West Seattle Auto Repair

2011 Mini Cooper This article is a warning regarding a potentially catastrophic problem in Mini Coopers built from 2007-2011: failure of the the timing chain tensioner. Despite many owners love of their Minis, the fly in the ointment is the recurring problem with the timing chain tensioner as reported to Consumer Affairs , despite BMW’s claim that the timing chains are supposed to be a maintenance free feature of the car. BMW has no recommended service interval nor does the Mini’s on-board computer monitor the condition of the chain. The tensioner and chain are also located inside the engine thus causing serious damage should the tensioner fail. What to do? Monitor your oil levels – Mini Coopers have a habit of using oil. There ha ... read more

People love their Subarus. This is especially apparent in the Northwest where a recent Seattle Times article studied the question: “Does EVERYONE in Seattle drive a Subaru?” (Actually, it’s 1 in 10). Subaru not only appeals to its customers’ outdoorsy lifestyle and offers many of the same features that more expensive cars have, but also they give philanthropically a staggering amount of money to charities each year. When you purchase a new car, they will donate $250.00 to one of four national charities according to your choice: ASPCA , Make-A-Wish Founda ... read more

Since it has been almost three years since we last posted about Saab’s bankruptcy issues and the fear of parts unavailability, we thought you might be curious about what the Saab parts market looks like today. You might assume that it could be difficult, or in some cases impossible, to get a vehicle part. However, Saab Automobile Parts North America (which emerged from the car manufacturer’s bankruptcy) is stable and actually thriving. That’s good news because while the company itself may have struggled, the cars they built are holding strong and we love them. A recent search pulled up almost 400 cars for sale in Washington statealone and there are reportedly more than 450,000 Saab’s in the United States still on the road. Of course, the number of the departed company’s cars on the road will shrink over time but for now, your car will have its needs covered! For more information on the current a ... read more

Maybe you grew up with your dad washing the car on the lawn in the summer so the grass would get the run-off water. It was genius! You got the car and clean and watered the lawn at the same time. While not the most environmentally friendly method, it turn out dad was on to something. Washing your car on gravel or the lawn minimizes run off allowing the water to be absorbed into the ground. When you wash your car on pavement all that gas, oil, exhaust fumes, not to mention the chemicals in the wash you are using, flow straight into storm drains that release directly into Puget Sound. Commercial car washes are required to drain their wastewater into sewer systems so it gets treated before being discharged back into the environment. They also use less water than we do at home. This is likely due to the super-powerful, high-intensity nozzles commercial car washes use and probably because we have to pay more if we need more car washing time. But what ... read more

Have you heard? The West Seattle Car Show is happening in 2015! We are excited to work with West Seattle Autoworks and South Seattle College in keeping this annual West Seattle tradition alive. Please come and check out cars from all eras, family activities, food trucks, beer and wine garden and more! The show is set for Sunday, September 13, 2015 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Cars will be able to load in beginning at 8:00 am and trophies will be given at 3:00 pm.For registration please visit www.westseattlecarshow.com COBRA Classic Beauty! ... read more

The braking system is one of your vehicle’s most basic safety features. Under optimal circumstances, applying a few pounds of pressure to the brake pedal translates to hundreds of pounds of pressure applied at the brake caliper, which effectively slows or stops thousands of pounds traveling at potentially high speed. The effectiveness of your brakes depends upon on the quality of the brake fluid. When the brakes are applied, the friction of the brake pads on the rotors creates tremendous heat which raises the temperature of the brake fluid. This heat is an expected part of the process. However, as brake fluid ages it absorbs moisture, which lowers its boiling point. When brake fluid has over 3% moisture its boiling point is lowered enough so that as it heats up, some of the brake fluid will turn from a non-compressible liquid to a compressible gas, leading to compressible gases in the brake hoses, slop in the brake pedal, and potential brake ... read more

1989 Volvo 244 – 502,911 miles! 1998 Volvo Cross Country – 301,877 miles! Congratulations to our customers who have performed regular maintenance and achieved the benefits of longevity! Both of these photos were taken onsite as vehicles came in for maintenance. The Volvo 244, which has surpassed 500,000 miles, belonged to our fleet of low-cost rental cars for seven years and retired into private service. The Cross Country, which has surpassed 300,000 miles, belongs to a new customer. In this mild climate, with proactive care your car can remain sound and achieve long-term mechanical health

Scintillatingtimes at Swedish Automotive! As local temperatures have climbed into the high 80’s, we have been experiencing long, sunny days and are excited that a 9.6 kW array of Itek solar panels is being installed on the roof of our service bays at the time of this writing. These made in Washington panels will feed directly into the city power grid, and Swedish Automotive will get credit from Seattle City Light for our contribution to Seattle’s power needs. Four years ago, Swedish Automotive’s facility was designed with solar power in mind. Even though every solar installation loses a fraction of it’s potential ... read more

TPMS Warning Light The Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) is an electronic system that alerts the driver when the car’s tire pressure has fallen below an acceptable level of inflation by means of a dashboard warning light. The purpose of the TPMS is to improve vehicle handling, increase road safety and fuel economy, and decrease stopping distance and tire tread wear. Since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) enacted the TREAD Act of 2008, a mandate that all vehicles be equipped with a TPMS, most Volvos, Saabs, Subarus and Minis have opted toward a direct TPMS, which uses a wheel-mounted sensor that measures air pressure. When air pressure drops 25% below the manufacturer’s recommended level, the sensor tells your car’s computer and triggers the dashboard warning light. Another possible option, which we see on vehicles manufactured before the technology was mandatory is the i ... read more

Bert the Salmon Earlier this year ( see blog post ) many organizations including Swedish Automotive contributed to and participated in the “Don’t Drip and Drive, Fix that Leak!” campaign. The campaign is officially over for this year, but there are still other ways to help Puget Sound and make Seattle a better place. Bert the Salmon has a great FaceBook page with links, resources, and opportunities to do just that. From these resources, we are delighted to discover that the city has loaner stencil kits and markers for labeling the storm drains in our neighborhoods and is looking for volunteers. ... read more