Is Your Kent Driving Severe?

Posted by & filed under Service Intervals.

People near Kent WA often ask Central Avenue Automotive how often they should have a particular service done. It’s a great thing to ask. You can look at your owner’s manual, or have your Kent WA service advisor at Central Avenue Automotive look up your vehicle in a service database. What you find is often a surprise to people – there are actually two service schedules.

One is the regular schedule and the other is the severe service schedule. Service intervals are shorter on the severe service schedule. When asked, most folks in Kent WA will say that their driving is normal and that the ‘regular’ schedule probably applies to them. ‘Severe service’ sounds pretty extreme – ‘I don’t drive like that’.

Well, here is what the manufacturers say constitutes severe driving conditions; you can draw your own conclusions.

  • Most of your trips are less than four miles.
  • Most of your trips are less than ten miles and outside temperatures are below freezing.
  • The engine is at low speed most of the time – not on the highway. You operate your vehicle in dusty areas.
  • You regularly tow a trailer or carry heavy loads.
  • Drive with a car-top carrier.
  • Stop and go driving.
  • Driving in very hot or very cold weather.

If that’s severe driving, what constitutes regular driving? Well, it would look something like this: I live somewhere with moderate temperatures all year round – I’m thinking San Diego here. And I live close to a freeway on-ramp. Everywhere I need to go is right off the freeway, at least four miles from my home. I can drive at a steady 60 miles per hour when I’m on the freeway.

I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t sound like my normal driving. It sounds more like ideal conditions. I live where it gets hot in the summer and cold in the winter. I run short errands around Kent. Occasionally we load up for family trips.

For me, normal driving includes elements of severe service driving. So here’s what I tell people: think about how you drive, where you live, where you go and what you are expecting to with your vehicle in the near future.

Picture a line with ‘regular’ on one end and ‘severe’ on the other, and make a judgment on where you fall. If your regular oil change recommendation is 5,000 miles and the severe service recommendation is 3,000 – when should you change your oil? For me, it’s closer to 3,000 miles. For my wife, it’s closer to 5,000 miles. Your Kent WA auto service advisor at Central Avenue Automotive will be happy to have this discussion with you and help you sort it out.

Just a quick word on why severe service intervals are shorter. One has to do with heat. That can either be external heat from the weather or engine and transmission heat from stop and go driving or working extra hard moving heavy loads or towing. The heat causes the fluids like oil and transmission fluid to break down more quickly and then they aren’t as effective.

Another factor is water. Moisture naturally collects in fluids as they cool. In your motor oil, for example, if you don’t drive long enough for the oil to fully heat up, the water won’t evaporate. Water in the oil can lead to the buildup of damaging sludge.

If you live where the air is dusty or polluted, fluids will become contaminated and filters will get dirtier more quickly.

So make an honest evaluation of your driving conditions. You’ve made the commitment to take care of your vehicles, so it only makes sense to follow the right schedule.

How to Get Extended Battery Life

Posted by & filed under Battery.

Here’s an interesting statistic for our friends: Only thirty percent of car batteries make it to forty-eight months. And the life expectancy varies based on where you live. It ranges from fifty-one months in extremely cold areas to just thirty months in extremely hot climates.

Why is that? It turns out that it’s our modern cars with all their electric accessories that are to blame. Things like GPS, DVDs, and entertainment computers are keeping car batteries from maintaining a full charge. The longer a battery goes with a low charge, the sooner it’ll die.

battery replacement

In order to get extended battery life, you must recharge your battery. This is the job of the alternator. The problem often comes when the car’s demand for electricity is high and we are driving in stop-and-go conditions or short trips around Kent or Burton. The alternator just can’t keep up.

The result is shortened battery life. So what can we do to improve our battery’s health?

We need to keep the battery as close to a full charge as possible. That can be hard because sitting for just twenty-four hours in hot weather between charges can be too long. When the weather’s cold, sitting for several days will cause discharge.

So some highway driving between Federal Way or Kent will help keep a full charge if the battery has not been deeply depleted. Car batteries are not designed to be run down really low — or “deep cycled,” as it’s called. So using your headlights or other power accessories when the car is off can deeply deplete your battery. Using the alternator to recharge from a deeply depleted state is very hard on your battery because it charges too fast. In fact, on average, your battery would only last for ten recharges like that.

