Wet Weather Affects Your Brake Fluid

Posted by & filed under Brakes, Fluids.

The dangerous thing for cars in western Washington, particularly Seattle and south King County, is that the area is built on multiple hills. Drivers are using their brakes all the time to climb a lot of hills and that’s really tough on the car. The car is working hard to climb a really steep hill, and then on the other side you’re using your brakes 10 or 15 times to go down a hill that’s only two miles long. Your brake fluid needs to be in good shape to handle that kind of stress.

Unfortunately, one of the properties of brake fluid is that it absorbs moisture in wet weather.

Wet Weather and Brake Fluid
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Brake fluid will absorb moisture to the point to where it is made up of brake fluid and water. Water has a boiling point that is a lot less than brake fluid. So as you’re going downhill and you’re holding your foot on the brake, your brake operating temperature may reach 500, 600, 700, even 800 degrees. Water boils at just a little over 200 degrees. So we’ve got boiling brake fluid.

When brake fluid boils, it turns into vapors. You can’t compress a vapor the same way that you can fluid. Fluid doesn’t compress, but a vapor will compress. So you’re pushing on your brake pedal and all of a sudden it goes to the floor. Now you’re going down a hill, and you have no brakes. All of this could have been avoided by changing the brake fluid.

If you live in Arizona and other drier climates, you can get away with not changing your brake fluid for 5, 6, 7, or 8 years. In Washington, if you go a couple of years, you’re going to start having some serious brake problems by not changing the fluid.

That’s probably the biggest shock to people who move to Washington: keeping up with air conditioning service along with brake fluid service. Those are big differences between whether you’re from Southern California or Nevada where the climate is typically a lot drier.

Another thing that we get a lot of is rain. When it rains here and the roads are wet, a lot of moisture enters the vehicle. It finds little crevices, the breathing vents and stuff, and enters into the fluid. It’s really common for us to service a rear differential on a truck or on a full size car and pull the fluid out to find the fluid looks like chocolate milk when it is supposed to look like vegetable oil.

The reason for this is that the fluid absorbed all this moisture in our air and on our roads, and has contaminated the fluid. When the fluid is contaminated, it loses its lubrication properties. Then all of a sudden you start to do damage to hard parts on the car.

Contaminated fluid and faulty air conditioning are the two most common problems with a moist climate that we see at our shop.

Synthetic Oil For Kent Autos

Posted by & filed under Maintenance.

If you aren’t currently using synthetic motor oil in your Kent vehicle, maybe now’s the time to consider it. Need more information? Well, synthetic motor oil is a substitute for petroleum based oil.

Synthetic oil doesn’t gel or gum-up like petroleum based oil and it doesn’t vaporize as easily. It protects better in severe driving conditions like stop and go driving around Kent, as well as in very hot or very cold conditions. More and more new vehicles are being delivered with full synthetic motor oil; with the recommendation to use synthetic for the life of the vehicle.

Why is this? Synthetic motor oil maximizes engine power and fuel economy. To see why; we’d need a microscope, so we’ll have to settle for using our imaginations.

The molecules of conventional motor oil are long hydrocarbon chains. Synthetic motor oil, on the other hand, has uniform, round molecules. Which is more slippery, a pile of pencils or a pile of marbles?

Synthetic motor oil lubricates better because there’s less friction. That means better wear protection, cooler operating temperatures, more power and better fuel economy. And synthetic oil doesn’t sludge up like conventional oil, so it prevents those small oil passages from clogging up.

Some manufacturers are extending oil change intervals. The added protection of synthetic oil covers you for these longer intervals. Talk with your service advisor about how you drive and see if he thinks you can benefit from synthetic oil. Also ask about the appropriate oil change interval for synthetic, because it may very well be longer than for conventional oil.

Most of us here in Kent have a busy life and might occasionally miss an oil change; go ahead admit it. Since we’re not perfect, doesn’t it make sense to use a motor oil that’s got your back?

Now synthetic oil costs more. But it lasts longer, protects better and increases fuel economy. You’ll likely save money in the long run. If you’re serious about making your car last longer, start using synthetic motor oil right away.

Give us a call at 253.854.6762 to schedule an oil change, or visit us at our Central Avenue Automotive website.

Using Proper Fluids In Your SUV Or Other Vehicle

Posted by & filed under Fluids.

Today Central Avenue Automotive is talking about the proper fluids for your vehicle. It’s become more complicated with changes in automotive design and manufacturing. It’s not that people in WA are confused as much as they don’t realize how much things have changed in recent years.

