Maintaining Your Car Battery

Posted on by Greenwood Collision Auto Body Shop Seattle

Some people think that a car battery does not require maintenance. However, there is a lot that can be done to extend the life of your battery and prevent the inconvenience that comes with finding yourself stranded with a dead power source. Our auto body shop in Seattle offers the following tips on how to get the most out of your car battery:

  • Keep the battery clean. Simply by wiping down a dirty case with a damp rag, you can prevent a lot of costly drain on your power.
  • Keep your battery posts or terminals clean. Start by loosening the negative cable, and then the positive cable. With a brass wire battery brush, apply a solution of baking soda and water to the posts and scrub them clean as needed. You will then need to apply a thin coating of grease to your terminals and clamps and then reconnect the cables, attaching the positive first and then the negative.
  • Watch your battery for damage. Do you see any cracks or bulges? This could mean that your battery needs to be replaced.
  • Does your battery have vent caps? It may need to have its water checked. Remove your caps to check your electrolyte levels. These should rise a half inch above the battery’s top plates. Use distilled water to bring this level up as needed.

Look Out for the Gas Tanker!

Posted on by Greenwood Collision Auto Body Shop Seattle

Have you ever driven into a gas station to see that the gasoline tanker is in the process of filling up the station’s gas supply? It can be a bothersome experience. After all, it probably means that you’re stuck waiting for the tanker to clear off before you can refill your car. Unfortunately, the problem goes even deeper than that; take the advice of your auto body shop in Seattle and find another station when you see a tanker in your favorite spot.

The problem with gas tankers is that, while they are refilling your gas station, they’re stirring up the content of the station’s underground tanks. Imagine that the tank is a bottle of pulpy orange juice; if you pour the juice without shaking it up, you’re not going to get much pulp. However, if you shake up the juice before pouring, your drink is going to be a lot pulpier. In the case of the gas station, this pulp is like all of the detritus and sediment in the tank. Fill up your car while all this junk is swimming around in the gasoline, and it will end up in your engine, clogging your filters and hampering your car’s performance. Do the right thing for your car, and avoid the gas stations that have recently been re-stocked.

Don’t Be Afraid of Silicone-Based Wax!

Posted on by Greenwood Collision Auto Body Shop Seattle

There is a common belief out there that, if you use a silicone-based wax on your car, you will not be able to get it repainted. However, the painters at our auto body shop in Seattle would like to assure you that this is nothing more than a myth. We can give your car a quality paint job, regardless of the waxes you might have used on it in the past.

While it is true that silicone can interfere with a paint job, this does not affect you once your car has been painted the first time. Should particles of silicone be on the sheet metal of your car’s body when it is first painted, it would prevent the paint from staying on the surface. Once the first coat is on, though, silicone can be easily removed. This is a good thing, too, since you would be hard pressed to find a car wax that does not contain some degree of silicone.

Inflating Your Tires

Posted on by Greenwood Collision Auto Body Shop Seattle

Are you keeping a close watch in your tire pressure? Our auto body shop in Seattle advises that you maintain a proper pressure in your tires in order to maximize their lifespan and effectiveness. However, even if you’re making your regular checks and keeping your pressure up, you may be surprised to discover that you’re doing it wrong.

Many people make the mistake of always inflating their tires according to the pressure identified on the tire’s sidewall. This is not ideal. Your tire is only giving you the maximum inflation pressure. Since these same tires are probably appearing on different kinds of cars, this number is not going to represent an optimal pressure for each individual make and model. You want to follow the manufacturer-recommended pressure, which can be found in the owner’s manual or on your vehicle placard, which is usually in either your glove box or on your door post.

Be Prepared for if Your Car is Stolen

Posted on by Greenwood Collision Auto Body Shop Seattle

What do you do if your car is stolen? This isn’t something you should think about only after it has actually happened. Indeed, there are many ways that you can prepare yourself for a car theft, minimizing its impact on your life and maximizing the chance of getting your vehicle back. Take the advice from our Seattle auto body shop to thwart the car thieves of the world:

  • Keep your car’s registration card on your person, and not your glove compartment.
  • Write your car’s vehicle identification number under the hood of your car, inside your trunk lid, and on the battery.  If you don’t know your VIN, you can find it on the dashboard on the driver’s side.
  • Avoid leaving important personal property in your car.  If you need to, leave it in the trunk or another place where it is not visible to people outside the car.  Even if the car itself is not the target of your thief, it is surprisingly easy to break a window and grab hot theft items like cell phones.
  • Keep a record of the year, make, model, and color of your car.  You will want to be able to give this information to the police after your car is stolen.
  • Park your car in a locked garage.  When a garage isn’t available, use security devices, like a steering-wheel lock or a gearshift column lock.