If you do find yourself with a dead battery or very low battery, use a good quality battery charger to slowly bring the battery up to full charge. Follow the instructions on the charger.

Because our batteries are so often at less than a full charge, experts suggest that we use a battery charger from time to time to keep the charge up. They recommend once a month during hot weather and once every three months during colder times.

Now, a word on safety. Batteries contain sulfuric acid that can severely burn your skin and could blind you. If you find yourself with a dead battery, carefully inspect it before you jump start it. If the case is bulging, cracked or leaking, do not jump start it. Damaged batteries can explode or catch fire.

Deeply discharged batteries can freeze. Do not jump start a frozen battery.

When you come see us, ask us about check engine light diagnostic, too.

Straight And True In Kent: Wheel Alignment

Posted by & filed under Alignment.

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Most Auburn folks worry about running out of gas or having a breakdown on the side of the road. That is why we practice preventive maintenance on our vehicles — that and to keep our repair bills down. But one important part of preventive maintenance that may get overlooked by Kent auto owners is a periodic alignment inspection.

Poor alignment causes tires to wear rapidly, unevenly or both. This means they will have to be replaced early, and new tires are more costly than an alignment check in Kent. Bad alignment can also cause damage to suspension and steering systems, which can be expensive to repair in Auburn.

Tire wear on misaligned wheels can also lead to blowouts, which are dangerous, can lead to serious accidents, and can seriously damage your SUV. Also, poor alignment itself can be the cause of an accident, since the SUV may not steer properly.

One or more wheels on your SUV can be knocked out of alignment by running over a curb or a pothole on a bumpy Kent street. An accident, even a minor one, that involves a wheel on your car can lead to misalignment. The small bumps and bangs of everyday Kent driving can also gradually put your wheels out of alignment.

If you have had wheel damage to your SUV, or if you suspect that your wheels are out of alignment, you should get your alignment checked NOW. Any Central Avenue Automotive tech will give you that piece of auto advice. But good car care suggests that you also get your alignment inspected on a regular basis. At Central Avenue Automotive in Kent, we can take care of that for you.

Your owner’s manual or Central Avenue Automotive technician can give you a suggestion on how often your alignment should be checked. If it doesn’t, then once a year is a good rule of thumb. However, if you drive a lot and especially if you drive on rough surfaces a lot, then you may want to consider an inspection more often. Ask your considerate technician for a recommendation.

If your SUV is out of alignment, one or more of the wheels is not tracking correctly and will “pull” against the others. Thus, one sign of poor alignment is that your SUV pulls to one side when you drive around Auburn. Also, if you are driving a straight path and your steering wheel is off-center, that usually indicates an alignment problem.

Kent car owners should also check the wear on their tires. If they seem to be wearing out too quickly, or if you notice that a tire is wearing on one side more than the other, you should get your alignment checked.

When you get a diagnostic examination, your vehicle will be put on a rack and all the parts of the steering and suspension systems will be inspected for wear or damage. The alignment of the tires will be charted and compared to the original factory settings. If no repairs are needed on the steering or suspension systems, the wheels will then be adjusted to bring them back into alignment.

This may seem like a lot of bother for Burton auto owners, but it’s a lot less trouble than a blowout or an accident. The old adage is good auto advice for all Kent residents: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

So keep on driving, and keep all four tires on the road.

Following Recommended Intervals For Your SUV

Posted by & filed under Maintenance.

If you’re reading this article in Kent, WA, then you probably care about your car and how it runs. Even though you care, there is still that moment of dread when your considerate Central Avenue Automotive tech tells you the manufacturer recommends some additional service. Your heart beats a little faster, your blood pressure rises. You worry about spending more money than you had planned. And you worry that if you say “no”, you might be harming your SUV or risking your family’s safety.

At the risk of sounding like your dad, you really should have done your homework. Service recommendations are in your owner’s manual. But it is not like you want to keep your SUV auto maintenance schedule on your nightstand for bedtime reading.