If you have questions about the fluids in your vehicle, please don’t hesitate to stop by Central Avenue Automotive. You can find us on 1514 Central Ave S Ste A in Kent, WA 98032.
Just give us a call at 253.854.6762

Let’s take engine oil. Twenty or thirty years ago, there were just a handful of different weights of oil. The weight of an oil is a scientific measure of its properties, particularly its viscosity or thickness.

It was common in those days to use a lighter weight oil in the winter when it’s cold outside. That way the oil would be able to splash around inside the engine and protect the parts before it was fully warmed up. And a heavier weight oil would be used in the summer. The thicker oil wouldn’t thin out too much in the summer heat and vaporize in the engine.

Modern valve trains have become very complicated with more moving parts and small passages than ever before. The valve train is in the top of the engine, so when the car has been turned off for a while, the oil tends to run down to lower areas and the valve train parts are vulnerable at start-up, before the oil starts circulating.

So new weights of oil have been introduced to meet the engineering specifications of these newer engines.

Manufacturers are recommending specific weights of oil. The recommendation is often printed on the oil fill cap. It’s certainly in the owner’s manual. Of course, your Kent WA auto service center can look it up for you.

It’s more important than ever to have the correct weight of oil. The wrong weight could actually harm the engine.

Other fluids are also becoming more sophisticated. In the last few years new types of transmission, power brake fluid and coolant have all been introduced for some of the same reasons as for engine oil.

In addition, vehicle manufacturers are now using a wider variety of materials in these systems. Looking at the cooling system as an example, it used to be that the parts were all made out of steel or iron and the hoses were rubber. Now, some parts are plastic, aluminum or other materials.

So the anti-corrosion additives contained in the coolant, or anti-freeze, need to be different in order to protect the different materials used to make the cooling system. If you use the wrong coolant that wasn’t formulated to protect your plastic cooling system parts, they could become corroded and fail. And if you’re using the wrong coolant, your cooling system won’t be covered under warrantee. So it’s important to use the right coolant and to not mix different types.

Your owner’s manual or your Kent WA service advisor at Central Avenue Automotive can make sure you’re using the right type. You may have heard of universal coolant. Universal, or global, coolant can be added to other types without harmful reactions. That’s OK for an emergency top off, but following your manufacturer’s recommendation for your SUV or other auto type is always a safe bet.

In the area of brake fluid, there are a couple of new formulations. It’s important to remember that the new ones aren’t better than the old ones. They’re just different formulations for different vehicles. So if your vehicle calls for DOT 3, using DOT 4 or DOT 5 is not an upgrade. Use the recommended formula.

There are fluid formulations for vehicles with higher mileage. These are special engine oil, transmission fluid, and so on that contain additives to condition and restore seals and gaskets in older engines.

They’re fine to use as long as they’re a variant of the proper fluid. In other words you can use a high mileage engine oil as long as it’s also the correct weight recommended by the manufacturer. Same goes for transmission fluid; as long as it’s the right type for your transmission.

Winter Advice for Air Conditioning Maintenance

Posted by & filed under Air Conditioning, Cabin Air Filter, Dashboard.

Our auto shop is located in Kent, Washington, where it tends to be wet and cooler than in some other areas of America. If someone were to move here from a hot, dry climate, there are some maintenance areas that need more attention because of the difference in conditions.

Probably the most important thing for someone who moves to western Washington to understand is that it doesn’t really rain here every day of the year. We have seasons. Having seasons with temperature and weather changes can really affect cars.

Air Conditioning Maintenance

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When we go from hot to cold or from cold to hot, we always have a run of vehicles that won’t start. It’s because batteries can fail during temperature changes. It takes a whole lot less power to start a car when it’s hot outside than it does when it’s cold. This is something we see a lot of when people first move here — they’re here a couple of weeks and all of a sudden AAA is bringing their car in on a tow truck because their car doesn’t start.

Another thing that we see a lot of is air conditioning failures, mostly due to moisture in the air. A lot of people don’t realize this, but an air conditioner not only cools your car, but also defrosts windows and keeps moisture out. A well-functioning air conditioner is constantly pulling moisture out of the inside of the car. We all know that if you keep something wet for too long, things tend to mold and mildew.

