West Seattle Auto Repair

Rats! Or mice...or maybe a squirrel. It's the time of year that rodents are looking for a nice, warm, safe space and your vehicle just might be it! There's just so much to like under your hood - insulation, hoses and plastic for a nest - and it is a dry, safe spot that they can call home. If you drive your vehicle daily, it likely will not be an issue. If, like many people over the last 18 months, you don't drive that often, then the opportunity is there for the little critters to move on in and make themselves comfy! The damage that can happen ranges from annoying smells and pesky "Check Engine" lights to poor running, not starting or even a bio-hazard. The photo is from a vehicle we had in this week. You can see 3 of the 6 spark plug wires are chewed completely through and it had to be towed in. This is after the owner said it sat for a week while he was on vacation. We recently had an Audi in that needed extensive repairs that included a wiring harness and p ... read more

If you have a newer car you may be surprised to hear that oil consumption in these cars is a known concern. Cars sometimes come in to us for service with symptoms such as a burning oil smell, white smoke coming from the tailpipe, or a knock sound from the engine. These cars sometimes have oil levels so low, the oil does not even register on the dipstick. In fact, two of the makes of cars we work on - Subaru (2011-2015) and Mini Cooper (2007-2013) have known oil consumption issues. Cars will usually let you know if there is a problem with your oil level or oil pressure before the afore-mentioned symptoms happen by displaying a w ... 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

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

School is back in session. Here are a few tips to ensure our children make it to their destinations and back safely. The most important rule is to SLOW DOWN and don’t be distracted while driving. Follow school buses at a safe distance, they make frequent stops. Yellow flashing lights indicate the bus is preparing to slow down and stop to load and unload kids. Slow down and be prepared to stop. Remember that children react differently than adults. They act impulsively and are easily distracted; they are not aware that their size can prevent drivers from seeing them and don’t understand what it takes to stop a moving vehicle. Children arriving late for the bus, or anxious to meet an awaiting adult, may dart out into traffic without looking or unexpectedly jump out from between parked cars. WA State law mandates the following rules for passing stopped school buses: Two-Lane Roads: All vehicles mu ... read more

Occasionally, cars are brought to Swedish Automotive that have experienced “smash and grab” thefts. We would like to encourage you to never leave anything in your Volvo, SAAB, Subaru or Mini Cooper. Even items such as an empty gym bag or a back pack full of books can cause temptation and result in hundreds of dollars of damage to your car. Smash and Grab Plan ahead: if you know you will be away from your parked car, do not take items that will have to be left behind, or stow items in your trunk or rocket box before you arrive at your destination. We have yet to see a cargo carrier damaged by break-in, but it is imperative to stow your goodies before you arrive and park. Security covers, the shades that hide items from view in the rear of wagons do not prevent thefts and may even increase curiosity. Customers have reported incidents that have occurred in a “good area” and in less than 10 minutes, including while the driver is dropping off their child ... read more