Cars are complicated machines and it takes some effort for Kent auto owners to keep them running well. That is why auto makers have maintenance schedules that explain how to keep your SUV performing efficiently and prevent pricey breakdowns. In a typical owners manual you’ll find: oil change, brake fluid and pad change, coolant system service, transmission service, battery electrolyte levels, cables and terminals, tire pressure and wear, CV boots, cabin air filter, air conditioning, heater, fuel filter, air filter, belts and hoses, power steering fluid, differential service, fuel system cleaning, and wheel alignment. And then there are mechanical service requirements like timing belt changes, valve adjustment, steering function, engine and exhaust leaks – yeah, it is a really long list!

Fortunately, this isn’t a test: Kent car owners don’t need to have it memorized. Your considerate Central Avenue Automotive service advisor has access to your car maker’s recommendations. Don’t be surprised when your technician at Central Avenue Automotive reminds you something essential is due. Your auto maker has taken great care in putting together your maintenance schedule. Let Central Avenue Automotive help you stay on top of vital maintenance. You can expect them to suggest recommended services and tell you what problems they find under the hood. We’ll also explain how urgent these services are so you can work them into your budget.

The Maintenance-Free Myth

Posted by & filed under Maintenance.

There’s a segment of the population that’s not committed to proper vehicle maintenance. Mistaken perceptions have crept into the WA area over time. Many motorists think the root lies in the fact that modern cars are so reliable. Reliability has improved dramatically in recent years. Quality surveys report fewer problems with new cars than ever before. This leads to the idea that certain cars are “maintenance-free.”

Back when cars spent more time in the repair shop, drivers were more mindful of routine service. Now, it’s much easier to put it off.

maintenance-free myth

Take tune-ups, for example. In the days of mechanical ignition systems, an engine needed to be tuned-up every couple of years. The ignition points had to be replaced, spark plugs and coils replaced and the timing adjusted. If your engine was out of tune, you knew it. It ran poorly and got bad fuel economy.

Now, the ignition system in your SUV is electronic and controlled by the engine management computer. Spark plugs rarely get fouled and will last for as much as a hundred thousand miles. So tune-ups used to force you into the shop for service, and while you were there, you just took care of whatever else was on the list.

Also, in recent years, a large percentage of new cars have been leased. These folks plan on turning the car in after two or three years, so they haven’t focused on the maintenance that helps your car last longer.

Given all that, what’s the benefit to keeping up with factory scheduled maintenance? Well, your SUV will perform better and return better fuel economy.

Those benefits pay for themselves as they go along. The big plus is that major repairs are prevented. And these aren’t just repairs that are a long ways off. Modern SUV engines are far more sophisticated and have many parts that are in critical need of proper lubrication. Missing just one oil change can allow oil sludge to start forming. Sludge clogs small engine passages, robbing parts of the lubrication they need. An expensive failure could easily occur within two or three years.

Modern engines require more sophisticated fluids. Because of the different types of materials that are used to make auto parts, things like aluminum, plastics and steel, different types of additives are required to protect automotive components from corrosion. These additives deplete with time as well as with use.

For example, your SUV engine coolant could actually become so corrosive that it eats holes in your radiator or other cooling system parts. Of course, that could lead to massive engine damage, all for the want of replacing the coolant on schedule.

Taking care of the little things now prevents big problems later. At Central Avenue Automotive, we have been taking care of all those little things for 20 years. Your SUV still needs to be taken care of – it’s just that some of those points of care have changed with automotive advancements. The need for proper maintenance did not go away. Remember — there’s no such thing as maintenance-free.

Photo Credit: Tino Rossini

Are There Blind Spots In Kent WA?

Posted by & filed under Automotive News.


All Kent car owners have blind spots – and no, I’m not talking about the fact that you really don’t sing like Adele. I mean the areas of the road that you can’t see when you’re driving around Kent.

First let’s talk about our own blinds spots, and then we can talk about others…

To begin, we can greatly reduce blind spots by properly adjusting our mirrors to give the widest coverage possible. Make the adjustments in your SUV before you start to drive.

First, Kent drivers should adjust their rear view mirrors to give the best possible view directly to the rear of their SUV. Auburn folks don’t need it to get a better view of either side of the car, the kids in the back seat or their dazzling smile. It’s pretty simple, the rear view mirror should reflect the rear.