It’s really crucial that your air conditioning is working correctly during the winter months, because that’s pulling all of the wet air out of your car and keeping your interior dry. It also keeps your windshield defrosted and the car’s inside electronics dry. You don’t want moisture developing all over your vehicle’s computer, or on the inside of your dash, or the inside of your CD player.

A critical function of an air conditioner is to dehumidify the inside of the car. Make sure you’re working with a professional if you need air conditioning repair.

Central Avenue Automotive Helps You Decipher The Menu Board: Part 2

Posted by & filed under Maintenance.

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Kent service centers have a menu board that lists the services they provide. Some Kent drivers may not be familiar with all of the items on the board so here is a quick description of some of the typical services that might be listed.

Central Avenue Automotive fuel system cleaning: Over time, the SUV fuel system gets gum and varnish built up. A fuel system cleaning gets rid of that and cleans out the fuel injectors. Saves gas, by the way.

Central Avenue Automotive headlamp replacement: Halogen and standard headlamps gradually fade. It’s usually good to change them every year or so.

Central Avenue Automotive inspections: Kent drivers get inspections for many reasons. Maybe they’re going on a trip or just want to make sure their vehicle’s ready for WA summer or winter. Maybe they just bought a used SUV and want to give it the once over. An inspection may reveal some things that are broken or are getting close to having a problem.

Central Avenue Automotive oil change: – there are several options: Some Kent centers offer just an oil change and new filter as an option. Most will also check and top off all of your other fluids and do a quick visual inspection with a full service oil change. In my way of thinking, the full service option is best because it makes sure you have adequate fluids and may uncover an emerging problem. There may also be options for higher mileage fluids or an upgrade to synthetic oil.

Central Avenue Automotive PCV valve replacement in Kent: PCV stands for Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve. It’s a little part that releases pressure from the engine. It can get gummed up and that can lead to engine damage. Just needs to be changed now and then.

Central Avenue Automotive power steering service: Often overlooked. Your considerate Central Avenue Automotive technician will evacuate the old fluid, clean out the system and replace it with clean fluid. Keeps the SUV system running well for a long time.

Central Avenue Automotive serpentine belt service: That’s the belt that powers the SUV engine’s accessories like the alternator, air conditioner, power steering and brakes. You’ll want to replace the serpentine belt before it breaks, because that’ll shut you down.

Central Avenue Automotive shocks and struts: This starts with an inspection of the suspension components. Shocks last a long time and wear out slowly, so many Kent people don’t notice when it’s time to change them. If they’re worn or leaking, they need to be replaced.

Central Avenue Automotive transmission service: This involves removing the transmission fluid and replacing it with clean fluid. It’s like an oil change for your transmission.

Central Avenue Automotive tire rotation and wheel balancing: The tires are rotated from front to back using the recommended rotation pattern. This helps tires wear more evenly. Wheels need to be balanced from time to time to keep them turning without any wobble or bounce. Helps the ride and saves tire wear.

Professional Service Beats the Quick Lube

Posted by & filed under Fluids, Maintenance.

When you have an oil change performed, it’s crucial that all other fluids are inspected at the same time. For example, we see vehicles that have brake fluid leaks. I had a vehicle that was in the shop this morning with a brake light that was on, but the owner had the oil changed yesterday.

The customer came into the shop today for a brake inspection, but the only problem was that the brake fluid was low. The quick lube shop never even looked at the brake fluid.

It’s not part of a normal procedure for a quick lube employee to really go and look through your car, inspect everything, and have the knowledge to tell you, “Hey, your car is going to act up. It’s running fine right now, but we see this potential problem because we have seen this car and we’ve worked on this model of car hundreds of times.”

A professional mechanic will know when a certain types of cars will break down, how they break down, and what’s going to happen. We can usually take an educated guess. With a brand new car, we can tell you for the first 150,000 miles what you’re going to have to repair and when you’re going to have to repair it.

You’ll know six months ahead of time that you might have an alternator that’s going to go out. You’ll know three months ahead of time that you’re going to need brakes. You can do all of this quickly and efficiently with just a quick 45-minute visit to see us to have your oil change done and your vehicle inspected. Knowing what’s coming helps with planning and budgeting for those anticipated costs.

Professional Car Service
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That’s why it’s so important that the technicians that work on your car have lots of experience and lots of training, and are certified in the area that they repair. Those things are lost when you’re at a quick lube having a 19 year-old kid changing the oil on your $20,000-$60,000 vehicle.

The more that we see your car for regular services, the more ability we have to really spot any potential problems.

