Tag: Seattle Auto Body Shop

As we emerge into yet another new year, we look forward to the new technological wonders that it may bring. Some people are asking, “Where is my self-driving Google car?” Long promised by the internet giant, this automotive breakthrough is an attractive prospect for efficient roadways and reduced traffic accidents. Unfortunately, there are simply too many reasons that it will probably never come to be.

One of the harsh realities is that the Google car would have to run on a computer with a higher intelligence than any is currently capable of. While the company boasts of the over 700,000 miles that their car has safely driven, these represent the same few thousand miles around the Google headquarters that they have mapped out so far. With roughly four million miles of road to map out in the US, as well as the advanced object detection the machine needs to avoid obstacles, there is a long way to go.

So, for the time being, it would seem that we will all need to be satisfied with the occasional bit of human error on our roads. When this human error gets the best of your vehicle, bring it to our auto body shop in Seattle.

Putting together a winter emergency kit for your car is a tricky prospect. After all, you have less space than you have for your home kit, and the more weight you take on equals more gas being burned while you drive. Therefore, anything beyond the typical emergency kit needs to be carefully thought out.

Ideally, your car should be equipped to get you through being stranded in the snow for one day. Your primary concerns should be staying warm and hydrated. Food is good to have, but less of a priority, since you should be able to go for a while without eating. You can’t go as long without drinking water. Further, though it may seem feasible to rely on the snow around you for emergency water, this is going to further sap your precious body heat in situations where your heating system has failed. Therefore, try having a bottle of water and a thick, winter blanket handy.

You can also benefit from having a few other emergency supplies, like sand, an ice brush, an ice scraper, and snow chains.

A blizzard is nothing to trifle with. With a strong enough snowstorm, an entire city can be shut down. It therefore is not the best thing to get caught in when you are driving your car. So, should you find yourself on the road when the worst of the winter strikes, consider the following safety tips:

• Plan ahead. If there’s a risk of a blizzard, try driving during the day. Have a cell phone and an emergency kit available. Drive with an able-bodied passenger, if possible.
• Visibility is an issue. Keep your headlights and windshield wipers turned on.
• Ice builds more quickly on bridges and overpasses. Double the four-second following rule, and drive slowly on dangerous areas.
• Stick to main roads wherever you can, avoiding back roads.
• If you go into a skid, turn your steering wheel in the same direction as your rear wheels skid. This will counterbalance your skid and help to get your car under control.

Should the blizzard get the better of your car, bring it to Greenwood’s auto body shop in Seattle for quick and effective repairs.

When you’re preparing your car for the winter, don’t overlook your heating system. Though it may seem like largely a comfort issue, and secondary to bigger safety concerns like your tires, brakes, and engines, there is a lot to be said for this system.

First of all, staying comfortable while you drive is an important part of staying safe. If you find yourself shivering uncontrollably, you’re less likely to be focusing on your driving and you may even jerk the wheel unexpectedly at a bad time. When you drive for extended periods of time in bitter cold weather, it may even turn into a health concern.

Further, if your heating system isn’t working, it may mean that you are unable to keep your windows defrosted. You need a functional defroster to assure that you can see where you’re going when the weather goes cold. Therefore, though it can be costly to replace a bad heater coil, it is a worthwhile thing to look into. Talk to our auto body shop in Seattle for more information.

If you have an SUV or similar vehicle with a four-wheel drive feature, you may be looking forward to putting it to good use this winter. Between thick snowfalls and mountain ski trips, this is a time when your wheels are working overtime. Of course, you don’t want to end up reaching for the four-wheel drive when you need it and finding that it isn’t working properly. You’re probably not using it over the summer, so a faulty four-wheel drive can sneak up on you. This is why it is important to check your system before the start of the cold season.

It is also important to remember that, while a four-wheel drive system can greatly improve your traction on snow and ice from a stationary position, it is not a magical system that will allow you to speed about like a racer on a frozen street. When you apply your brakes, your tires will not grip the pavement any better than you could without four-wheel drive. Various four-wheel drive systems work differently; check your vehicle’s owner’s manual for the best environment in which to use your system.