Next, lean your head until it almost touches the driver’s side window. Adjust your side mirror so that you can just barely see the side of your car. Now, lean your head to the middle of the car and adjust the outside mirror so that you can barely see the right side of the car.

When Kent drivers adjust their mirrors this way, they’ll have maximum coverage. Of course driving is a dynamic process – things change every second on Auburn roads and busy interstates. So it’s wise to take a quick look to the side when passing to make sure that another SUV hasn’t moved into an area you couldn’t see in your mirrors.

Depending on the kind of vehicle you drive (SUV?), you may still have some blind spots. All vehicles have an area behind them that’s blind when backing up. The bigger the vehicle, the bigger the blind spot. A pick-up or SUV can hide a small child – an RV, bus or tractor-trailer can hide an entire vehicle. So be careful out there on our Auburn streets and in your driveway at your Kent home!

As you drive around the Auburn area, avoid staying in other drivers’ blind spots. You can’t count on them to be watching their mirrors and looking out for you.

Let’s talk about safely sharing our WA roads with heavy trucks and buses. In crashes involving a truck and car, the driver of the car is to blame for about 40 percent of the accidents. But 78 percent of the fatalities are with the car. The laws of physics are against the smaller vehicle, so it is vital for Kent car owners to take extra precautions around trucks and buses.

Heavy vehicles have huge blind spots: to the rear, on both sides and up front. They also can’t maneuver like a car. They take twice as long to stop and need twice as much space as you do in your SUV or other type of car. You need to keep wide margins when driving around one of these big rigs on Auburn area expressways.

Here are some tips for passing a heavy vehicle in the Auburn area:

Avoid the blind spots. If you can’t see the Kent car owners’s face in one of his mirrors or in a window, he cannot see you!

Don’t follow too close. If you can’t see one of the truck’s mirrors, you’re too close.

Make sure there is plenty of room to pass. Trucks are long and take time to get around. If you’re on one of our local Kent, WA two-lane highways, wait for a passing zone.

Don’t linger when passing. Because the blind spots are so big on the sides, you want to get through them quickly. If you can’t pass quickly, drop back.

Pass on the left whenever possible. A trucks’ blind spot is much larger on the right.

Be attentive and wear your seat belt while driving anywhere around Kent, even for short drives. Don’t be aggressive when driving around trucks. Because of their size, they appear to be going slower than they really are. Cutting it short around a truck could be disastrous.

Use your turn signals when starting to pass. Once you can see the full truck in your rear view mirror, it’s safe to signal and move over. It’s critical not to cut it short or slow quickly when you pull in front of a truck.

Be careful passing a truck at an intersection in Kent. Trucks need to turn wide to maneuver through Kent streets. Squeezing between a truck and the curb could put your car in your Kent body shop or Central Avenue Automotive. Look for the truck’s turn signals.

The team of automotive professionals at Central Avenue Automotive want you to watch those blind spots – but feel free to sing in the shower all you want.

Central Avenue Automotive
We’re on 1514 Central Ave S Ste A in Kent, WA (98032)
Call us to make an appointment at 253.854.6762.

What to Know About Battery Replacement

Posted by & filed under Battery.

Today’s focus is battery replacement. It seems like everything in Kent runs on batteries. Of course, the batteries we’re most concerned with here at Central Avenue Automotive are those in our customer’s vehicles. Just like the batteries in our smoke detectors or TV remote, car batteries wear out and need to be replaced. There are a couple of things drivers should know when looking for a new battery.

Look for two measurements that come into play: cold cranking amps and reserve capacity.

battery replacement

Let’s start with cold cranking amps. This can be thought of as the power output used to start a cold SUV engine. The number of cold cranking amps you need depends on your vehicle and where you live in WA, specifically how cold it is. (Many WA motorists have first-hand experience trying to start their car on a cold winter morning). The two factors are that the colder your SUV’s engine is, the more power it takes to turn the engine over to get it started. It has all that cold, sluggish oil to contend with.

The other factor is that the chemical reaction in the battery that creates electrical energy is less efficient when the temperature dips. At Central Avenue Automotive, we consult the table shown below. Let’s say it’s eighty degrees Fahrenheit. At that temperature, 100% of the battery’s power is available. At freezing, only 65% of battery power is available, but it requires 155% as much power to start the engine as it did at eighty degrees.

