Summer Road Trip: Is Your Car Ready?

Car Tips To Be Roadworthy For A Road Trip

You and your family, or maybe a bunch of your friends, are going ahead with that planned road trip. It’s summer anyway, and a great ride might just be the thing you need for a cool-off. You might not be the driver, or better if you are, the first thing to ready-up is none other than the vehicle itself. Is it ready for the drive? Roadworthy yet? A few things to check out.

First of all, be sure to take out anything in the car that you wouldn’t be needing – any excess weight that you’ve stocked in it so you can be more fuel efficient when you go.

Will you have a clear view of the road? To reduce summer glare, check your demister. It can put a film of grime from traffic fumes on the inside of the windscreen combine with the sunlight to block your vision.

Especially that it’s summer, you don’t want your air conditioning to fail you, so be sure it’s properly working. If the gas in your air-con system leaks and gets too low, the air-con will blow warm instead of cold. Test it and see if the cold air can stand even if your heater is on. If it’s not an icy blast in a few minutes, the system might need re-gassing.

Check your battery. The water inside will evaporate faster in soaring temperatures leaving lead plates exposed. Got coolant? If not enough, refill and keep an eye on the temperature gauge. Have you had a change oil yet? Your engine needs all the lubrication it can get, especially important this summer.

Load on fuel, of course. Check tires and their right gauge. Rubber can disintegrate in hot temperatures, especially so if it’s got the wrong pressure. Before you leave, get the windscreen squeaky clean with water and detergent and dry it with a microfibre cloth. And don’t forget the other windows; when screens are clean they rarely mist up so you won’t have to use the heated rear window as often.

Now you’re ready. Have a happy, safe trip!

Safety On The Road First By Auto Shop in Seattle

Be sure to keep in mind our safety tips for a summer road trip, guys. If you want us to check out your wheels before you go, come over to our shop in Seattle.


Car Crashes in America: The Numbers Game

Top Causes of Car Accidents

Every year thousands of people are injured and killed in car accidents. According to the Institute of Insurance Safety a total of 35,092 people were killed in car accidents in 2015. It’s decreased by more than 7,000 since 2006 but nonetheless, that is still far too many fatalities. The increased in public awareness, implemented government decrees, safer roads, and advancing technology in safety measures have contributed much to the small decline. But accidents still do happen.

What could be the main causes of this reality?

The institute says that speeding is one of the most common, contributing to a total of 108,554 car accidents. That accounted for nearly 30% of all car accidents during that time. Of the nearly 10,000 speed related deaths that occurred in 2015, nearly half (48%) happened on roads where the speed limits were higher than 55 mph.

Drunk driving has resulted in nearly 113,000 deaths over the past decade, contributed to nearly 30% of car accident fatalities. The CDC said that there are 28 fatalities every day due to overindulgence of alcohol.

A distracted driver on the road is potentially dangerous. Talking on cell phones, texting, eating, talking to passengers, and adjusting the radio/climate controls are common distracted driver behaviors that lead to fatalities. From 2010-2014, drivers who were distracted while driving caused nearly 4.5 million car crashes.

It’s responsible for nearly 16% of all car accidents. That’s according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. And using the cell phone while driving is the biggest distraction of all, now on the rise, and mainly contributed by the 20-29 age group at 39%; followed by the 30-39 age at 19%.

Weather-related accidents are another – driving under adverse conditions such as rain, snow, fog, etc. There were 1.2 million such accidents from 2004-15, accounted for 22% of all car accidents. In that span, more than 400,000 were injured, more than 5,000 fatal. Wet pavements and rain were the main causes.

Red light accidents claimed the lives of about 700 people from 2010-14. The National Coalition for Safer Roads did a study in 2013 looking at red light violations and found some interesting patterns. Such as, 30% of beating the red light behavior happens in the afternoon, Fridays of the week have the highest number of violations and Sundays the lowest. Lastly, one other cause of car crashes is driver fatigue, which represented 5.9 million car accidents during 2005-09, or 83,000 drowsy driver-accidents a year.

Friendly Reminders from Seattle

Based on the above statistics, it is as clear as daylight what we ought not to do or what to avoid. Your auto body shop in Shoreline have seen its fair share of road accidents in our many years of service. We always make sure to give friendly reminders. See us for your needs.


Beware: Your Car Paint’s Worst Enemies

Everyday Stuff That Can Ruin Your Car

If you’re the type of car owner who take little notice of markings, spots and other small tell-tale signs of everyday encounters on the road, parking spaces, under trees, etc, that affect your car and its paint, then you’re more likely to set them aside for another distant car wash day. So what would your car and car paint really watch out for to prevent future issues? Some of them can erode the top coat, cause erosion and future rusting, some can streak the paint, fiberglass, or the glass windows and become difficult to remove. You can never tell, because they’re everyday items.

Did you know that leaves and berries on the car, if left alone and with a sprinkle of rain, can leave acidity and erode into the paint? Tree sap is more problematic. It spreads and sticks like glue and erode quickly. What’s more is that it’s hard to remove. If it has dried up, use a good tar remover or mineral spirits and wash thoroughly. Have your car treated and waxed professionally will help reduce damage.

