’t operating like they should be. What now? Well, as discussed above, you could try a fuel injector cleaner. But that might take time, and it might not even work at all.

That’s where fuel injector cleaning comes in. For the intrepid, you can purchase a DIY kit and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to restore your engine’s performance and fuel efficiency.

For those of you who would prefer to let the professionals take care of it, T3 Atlanta can help. We’ll assess whether your fuel injectors are causing your engine woes or if something else might be awry and recommend the best solution for you and your vehicle. Give us a call or visit us at one of our two convenient metro Atlanta locations in Smyrna and Decatur for fast and friendly service on your Lexus, Infiniti, Toyota, or Nissan.

Filed Under: Car Tips

The Signs of a Failing Ignition Switch

April 14, 2020 by t3atlanta Leave a Comment

Your car ignition switch is one of the most important parts of your car: it starts your engine, after all! But did you know that just like other components on your vehicle, your ignition switch can wear out too? Today, we’re going to talk about the signs of a failing ignition switch to help you identify when it’s time to have this essential part replaced.

The Signs of a Failing Ignition Switch

Your ignition switch is generally located on the steering column, though the exact location does depend on what kind of car you have. You’ve probably noticed that there are three different positions your key can take. The first powers on your electronics, such as your interior lights and radio. The second powers on the fuel and ignition systems, so your fan may turn on when your key is at this position. The third position, of course, starts your car.

Wait. Why is this important? We promise it is. Now let’s talk about the first sign of a failing ignition switch.

Issues Powering On Your Car Accessories

common dashboard warning lightsThe first key position on your ignition should turn on your radio, interior cabin lights, and other electronic accessories your vehicle has. If you turn your key to position #1 and nothing happens, that’s a strong sign that your ignition may have an issue.

However, this could also be a problem with the lock cylinder or fuse and wiring problems, so it’s important to have your car checked out to make sure there isn’t a larger problem going on.

Your Car Starts… And Then Stalls

Once you’ve turned the key and you hear your engine roar, that should be that until you’ve reached your destination, right? Well, yes, unless your ignition switch is faulty. Why does this happen?

The ignition switch works well enough to power up the ignition system and fuel pump, hence why your car starts. But if it’s faulty or failing, it cuts off power the moment you let go of your key.

Your Car Stalls While Driving

This is possibly the most frightening way to realize that your ignition switch may have a problem: you’re driving along, minding your own business, when all of a sudden your car shuts off. Your power steering and brake hydraulics stop working, and you unexpectedly find yourself at the center of an accident just waiting to happen. This may sound like a tale your uncle would tell, but it’s a real possibility if your ignition switch fails while you are on the road.

As you might have guessed, if your car stalls while you’re driving, you absolutely need to bring your car in for service as soon as you can!

Fix Your Failing Ignition Switch At T3 Atlanta

If you’ve noticed any of these three signs of a faulty ignition, T3 Atlanta can help. We can diagnose the exact cause of your ignition troubles and prescribe the best solution for your vehicle. Give us a call or make an appointment today at one of our two metro Atlanta area locations!

Filed Under: Car Tips

COVID-19 Ridesharing Tips In Atlanta For Riders

April 7, 2020 by t3atlanta Leave a Comment

How are you holding up? This pandemic has shaken this world to its very core and it affects people from all walks of life. Sadly, life does not stop for some people. While the majority of us are at home making sure we don’t get infected, there are people out there whose jobs are considered essential that need to go on with their lives normally. These include people who work in hospitals, groceries, and other places that we need to still be open amidst the pandemic. That’s why ridesharing companies still didn’t stop their operations.

In a time where public transportation is a ticking time bomb, ridesharing offers a safer and more controlled environment that can put passengers’ minds at ease. After all, would you really want to stay in a bus during this time? Or with just a driver in an Uber or Lyft?

But as a passenger, what can you do to lower your chances of infection? We are pretty sure drivers are doing their best as they are mandated to follow certain protocols. But we, as passengers, should do our part too, right?

That is why we compiled our top ridesharing tips for riders during COVID-19. You may be a health worker or somebody who just needs to go out to buy groceries. Whoever you may be, if you are going to get a ride from an Uber or Lyft, take note of these tips.