As you can see from the chart, the colder it gets, more power’s needed, but the available power drops.

Percent of Power Available Celsius Fahrenheit Power Required
100 27 80 100
65 0 32 155
40 -22 0 210
25 -32 20 350

 

So if you live where it’s cold in WA, you need a battery with more cold cranking amps than you do where it’s moderate or hot. The battery that originally came with your SUV was based on averages. At Central Avenue Automotive, we like to remind Kent motorists that they should always get at least as many cold cranking amps as their manufacturers recommend, but may want to upgrade if they live where it gets real cold.

And the type of engine you have will impact the battery you need: A six-cylinder engine requires more cold cranking amps than a four. An eight cylinder needs even more. And diesel SUVs require more than a gasoline engine with the same number of cylinders.

Now on to reserve capacity: It’s a measurement of the number of minutes of reserve power the battery has at a given load. The number is more important to Kent motorists these days because of parasitic drain. Parasitic drain is the battery energy that’s used when the key is off in your SUV. So, the power drawn by the security system, the remote start system, even the power the computers require to maintain their memory.

Reserves are also needed when you make very short trips around Kent. You’re not driving long enough for the battery to recover the energy it used to start the engine. So go with the minimum recommended by your manufacturer or Central Avenue Automotive and upgrade if you need more.

Talk with us at Central Avenue Automotive about your options. If you need more from your battery, a larger, heavy-duty battery may be called for. At Central Avenue Automotive in Kent, we remind our customers that it’s very important that the new battery fits your SUV: the terminals can’t be touching other parts.

Batteries are a big ticket item for most WA motorists, so the warranty gives piece of mind. There’re two kinds of car battery warranties: pro-rated and free replacement. With the pro-rated, you get a credit for a portion of the battery if it fails during the warranty period. With a free replacement warranty, you get just that, a free replacement. Be sure to ask us at Central Avenue Automotive about the warranty so you know what you’re getting.

Photo Credit: AndyArmstrong via Compfight cc

Tire Rotation and Balancing at Central Avenue Automotive in Kent

Posted by & filed under Tires and Wheels.

Tires do a lot of essential work for Kent drivers. They transfer engine power and braking forces to the road; they handle steering control; and they cushion all those bumps and jolts while driving around Kent. They also support the entire weight of the vehicle, including you and your passengers. With such vital work to do, you want your tires to do their job well. And since replacing tires is fairly costly, you want them to last as long as possible.

There are three keys to long, even tire wear for Kent drivers:

  • Proper tire inflation
  • Proper wheel alignment
  • Regular tire rotation and balancing

The front tires on a car take the brunt of the steering forces. As they push through turns, the shoulders of the front tires wear down more quickly than the rear tires. Rotating front and rear tires allows them to all wear at about the same rate. That’s especially true of front wheel drive vehicles whose front tires steer, and put the power to the road.

SUVs and pick-ups, especially four wheel drives, also tend to wear their tires more unevenly than cars because of their suspension and drivetrain set-up. Your owner’s manual will likely contain a schedule for tire rotation. It’s usually every 5,000 miles or so.

Also, there are different rotation patterns for different vehicles. Central Avenue Automotive will know which is right for your vehicle. That brings us to wheel balancing. When wheels are balanced, they spin on the axle evenly. When they are out of balance, they wobble a bit. That makes the tires wear unevenly and may transmit a vibration to the car. Your considerate Central Avenue Automotive tech puts weights on your wheels to balance them out so that they turn true and smooth.

Tires are a big investment for Kent auto owners. They’re essential for keeping you safely on the road in Kent. The cost for regular rotation and balancing is more than made up in extended tire life. And, can you really put a price on your safety and that of your passengers?

Proper PCV Valve Service

Posted by & filed under Engine.

Today, we are talking about your PCV valve. The PCV Valve is a little, inexpensive part that does a big job for your car. PCV stands for Positive Crankcase Ventilation.

