Car or truck giving you problems?

Auto Mechanic in Rio Grande City, TX

Family owned since 1997. Auto electrical, A/C, brakes and diagnostics for cars, trucks and fleets across Starr County.

Call (956) 487-2143 See what we fix

Rey and Ana Cavazos, owners of Rio Auto Electric, standing beside a heavy duty truck at their Rio Grande City shop — **Rey and Ana Cavazos**Owners, working the same shop since 1997

The Rio Auto Electric sign lit up at night on West Main Street

Rey and Ana CavazosFamily owned since 1997

Electrical specialists12V and 24V, plus full repair

Cars, trucks and fleetsAmbulances to classics

All of Starr CountyRoma to Sullivan City

What we work on

Electrical is the specialty. Brakes, engines, cooling and A/C are the rest of the job, handled under the same roof.

The hand painted 12V and 24V alternator sign on the side of the Rio Auto Electric building

That sign has been on the wall a long time

Rey and Ana Cavazos opened Rio Auto Electric in 1997 and have run it from the same building on West Main ever since. The alternator painted on the side is not decoration. It is what people drove in for then and it is still what they drive in for now.

Rio Grande City is small enough that a shop lives or dies on whether people trust it. That is the whole business plan, and it has worked for almost thirty years.

More about the shop

Work that came through the bay

Every photo is a real job on West Main, not stock photography.

Rey Cavazos load testing an alternator on the shop bench

Restored 1950s Chevrolet pickup in for custom wiring work

Servicing a Starr County emergency vehicle in the yard

Custom LED headlight fitted to a classic truck

Engine bay diagnostics on a customer vehicle

Dash and cab wiring pulled apart on a work truck

MG Midget engine bay during a classic electrical repair

Scan tool connected to a Ford pickup for a check engine light

Starter removal from underneath a vehicle on jack stands

ABS control module pulled for bench testing

Two jobs we get called for by name

Rey Cavazos servicing a Starr County Memorial Hospital ambulance at Rio Auto Electric

Fleet and heavy duty

Ambulances, shuttle buses, work trucks and tractors. Upfit wiring, emergency lighting and 24-volt starting and charging systems that most general shops are not equipped to test.

Fleet service

Custom LED headlight installed on a restored classic Chevrolet pickup at Rio Auto Electric

Classic and custom wiring

Full harnesses, 6-volt to 12-volt conversions, LED upgrades and untangling forty years of somebody else's splices. Slow work, and the part of the job we enjoy most.

Classic wiring

What you can expect

Tested, not guessed

We still run a bench for starters and alternators. You replace the part that actually failed.

Quoted before we start

You get the diagnosis and a price first. If we find something else mid job, we call you.

Explained in your language

Se habla español. Nobody should have to follow a repair explanation in a second language.

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Repair guides

Plain explanations of the problems we get asked about most, written by the people who fix them.

All repair guides

Towns we serve

We are on West Main in Rio Grande City, and most of Starr County is inside a twenty minute drive.

Full service area and drive times

Rio Grande CityThe shop is here
RomaAbout 15 minutes west
La GrullaAbout 15 minutes east
GarciasvilleAbout 20 minutes east
EscobaresAbout 10 minutes west
Starr CountyAnd the rest of the county

Common questions

Where is Rio Auto Electric located?

We are at 400 W Main St in Rio Grande City, Texas 78582, open Monday through Thursday from 9 AM to 5 PM, closed Friday to Sunday. We serve Rio Grande City, Roma, La Grulla, Garciasville and the rest of Starr County.

What makes an auto electric shop different from a regular mechanic?

Most general repair shops are set up to replace parts. Electrical faults require tracing a circuit to find where it actually fails, which needs wiring diagrams, test equipment and the patience to follow a wire. We have specialized in automotive electrical since 1997, and it is why other shops send us the problems they could not solve.

Do you work on heavy trucks and fleet vehicles?

Yes. We service 12-volt and 24-volt systems on ambulances, shuttle buses, work trucks and tractors, in addition to passenger cars and pickups.

Do you speak Spanish?

Yes. Se habla español. Rio Auto Electric has served this community since 1997 and you are welcome to talk to us in whichever language you prefer.

Got a problem nobody else could figure out?

That is usually when people call us. Tell us what the vehicle is doing and we will tell you straight whether we can help.

Call (956) 487-2143 Directions and hours