COVID-19 Ridesharing Tips In Atlanta For Riders

  • Stay home when you feel sick – We are in a very difficult time right now. One sniffle, sneeze, or cough can be misinterpreted and taken differently than it is during cold and flu season. Even if you do not have COVID-19, you simply cannot afford to infect others considering the majority of the people out and about are doing essential things for society. So if you feel sick, just don’t go out and wait til you get better. Remember that the goal is to keep everybody as healthy as possible and that includes you. So if you feel sick, stay at home, drink your medicine, and rest. So you can wake up and fight another day.
  • Minimize touch points – The safest way to go about during these times is to either assume you are infected or that others are infected. This means that if you don’t want to get infected or infect others then you should limit your touch points. If you feel like a sneeze is coming, use a tissue or the crook of your elbow to limit the spread of your droplets. Ask for the driver to open the door for you (they should not mind) and as soon as you enter the vehicle just buckle up and keep your hands to yourself. If you want to crack the window open then ask the driver to do so. Most often than not, drivers are already aware of the safety precautions and will be more than willing to assist you.
  • Cover up before going out – While we are still learning more and more about the virus, it is accepted that you can contract the virus from touching a contaminated person or surface or from inhaling it through droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. While the idea of using masks aren’t really a western thing, you can further protect yourself by wearing masks and a face shield if possible. Also, it is worth noting that you should dispose of all your clothing (as in straight to the washer) as soon as you get home.
  • Talk to the driver – While in the vehicle, ask the driver about what precautions they are taking during the pandemic. If the driver is doing their best to keep their car as clean as possible then you will get a sufficient answer. However, if the driver does not have a good answer or appears sick him/herself then you should end the ride and report the driver to the rideshare company.
  • Tip the driver – Times are tough and let’s be honest, the driver can choose to stay at home and be safe. However, they are still on the road doing the rest of us a favor. So if you can, tip your driver. Does not have to be a big tip. Just enough to show that you appreciate them taking care of themselves, their car, and their passengers.

Truth be told, people who wake up and decide to go and work today are brave. We just need to take extra precautions so we don’t spread the virus. The safest way is still to use your own vehicle. If your car is having trouble, please don’t hesitate to give T3 Atlanta a call. We are open during the lockdown and are ready to service your car.

Filed Under: Travel Tips

COVID-19 Ridesharing Tips In Atlanta For Drivers

March 31, 2020 by t3atlanta Leave a Comment

The world is currently in a state of panic and the reality is, if we want to get through this then we have to adapt. COVID-19 is scary – that one we are sure of. That’s why we have to make sure we stay on the safe side of things so we don’t get infected. Staying at home and limiting our out-of-home excursions (especially in areas where there are a lot of people) is the best way to reduce our chances of getting the virus.

But this is not the case for a lot of people especially those who are frontliners – people whose work are deemed important for society to go on. This includes hospital staff, grocery store workers, some food workers, and those in the transportation department – including ridesharing drivers.

This puts our dear drivers in a dangerous predicament. Should they prioritize their livelihood and the needs of the public or their own health? Obviously, the decision rests in the hands of the driver. However, we at T3 Atlanta recognize the act of bravery that ridesharing drivers exhibit every time they decide to hit the road to ferry people in and around the city of Atlanta. That is why we created this list of ridesharing tips for drivers to help decrease their chances of getting infected (aside from extra protections like masks and gloves).

COVID-19 Ridesharing Tips for Drivers

  • Clean your car – Feeling healthy and ready to go on the road for your next passenger? Just do one thing before you go – clean your car. We don’t want to sound like we are overselling it but your car should be in its cleanest as much as possible. Get EPA-recommended disinfectants to clean the inside and outside of your car. As a rule of thumb, don’t just spray and wipe. Spray and let the disinfectant stay on the surface for at least 15 minutes or longer. Focus on the areas that people touch often during a ride. The best case scenario is you should spray and clean after each passenger so you might want to do that considering it’s a bit slow. Telling your passengers about what you are doing will help them relax knowing they are riding a clean car.
  • Limit touch points – This may require you to do extra stuff for your passengers but believe me, this will go a long way. If you really want to keep your ride as safe as possible then you have to limit the passenger’s touch points. One example is by opening the door for them as they ride the car. Use driving gloves that you can disinfect as you go. Not only is this a good way for you to limit the chances of infection but your riders will also appreciate the extra effort.
  • Keep interactions to the minimum – I know that a lot of rideshare drivers like to interact with their passengers and give them stuff like water and treats, but you might want to reconsider that for the meantime. However, this does not mean the ride should be void of interaction. You can give your passenger a small talk about the safety steps you are taking. Believe me, they will appreciate it.
  • Don’t drive when you feel sick – If you are feeling a bit under the weather then experts suggest you stay home if possible. It’s common sense. Your coughing and sneezing will spread viruses inside your own car which can infect your passenger. Sure, a little cold might not bring you down, but older people may find it hard to fight the viruses back. So while it may not be ideal, considering you need to drive to earn money, staying at home when you feel sick will not only protect you but also the people around you.

While we may not know when this will all end, we should not let it stop us from adapting and making the most out of the situation. Just remember that your passenger’s health and your own should always come first.