Another Couple of Years: Making Your Vehicle Last At Central Avenue Automotive

Posted by & filed under Maintenance.

A while back, the Cash for Clunkers program was all over the news. Kent people could trade in their old vehicle for a new one that got better fuel economy and receive a government rebate.

A lot of Kent motorists had so-called clunkers that they wanted to keep. They’re good commuters, grocery getters or toy haulers. They enjoy that fact that they’re paid off, or soon will be. They would gladly like to keep their SUVs for 200,000 miles or more – as long as it’s economical to do so.

There are plenty of Kent drivers whose vehicles are running after 150,000 or 200,000 miles. We can learn from what they’re doing to keep our own SUVs on the road in WA.

Kent drivers of high-mileage cars often report a common denominator of never skipping an oil change. Another Couple of Years: Making Your Vehicle Last At Central Avenue AutomotiveThat may sound a bit unsophisticated, but it’s really not. First off, oil is the life blood of your SUV’s engine and it needs to be clean to properly lubricate. Skipping oil changes leads to clogged oil filters and sludge that can damage your engine.

There’s another reason why the scheduled oil change is so important for Kent car owners. It’s simple – a Central Avenue Automotive professional is going to be looking at your car. All of your fluid levels will be inspected and topped off so they won’t get so low that damage can be done. If there is a significant fluid loss, let’s use brake fluid as an example, your Central Avenue Automotive technician can look for the cause of the loss and find the problem before it leads to an accident or costly repair.

Your Central Avenue Automotive advisor will also visually inspect your SUV for worn belts and hoses, uneven tire wear, leaking shock absorbers and more. Problems get addressed before they lead to repairs that cost more than the car’s worth.

And your Central Avenue Automotive advisor will be able to remind you of other services that the factory recommends you get done. Just think of that oil change the same way as you do about going to your Kent dentist for your six month cleaning and checkup. Don’t skip it.

Realistically, things are going to wear out as your SUV gets older. On the way to 200,000 miles you’ll go through several batteries, probably a couple of alternators and water pumps, a set of shocks and likely some brake rotors.

Of course, these things cost money, but they are far cheaper than new SUV payments. With proper service at Central Avenue Automotive and regular inspections, you’ll keep surprise repairs to a minimum and more money in your wallet.

Buying a Used Car And Servicing Your Vehicle

Posted by & filed under Brakes, Maintenance, Service Intervals, Service Standards.

It is so important that you get service records when you buy a used car. You may even want to get a pre-purchase inspection to make sure that you’re not buying somebody else’s problem. Service records can tell you if you’re buying a car that has 60,000 miles on it and has had two oil changes, which is something that we do see.

I can tell you from personal experience that I’ve seen cars in the shop such as GMs, Fords, and Chryslers go about 15,000 miles, some of them as high as 20,000, on their original oil as a brand new car. There have been several cars that we’ve put new engines in that don’t even have 25,000 miles on them because somebody forgot to change the oil.

When you buy a new car, whose interest does the car company have in mind when they recommend prolonging the time between services? They want you to come back and buy another car in three or four or five years. So they say to get an oil change every 10,000 miles and services in between.

Used Car Service
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They don’t want you to drive your car for 10 years because there’s nothing in it for them. They want to sell you another car and push that maintenance expense off as long as possible. Then, if you do buy another car, you’re able to push that maintenance expense to a second owner. Manufacturers are looking out for their best interest, not the customer’s.

The best thing that you can do for a car – and this is a general rule for almost any vehicle – is to have it serviced regularly.

By service we mean oil change, brake inspection, tire rotation, lubrication and an overall vehicle inspection. You should do that every 5,000 miles.

Particularly with the road conditions we have in western Washington, cars are working really hard. You hit a pothole, you’ve got road debris, you’ve got a lot of steep hills. You’re in bumper-to-bumper traffic, driving up and down I-405. Sometimes it’ll take an hour and a half to go 20 miles. You’re accelerating, you’re stopping, and you’re doing that over and over and over again. That’s hard on a car. By servicing every 5,000 miles, you really will lower your overall operating cost.

During the service, we check the brakes, the tires, and the suspension. We can paint a picture for that car for the next two or three years. We’ll be able to tell you at your oil change that you’re probably going to need brakes replaced within the next 90 days or the next six months. You’ll be able to plan for it, then come in for a basic brake service.

