Driving on Gravel

When you take your car off of the comfort of pavement to drive along a gravel road, you’re going to notice a significant difference. You sacrifice traction, which is going to affect both your speed and handling. It is best to slow down significantly when you first start driving on gravel to get a sense of your reduced capabilities, and to avoid throwing up rocks to damage vehicles behind you. If you know that you’re going to be driving on gravel, you can also benefit from checking your tire pressure; pressure that is either too high or too low is going to compromise your ability to drive.

Should the worst happen, bring your vehicle down to our Seattle auto body shop for all of your collision repair needs.


Repairing Punctured Tires

When you puncture your tire, that’s not necessarily the end of it. Certain holes can be repaired without you needing to buy a whole new tire. As a general rule, you can only expect to repair a puncture in the tread area that is no more than a quarter of an inch in diameter.

There are DIY repair kits available, but you shouldn’t rely on these for too long. Though they can get you out of a jam, like a spare tire, they’re no substitute for a proper tire. A puncture can only be fully repaired by removing the tire from the wheel and applying a patch to the inner liner. Consult our Seattle auto body shop for more on vehicular repairs.


Recycling Car Batteries

Car batteries represent one of the big success stories in the recycling world. Though they contain toxic materials, including lead and battery acid, these materials are highly recyclable. Today, lead acid car batteries are the most widely recycled consumer product, with over 98% of all such batteries making their way back into the manufacturers’ hands. This is well over the 55% of aluminum cans, the 45% of newspapers, and the 26% of glass bottles.

When your own car battery can no longer support a charge, be sure to dispose of it with a proper lead acid battery recycler. And, if your car should struggle with any other body or engine problems, bring it in to our auto body shop in Seattle for quick and reliable repairs.


Cabin Air Filters

Are you smelling a musty odor when you drive your vehicle? Is your climate control system not working like it used to? It’s possible that you need to change your cabin air filter. This filter cleans the air entering your cabin, removing bacteria, dust, allergens, and exhaust gases. A failure to maintain a clean cabin air filter could be subjecting you and your passengers to high levels of contaminants.

It is generally recommended that you change your filter every 12,000 to 15,000 miles, depending on your particular vehicle. Check your owner’s manual for more information. If you require any further help with car maintenance, contact our auto body shop in Seattle.


A Trash Bin For Your Car

Many of us struggle with a cluttered-up car. If you spend a lot of time on the road, you probably accumulate a lot of food wrappers, drink containers, food waste, and other pieces of garbage. This not only compromises your car’s interior, but can make for a more dangerous driving environment. So, how can you keep your car clean?

The answer is quite simple: Try putting a small trash bin in your car. A plastic cereal container with a plastic bag in it is a strong choice; place it at the feet of the passenger seat where it won’t intrude too much on anyone seated beside you. By having a small, convenient place designated for your trash, it is easy to keep your car clean in even the most hectic circumstances.

If your automotive maintenance needs go beyond simply managing your trash, consult our auto body shop in Seattle.