The crankcase is the bottom area of the engine that holds the oil. When the SUV engine’s running, fuel is burned to generate power. Most of the exhaust from combustion goes out through the exhaust system. But some exhaust blows by the pistons and goes into the lower engine, or crankcase.

pcv valve


These hot gases are about seventy percent unburned fuel. This can dilute and contaminate the oil, leading to damaging engine oil sludge. It can also cause SUV engine corrosion, something we see occasionally at Central Avenue Automotive. At high speeds on Washington freeways, the pressure can build up to the point that gaskets and seals start to leak.

Back in the old days, car makers simply installed a hose that vented these gases out into the atmosphere. But starting in the 1964 model year, environmental protection laws required that these gases be recycled back into the air intake system to be mixed with fuel and burned in the car or SUV’s engine.

This is much better for air quality and improves fuel economy, as well (budget-conscious drivers take note!). The PCV valve lets gases out of the engine, but won’t let anything back in. Over time, the vented gases will gum up the PCV valve and it won’t work well. That can lead to all of the problems I’ve already described, oil leaks, excessive oil consumption, and decreased fuel economy.

Fortunately, it’s very easy to test the PCV Valve and  it’s quick and inexpensive to replace. Even so, it’s often overlooked because many Kent drivers don’t know about it. Check your SUV owner’s manual or ask your Central Avenue Automotive service adviser. If this is the first time you’ve heard of a PCV valve, you might be in line for a replacement.

There’s another aspect to the PCV system. In order for the valve to work correctly, it needs a little clean air to come in. This is done through a breather tube that gets some filtered air from the engine air filter. Some vehicles have a small separate air filter for the breather tube called the breather element. That’ll need to be replaced at Central Avenue Automotive when it gets dirty.

Please ask your considerate Kent service adviser about your PCV valve. For the price of a couple of burger combo meals, you can avoid some very pricey engine repairs.

Automobile Fluids For Your SUV

Posted by & filed under Fluids.

If you’ve walked through the automotive fluids of an auto parts store in Auburn, you’ll know how overwhelming the sheer number of products available can be. How do you know what’s right for your vehicle?

As you know, these fluids all serve a function in making your car run as you drive around the Auburn area. Your vehicle manufacturer has specified a particular type of fluid for every system from the motor, to the cooling system, brake fluid and so on. When you realize that not every variation is applicable to your vehicle, the task becomes more manageable.

First let’s talk about why there are so many varieties. Starting with motor oil, we see that manufacturers match the properties of a particular weight or type of oil with the design needs of the engine. For example, engines with sophisticated valve trains often require a thinner weight of oil.

Some vehicles around Auburn come from the factory filled with synthetic oil and the recommendation to use it for life. The safe bet is to always use what the factory recommends. The recommendation is what’s been proven to work in function and durability tests. The recommended oil is also a factor in determining oil change interval schedules.

Kent WA Auto Fluids A good quality oil has more additives that are engineered to clean and protect the engine. They cost a bit more, but are worth the extra protection. If you buy budget oil, you might want to consider shortening your oil change interval.

Sometimes fluids are developed specifically to meet the needs of a particular family of engines. An example would be coolant. Because of the different materials used to build the cooling system, the coolant has to be formulated to protect those parts, which vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, from corrosion. We’ve seen special coolant in Auburn for General Motors, Volkswagen, Chrysler and others.

The same is true of transmission fluid and brake fluid in recent years.

The really good news is that your Auburn service center has databases that tell them the recommended fluids for your vehicle. This takes all the guess work out. If you have some special needs, like a higher mileage engine or want enhanced performance, ask your service advisor for upgrades or additives that’ll meet your needs while being consistent with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Of course, your full-service oil change will top off your fluids. But it’s a good idea to have some of everything at home in case you need to top something off yourself or to take on a trip. Ask your Auburn service advisor at Central Avenue Automotive or check your owner’s manual for fluid specifications.

It’s important to know that there are national warranty laws that say that a manufacturer cannot require you to use their brand of fluid to maintain your warranty. That said, there are two things that may affect your warranty.

Using the wrong type of fluid may void the warranty. Going back to radiator coolant, the correct type protects against corrosion and the wrong type will not. So it’s important to be right.

Also some warranty protections are conditioned on taking care of scheduled preventive maintenance. Please review your warranty if you have questions.