OBD stands for “On Board Diagnostics,” and if your vehicle was built after 1996, then your car, SUV, or light truck has this system. It’s your car’s built-in computer, and its purpose is to monitor the major components of your vehicle’s engine, including emission controls. When there is a malfunction to the system, your dashboard… Read more »
Posts By: Central Avenue Automotive
The Real Cost of Ownership
Taking a look at a 2013 study provides some eye-opening data that may make you think twice about the kind of car you own, your driving habits, and whether you should shop around for auto insurance or the lowest gas prices. Different car types equal different costs AAA calculated the average costs for six different… Read more »
Why You Should Replace Old Tires
Tires can be pretty expensive, and the better you take care of them, the longer they will last. Still, tires do have a life expectancy, but what that lifespan is seems to be up for debate. Some think that six years is the magic number, even if the tires haven’t actually been used. When tires… Read more »
What You “Auto” Know About Cheap Oil Change
In the world of “you get what you pay for,” the cheapest price for an oil change is not always the best value. I would like to break down a $19.95 oil change advertisement that I recently heard on the radio. It said: “Our premium oil change and complete inspection for only $19.95.” This seems… Read more »
The Hazards of Running on Fumes
Are you one of those people who don’t put gas into your tank until it beeps a warning? Do you feel confident you can go several more miles before actually running out of gas? Do you make a game of “I think I can, I think I can,” meaning “I think I can get to… Read more »
How Your Check Engine Light Works
Have you ever had an experience like this in Kent WA? You drive through the one of those automatic car washes. When you get to the end, where the dryer is blowing, your check engine light started flashing! You fear the worst, but within a block or two, the light stopped flashing, but stayed on…. Read more »
The Benefits of Turbocharged Vehicles
Are you old enough to remember this? If you drove a 4-cylinder vehicle, you needed to get a running start up a hill or it seemed the car would never make it to the top. Honeywell Turbo Technologies is currently working with automotive manufacturers to give consumers an affordable, fuel-efficient, downsized turbocharged engine. The turbocharging… Read more »
How to Handle Distracted Driving
Remember way back when (it seems like a long time ago now) we worried about drivers being distracted by noise in the car from passengers, or when they looked away from the road to change the radio station? Then along came cell phones, texting, navigation tools, entertainment and even more sophisticated communication devices to cause… Read more »
Wipe Out! New Wiper Blades For Kent Drivers
When Kent car owners talk about vehicle safety, they think of tires and brakes. But do we think about our windshields? Isn’t the ability to see a prime safety factor when it comes to driving around WA? Yet we often don’t even notice our windshields until we can’t see through them, or until our wiper… Read more »
Exhaust Service at Central Avenue Automotive: Passing the Smell Test
The exhaust system on a vehicle is more complex than most Kent motorists realize. It contains everything from old-fashioned pipes and clamps to sophisticated computers and sensors. All WA folks know a properly functioning exhaust system is good for the environment, but sometimes we forget that a damaged exhaust system can be deadly. That’s why… Read more »