Hose-pipe and/ or sprinkler water can cause damage, too. If you live in areas where your tap water is high in mineral concentration the minerals can leave spots on the car as it dries and bond to the paint surface. They are difficult to remove. Washing your car and letting it “air dry” in the sun can also leave spots that afterwards become harder and harder to remove. As a rule, always dry your car after a wash or a sprinkler.

Do you regularly wash and clean your sponges, cloths and brushes used for washing your car? Do you keep them stored in a clean, dry place and not exposed to dust, dirt and grime? Or do you put them among your dirty tools? Every time you use your car cleaning stuff, you can transfer the dirt, sand, or grease onto your car when you clean it. Like sandpaper they can scratch and leave swirls behind. Always wash your sponges, cloths and brushes before using them, and replace them if they become old or worn.

If you didn’t know, bird droppings are acidic. They can also contain undigested seeds and gravel. They can gradually erode and scratch the paintwork on your vehicle. Wash the droppings off as soon as possible, or better, make use of a power-washer in order not to grind the abrasive bits in further by hand. If you have to, protect your car with its car cover or park in covered spaces, far from trees or other structures where birds congregate.

Lastly, residual fuel from overflow or nozzle-drips can leave oily residue below your fuel tank cover. If not cleaned off, it can stain the paint finish after some time. It also attracts and collects dust and grime as you drive. Clean it off as soon as possible, or wipe below the flap, when topping up your tank.

Caring for Your Car Paint in Seattle

These are some friendly tips from Greenwood Collision, your auto body shop in Seattle. A car’s paint job is no small investment; it’s got your personality and lifestyle, things that you care about. And we do, too.


Trends In The Auto Repair Industry: Looking Up

Do-It-Yourself Auto Repair Vs Auto Mechanic Services

As a car owner, would you spend time trying to learn to repair your vehicle yourself and save money? Or would you rather opt for the services of auto repair shops and get on with your life?

Let’s look at some statistics. Entering 2018, there are 258,416 businesses currently operating within the auto repair industry theater, employing 565,110 people. The total revenue generated by the auto repair industry in the United States in 2017 is $64 billion, growing at 2.5% from 2012-2017. Growth is predicted to continue for at least five years. Profitable? Yes, it is. Ibis World is the source of these figures.

Other reports are backing this data. A report published by V12Data found that the average age of the U.S. vehicle fleet has increased by 17% over the past decade. It means that people are looking to get more life out of their cars. There is also observed a shift away from dealership repairs, which now account for only 25% of aftermarket auto repair.

The auto repair industry has been trending upwards in recent years. This can be due to an increase in disposable income as well as corporate profit. The average American has seen an increase in disposable wealth and hence, more likely to spend money on automobile repair and maintenance rather than spend time to learn how to repair their vehicles themselves.

Again, the average lifespan of cars today is longer than it has been before. Overall, vehicle owners are holding on to their transport longer, hoping and expecting to get more mileage. This requires regular maintenance and more repairs as the vehicle ages. Hence, we see an increase in the demand for auto repair shops.

Regarding fleet vehicles, which companies buy in bulk, their behavior can really dictate the trends within the auto repair industry. V12Data found that the average age of the U.S. vehicle fleet has increased by 17% over the past decade. So this means, even corporations and not just private owners are trying to get more mileage out of their autos. Also notable, is that the industry is experiencing a shift away from dealership repairs, which now account for only 25% of aftermarket auto repair. Good news for auto repair franchises, which are gaining more and more of the market.

A Wise Option in Seattle

Need an auto repair shop now? Then rush to Greenwood Collision and leave the headache to us. Why try fixing it yourself when it’s more practical to leave that to the experts at Greenwood Collision in Seattle.


Auto Body Shop Seattle: Is There A Perfect Car Collision?

Making Car Crashes Look Better

Experts say that, in the event of a car collision, the more deformed a car’s front end and bumper are, the better are the chances of people inside escaping unscathed. It only means that the front end components of your car absorbed all the impact of the collision, protecting you and your passengers inside. Did you know that the automotive industry have since been working – designing, manufacturing, analyzing, and testing – to make collisions look better in order to shield passengers from harm?

A team of researchers from SIMLab of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, financed by the Research Council of Norway, are designing aluminium, steel and plastic structures that can withstand high-energy collisions.

They say they don’t know much about cars, but are experts on materials, aluminum and its properties especially. Hence, Audi, Toyota, BMW, Honda and Renault are working closely with them. SIMLab partners with the automotive industry that heavily depends on computers, making accurate models of materials used in cars and how they behave under stress.

SIMLab has tested all sorts of materials for cars. They’ve designed bumpers, bolts in guard rails, among other car parts, using materials they know behave in a certain way when stressed. They also determine the best shape if the material is different because it is the shape that responds in the right way when compressed. Similar shapes made of different materials may have different properties.

The lab also tests their designs in simulation compressions, from slow and calculated to that of a collision at different speeds. They understand the physics of crash science, making versatile models that the auto industry can use, and testing them in the lab before public release.

Their research efforts are invaluable to automotive innovation. That is why they partner with related industries to get as much from different fields of expertise. However, with new funding, SIMLab is branching out into the oil and gas industry, and looking at how they can help in terrorism prevention.

Rebuilding Your Car in Seattle

We are your collision repair experts in Seattle, rebuilding your car with precision and aesthetics restored. We’ve had over 10 years of painting and restoration experience in the city and loads of satisfied customers.