For all your car needs you can always come to T3 Atlanta for help. We are still open as we offer an essential service. Just give us a call so we can schedule you to limit people in our shop for physical distancing purposes.

Filed Under: Travel Tips

The Signs of a Failing Drive Belt

March 24, 2020 by t3atlanta Leave a Comment

Your drive belt, also known as a serpentine belt, is an essential part of your car. This belt provides power for your power steering, air conditioning, water pump, and more. Although this belt is made of very durable rubber and can last up to 150,000 miles in modern vehicles, the wear and tear from heat, friction, and frequent use can cause this belt to fail. So, what are the signs of a failing drive belt? Let’s find out.

The Signs of a Failing Drive Belt

1. Noise, noise, noise

The only sound you should hear from your engine compartment is idling and acceleration. It’s time to open up your car’s hood when you hear squeaking or squealing noises. Sometimes, water from the road (especially when you’ve driven through an area with standing water) can get the drive belt wet. If you find this to be the case and the squeaking goes away when the weather dries, you’re fine.

If the weather and the belt are dry and you’re still hearing strange noises, however, this may be a sign that your drive belt is misaligned or worn and needs some attention. It’s especially important to visit your mechanic if you notice oil on your drive belt since this is likely a sign of a larger problem.

2. Changes in your power steering, air conditioner, or other components

Sometimes, the signs of a drive belt that’s on its way out are subtle. Perhaps your air conditioner isn’t working like it used to. Maybe turning your steering wheel isn’t as effortless as it once was. Or, maybe your air conditioning and power steering just don’t work at all. You guessed it – your drive belt might be the culprit!

3. Your drive belt is visibly worn

Drive belts are built to last, but they aren’t imperious to the wear and tear of tens of thousands of miles. When you see cracks, dry rot, and a significant number of missing ribs (the raised notches that help your drive belt wind its way through your engine), it’s time to get a new belt.

Additionally, you may notice that your belt is not wearing evenly and is thicker on one side than the other. This is a sign of a misalignment problem, so even if the belt looks otherwise fine, you may want to go ahead and bring your car in for service.

4. Your engine overheats

Your engine can overheat for a number of reasons, one of which is a broken drive belt. This belt powers the water pump, so if it goes, then your water pump can no longer cool down your engine as normal.

Your car shouldn’t overheat under normal circumstances, so whether it’s caused by your drive belt or another component, it’s time to bring your car in for service. Continuing to drive while your car is overheating is a recipe for a potentially catastrophic engine failure.

Fast and Convenient Drive Belt Repair at T3 Atlanta

Sometimes, your car may perform normally with a failing drive belt. Other times, it could lead to you being stranded on the side of the road. In either case, it’s important to get a worn or broken drive belt replaced as soon as possible, especially since a broken drive belt could damage other components in your vehicle.

T3 Atlanta can help. We provide top quality Nissan, Lexus, Toyota, and Infiniti service at our two convenient metro Atlanta locations. Give us a call and we’ll make sure your car is always in great condition wherever the road takes you.

Filed Under: Auto Repair

Auto Repair During COVID-19

March 17, 2020 by t3atlanta Leave a Comment

We are living in uncertain times. Authorities are operating on a day-to-day basis while making decisions that aim to protect the populace. That’s why some cities, including Atlanta, are in a stay-at-home order. By reducing the number of people out in the streets, it reduces the chances of people infecting each other. Stores deemed ‘nonessential’ have been closed, but Auto repair shops are also considered essential in Atlanta. That is why T3 Atlanta will remain open during the COVID-19 lockdown to offer our services to our customers.

What We Are Doing

We understand how important our service is for people and that is why we are doing our best to keep both our staff and customers healthy. Here are some precautions we are doing:

  • clean a flood-damaged carWe are following proper disinfection practices in and around our auto shop. We have created guidelines for our workers to disinfect high traffic areas as much as possible.
  • We are practicing physical distancing within our shop. This means people will be required to stay 2 meters away from each other as much as possible.
  • We are limiting the number of people in our shop. Aside from the mechanics and staff, we will be limiting the number of people who will enter the shop. This is why we are asking our customers to call ahead of time so we can schedule them.

What You Can Do

As part of our safety protocol, we are asking our customers to also (voluntarily) follow a number of steps before and after your auto service.

  • clean a flood-damaged carWe urge our customers to do a thorough cleanup and disinfection of their car before taking them to our auto shop in Atlanta.
  • We encourage our customers to bring sanitizing wipes to clean the dashboard, gear shift, seat belt buckle, and steering wheel. You need to wipe before and after the servicing.
  • We would like our customers to disclose whether the car is used for ridesharing or not. While this will not affect whether or not we will service the car, it will be so our mechanics can take extra precautions if needed.

