Category: Auto Body Blog

Has this ever happened to you? You start your car normally, you get out on the road, and suddenly the engine surges, causing your vehicle to abruptly speed up and buck. This can be a dangerous problem, and one that you should fix or bring to our auto body shop in Seattle as soon as you can manage. Unfortunately, there are many potential causes for engine misfires, including the following:

• Your Cooling System isn’t Working: Check for problems in your radiator fluid, your coolant, your fan belt, your thermostat, or anything else that might cause your engine to overheat.
• Your Ignition Timing is Malfunctioning: Check to see if your timing needs an adjustment.
• Your Fuel-Pressure is Too Low: Look for problems in either your fuel pump or your fuel pressure regulator.
• You Have an Ignition Problem: The culprit may be your starter, your starter solenoid, your ignition coil, your distributor cap, your distributor rotor, or your spark plugs.
• Your Torque Converter is Locking: If you have an automatic transmission, check to see that your converter is properly in place.
• Your Fuel Injectors or Fuel Filter is Clogged: When your fuel injectors or filter become completely clogged, it can cause your engine to fail. Try changing your filter and cleaning your injectors.
• There is a Leak in Your Vacuum Line: Inspect your vacuum line to see if it needs to be replaced.
• Your EGR Valve is Stuck: When your EGR valve refuses to close, your engine can surge. Check to see that it is opening and closing properly.
• Your Drive Axles are Faulty: Inspect your CV joints for signs of damage.
• You Have Internal Engine Trouble: Look at your compression to determine the condition of your engine.

The cold season is rapidly approaching. Here in the Northwest, this means rain, snow, slippery roads, biting cold, and early nightfall. In short, this is far and away the worst season for driving. With this in mind, our auto body shop in Seattle has prepared the following advice to help assure that you and your car get through the winter intact.

First of all, get your proper maintenance, equip your car with an emergency kit, and keep your car filled with gasoline. Your chances of getting stranded out on the road are all the greater in the winter, and you’re likely to encounter far fewer people to help you. Should you end up stranded, resist the urge to seal up your car and crank your heater to fight the cold while you sleep. This is a good way to succumb to carbon monoxide poisoning, which is lethal. And if you end up in a wreck, bring your car down to Greenwood Collision; we’ll have you back on the road in no time!

Your timing belt is a very important and often overlooked part of your engine. Without a properly functioning belt, your engine will simply fail to run. Our auto body shop in Seattle can check up on your belt as part of your regular maintenance, but you may occasionally need to replace this belt ahead of schedule. Be on the lookout for the following signs that your belt is in need of a change:

• Problems Starting: If you have trouble starting up your engine, the timing belt may be to blame.
• Excess Emissions: When your belt falls out of synchronization, the problem may manifest in your exhaust valve. This leads to excessive exhaust emissions in your exhaust pipe.
• Overheating and Leaking: If your engine has been prone to overheating or fluid leaks, these may be inflicting damage on your timing belt. You’ll want to fix whatever is causing your overheating or leaking problems, and then check to make sure your belt is holding up.
• Abrupt Changes in Noise: Sometimes you may notice that your car’s engine isn’t making the same sound it usually makes. This can be caused by a faulty belt.

Taking your car in for maintenance and repairs at our auto body shop in Seattle is a good way to keep up the resale value of your vehicle. However, there is no way to completely prevent the gradual decline of your investment. There are many factors that will chip away at a car’s value over time, one of which is the mileage.

Mileage is a big factor for people buying a used car. Unfortunately, the specifics of how mileage affects a price are not cut and dry. The general rule of thumb is that a car should accrue roughly ten thousand miles every year. If your car has significantly more mileage on it than it should for its age, this can be taken as an indication of additional wear and tear. You can therefore expect to drop the price by a few hundred dollars when trying to sell your car.

Obviously, it can be difficult to reign in your driving if you have a particularly strong need for your car. It therefore pays to focus on the factors that you can control. With that in mind, always remember to bring your car in for appropriate maintenance and repairs with Greenwood Collision in Seattle.

Every hour in the US, approximately thirty-three cars catch fire. This can be a frightening and costly experience, particularly since many insurance plans do not cover fires. Fortunately, with the following tips from our auto body shop in Seattle, you can work to defend yourself against automotive fires and reign in the potential damage in the event that your engine goes up in flames.

• Keep your car in good working condition, bringing it in for regular maintenance once a year.
• Look out for the smell of burning rubber or plastic. This is a sign that you should pull over and investigate.
• Most fires are the result of a faulty fuel line or fuel pipe. If you suspect that there might be a leak in your gas or oil, lay out a newspaper under your car overnight and check it for stains in the morning.
• If you catch fire out on the road, calmly signal and move to the right shoulder or lane. Shut off the engine and get everyone out of the vehicle.
• A miniature fire extinguisher can be a good addition to your car’s emergency kit.

Do you ever feel like you could take on some of your own auto maintenance? Indeed, while there are many jobs that you will likely need to turn to our auto bodyshop in Seattle for, there are also plenty of tasks that even the least engine-savvy driver can shoulder. All you need is the right set of tools, and you should be able to tackle many of your routine (and a few of your not-so-routine) maintenance and repair jobs by yourself. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Screwdrivers: A good set of screwdrivers goes a long way. At the very least, it’s good to have a medium-sized flat head and a medium-sized Phillips head, but a complete range of sizes can be a boon for many repair jobs.
• Pliers: These tools are valuable for manipulating metal parts and cutting wires. You can find them in sets, including expandable combination pliers, wire cutters, and needle-nose pliers.
• Wrenches: When looking for a set of wrenches, you want to look at your car’s manufacturer. This will tell you whether you want a metric set or an SAE set. In addition to conventional wrenches, it also pays to have a set of allen wrenches for most modern cars.
• Ratchets: Though ratchets and wrenches do a lot of the same jobs, there are times when one works better than the other. As with wrenches, you’ll want to check to see if you need a metric or an SAE set.
• Jack and Stands: If you want to work under your car, you’ll need a jack and at least two stands. Be sure that the jack is up to the task of supporting your vehicle.

Not every mechanic is as honest as our auto bodyshop in Seattle. Indeed, mechanics have a certain reputation for padding your bill. Unscrupulous mechanics are in a minority, of course, but they’re still something you want to keep an eye out for, particularly if you are either elderly or a woman.

Though it can be hard to measure such things, evidence has indicated that mechanics are more likely to overcharge women and the elderly. To defend yourself against this, there are several measures you can take. First and foremost, it pays to send the message that you are at least somewhat auto-savvy; do a little research on automotive fundamentals, and try to diagnose your own problem before you go into the shop. If you are able to discuss your repair needs intelligently and knowledgeably, your mechanic is more likely to see you as a peer and less likely to think they could get away with dishonest behavior.

Secondly, if you have the luxury, try getting two written estimates for parts and labor. Make it clear that you have another option available; when businesses need to compete for your money, you come out on top.

The point of an engine flush is to clean out the inside of your engine, breaking up deposits of sludge that can gather over time. It’s a good thing to have done if you require it, but the unfortunate truth is that many mechanics will try to pad your bill by conducting a flush that you do not actually need. It is for this reason that, should you ever find yourself needing to rely on a mechanic you don’t trust as much as our auto bodyshop in Seattle, you should be aware of how to tell when you need an engine flush.

A modern engine does not need to be flushed as part of its regular maintenance. In fact, you probably don’t need a flush unless you’ve really been neglecting your car. You can get a sense of the state of your engine by taking a look in your oil-filter lid, but if you’ve been taking good care of your engine you probably won’t find much. Talk to a trusted mechanic if you require any further information.