If you have your vehicle serviced at a quick lube, they don’t inspect those things. They don’t look at your brakes. They don’t rotate your tires. You’ll go in and get the oil changed a couple of times. Then all of a sudden you’re driving down the road and you put your foot on the brake pedal, and you hear a loud grinding sound because your car needs new brakes.

Now you’ve taken what would have been a basic brake service, on most cars somewhere between $300-$400, and turned that into a $600 or $700 repair because there is damage to the brake rotors and possibly even the brake calipers. Because the brakes weren’t changed as a maintenance item, they will be changed as a “my brakes don’t work” item.

It’s always better to perform regular inspections and regular services on a new or used vehicle. It’s much cheaper in the long run to do a preventative repair as opposed to a breakdown repair.

Stay Headed In The Right Direction, Kent

Posted by & filed under Steering.

Power steering is standard on nearly every car and truck in Kent, WA these days. Now there are some exotic, new types of power steering systems, but for the most part, the general setup is a pump that’s driven by a belt powered by the engine.

Contact the automotive professionals at Central Avenue Automotive in Kent for questions about your power steering.

The pump generates power that assists you as you steer your SUV around Kent, WA. Power steering systems use hoses to move pressurized fluid back and forth. These hoses can develop leaks so it’s a good idea to have your Kent technician inspect them at every oil change.

A check of the power steering fluid level is on the list for every full service oil change at Central Avenue Automotive because low fluid can damage the power steering pump. And the fluid needs to be compatible with the hoses and seals, so you need to use the correct type –just ask your service professional at Central Avenue Automotive.

In addition to providing boost, the fluid cleans, cools and lubricates the power steering system. Over time, the lubricants and detergents diminish so Kent motorists need to replace their old fluid with clean, fresh fluid periodically.

Excess moisture can collect in the power steering fluid as well. That can lead to rust and corrosion as well as reduce the effectiveness of the fluid. Many auto makers outline power steering service intervals in the owner’s manual. Unfortunately, this important service is sometimes left off the maintenance schedule. If you’re not sure, every two years is a good rule of thumb.

At Central Avenue Automotive, we use a detergent to clean the system, flush out the old fluid and replace it with new fluid.

Now, if you are experiencing high steering effort, erratic power assist, loud whining coming from the pump you may have a power steering problem. Another sign is that you have to frequently top off the fluid.

Holding the steering wheel to the far right or left for more than a few seconds at a time can wear your pump out real fast. AutoNetTV wants you to be sure to service your power steering system regularly to keep you headed in the right direction.

Central Avenue Automotive
1514 Central Ave S Ste A
Kent, WA 98032
 253.854.6762

A Good Mechanic Is Your Car’s Doctor

Posted by & filed under Fluids, Maintenance.

You want to look at servicing your car in the same way that you go to the doctor.

You go to a doctor for all of your basic needs, like checkups… kind of a once-over to make sure that you’re healthy and that your body is operating correctly and doing everything it should be doing.

There are certain times a doctor will say, “We need to perform this test or we need to…” which is a diagnostic in order to get to the bottom of the problem. Most of the time, you’ll get a clean bill of health and you’ll move on.

Sometimes they’ll perform a test and say, “We’ve looked you over and everything seems to be okay, but I’m a little concerned about this test result, so I think you should see a specialist.”

Car Doctor
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Here with us, the technician who’s working on your car is the specialist. He’s not just a general practitioner that only does oil changes. The mechanic who’s doing your oil change is also a master technician. He’s going to be able to do the oil change, look at the car, touch it and see it and smell it.

It’s funny, but when you are around cars all day long, you learn certain problems smell certain ways. I’ve gotten to where I can walk through a parking lot anywhere and I can tell you which car is leaking antifreeze even if there’s nothing on the ground, because I know how it smells. I can tell if a car’s low on oil by pulling the dipstick and not even checking the oil. I can smell if an engine is getting hot internally, because it has a very distinct smell.

I think about times where I’ve pulled the dipstick on a car and put it up to my nose to smell it, then actually burned the tip of my nose from getting my nose too close to try to get an exact idea of what’s going on. You have to be careful when you’re doing that kind of stuff.

That’s something that a very experienced automotive technician is going to know. He’s going to know what things look like, what they smell like, and how they sound.

A master technician is going to recognize the subtleties of an engine that’s not running perfectly. He can stand next to a vehicle and listen to it, and he’s going to have a pretty good idea of its performance–how it’s running.

That’s gained from experience, and you can’t fake it.