In order to make this stay-at-home order work, we need to cooperate from the businesses, citizens, and the government. Here at T3 Atlanta, it is our goal to provide the same quality of business to all our customers amidst the pandemic. Give us a call for top quality auto service today.

Filed Under: Auto Repair

The Pros and Cons of Electric Cars

February 18, 2020 by t3atlanta Leave a Comment

In the market for a new car? It’s very exciting, right? The idea that you will get a brand new car with all new features. But how much of the “new” do you want? Like, have you considered getting an electric car? The idea of driving a 100% electric-powered car is no longer a sci-fi trope. It’s here and it is taking the market by storm. But the big question is, should you even consider buying them?

That’s why we created this article to talk about the pros and cons of electric cars. Hopefully, by the end of the article you will have made up your mind on whether getting a brand-new electric car is for you or not.

Pros and Cons of Electric Cars

Before we list down the good and bad things about electric cars, I will have to remind you that this is not the penultimate list of pros and cons. I will try to limit them to the most important ones that can affect your decision as a new car buyer. Ready? Let’s start.

The Pros of Getting an Electric Car

  1. Getting an electric car is in a way, helping the environment. Overall, the carbon footprint of an electric car is much smaller compared to a car that runs on gas. It has zero emissions and most electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers these days are focusing on the use of eco-friendly materials for production. Some manufacturers incorporate green or bio-based materials into the interior and bodywork of the cars.
  2. An electric car is much cheaper to run and maintain. The energy required to cover a distance in an electric car costs much less than that of a similar car that runs on gas. An electric car also has less moving parts than regular gas or diesel cars. Because of this, you won’t need as much servicing and parts replacement as you use the vehicle. One thing to note is that a lot of electric cars need to have their batteries replaced as they wear out but most manufacturers give an 8-year warranty on their batteries so you should be covered.
  3. It’s a good investment. Now, if you don’t consider yourself a gearhead or a gadget freak then you won’t really mind what goes on your car. All you would like to know is whether it is a good investment or not. Experts believe that the resale price of an electric car will be much higher compared to a gas-powered car purchased on the same date. This is because more and more people will be buying into the electric car craze so regular cars will lose their values. So assuming you don’t care about new technology, an electric car will give you more bang for your buck in the long run.

The Cons of Getting and Electric Car

  1. Electric cars may be cheaper to run, but they are more expensive to buy. The upfront cost is one of the reasons why there aren’t as many people who are interested in getting an electric vehicle. For example, the cheapest Tesla electric car sits at around $35,000 without any add-ons. Compare that with the $23,000 average price of new regular midsize sedans in the US. It’s almost as if the electric vehicles were made for people with deeper pockets.
  2. Due to the nature of the car’s technology, an electric car can’t go long distances without asking for a refuel. Most electric cars have ranges anywhere from 60 to 120 miles per charge while more expensive models can go 300 miles. Regular cars can go 300 miles on one full tank on average. More, fuel-efficient cars get more than that. If you like to go on the road for long trips, this might be quite a bummer.
  3. Refueling can be such a pain. It’s fine if you live in a larger city with a couple charging stations available for you to use. But that is not the case in certain locations in the US. You might need to create a trip that revolves around the location of charging stations. Also, it is worth noting that electric cars take up to 8 hours to charge on regular chargers. Fast chargers take around 30 minutes to fill 80% of the battery’s capacity. So if you are always on the go, an electric car might not be for you.

So what do you think? Already made a choice? Just remember that day by day, the technology improves and this means the concerns you might have today might be solved tomorrow. However, for all your regular or electric vehicle concerns, you can call on T3 Atlanta to help you out. We service regular gas-powered vehicles and electric vehicles at our two convenient metro-area locations. Give us a call and we’ll be more than happy to pen you in for a quick check.

Filed Under: Car Tips

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In 1994, our founder, Charles Wright, wanted to leave the corporate/professional environment and start his own company. After months of reading business planning books, he decided to establish an auto service company. He recalled reading that auto repair people were the first or second least trusted group of people among service providers, and Charles wanted to provide Atlanta car owners with a trustworthy auto repair shop. He learned how the service business was structured, and opened T3 Atlanta to offer customers an affordable and efficient service company. To learn more about Lexus, Infiniti, Toyota, and Nissan auto repairs at T3 Atlanta, please contact our office!

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Our team consists of the best Lexus, Infiniti, Toyota, and Nissan technicians in the area. Every one of our award-winning, factory trained technicians can resolve a customer's vehicle problem. If you are experiencing problems with your vehicle, in most cases we can diagnose the issue free of charge. By offering discounted services to every customer 365 days a year, we do not need to offer specials to increase our clientele. We have an auto shop located in Smyrna, as well as Decatur/Scottdale, so owners can seek our mechanics’ assistance at one of our two convenient locations. Read More



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