Keep Your Kent Car Breathing Free: Engine Air Filter

Posted by & filed under Maintenance.


Hey Kent auto owners – this is something really amazing: For every gallon of gas your SUV burns, it uses 12,000 gallons of air. All of that air has to be filtered to keep your engine clean.

That’s like a hundred gallons of air every block! The engine air filter is just another example of a very essential but inexpensive part that has to do a tremendous amount of work. And when it works, everything goes well. But, when it doesn’t, well, it can lead to pricey problems. Of course, your auto maker recommends how often to change your air filter. But like most service intervals, where and how you drive your car in WA affects when your filter needs to be changed.

Dusty conditions around Auburn or polluted city driving means you’ll need to change your filter more often. Your considerate Central Avenue Automotive tech can check your filter for you. In fact, it’s often a routine part of an oil change.

When you think about it, a clogged air filter won’t allow as much air through as a clean filter. Your SUV needs this air to efficiently burn its fuel, giving you better fuel economy and performance.

Dirtier filters don’t work as well as clean ones. A filter can only hold so much, after that, it allows dirt to pass right into your engine. Air filters come in all shapes and sizes. They also come in different grades. There are high performance air filters available for most cars. These high performance filters are a little more pricey in Kent, but they increase horsepower and may improve fuel economy to boot.

So it’s important for Kent motorists to have their air filter checked. If it needs replacing, it doesn’t cost very much at Central Avenue Automotive in Kent and it should easily pay for itself in better gas mileage before your next oil change.

Stop by Central Avenue Automotive at 1514 Central Ave S Ste A, Kent, WA 98032, and we’ll take a look at your air filter for you. Feel free to give us a call at 253.854.6762 to make an appointment.

Central Avenue Automotive
1514 Central Ave S Ste A
Kent, WA 98032
253.854.6762

Engine Air Filter From Central Avenue Automotive

Posted by & filed under Fuel System.


Many Kent motorists have found themselves in the following situation: they go to get their oil changed and their considerate Central Avenue Automotive technician recommends a new engine air filter. They say yes, but don’t know what an air filter is or what it does.

If this has happened to you, rest assured that you did the right thing by getting a new one. But you should never be too embarrassed to ask your Central Avenue Automotive service specialist for more information. It’s your bucks and you have a right to understand what you’re paying for.

Let’s review: “What does an air filter do??”:

Air is the focus of this discussion. What is the air like outside in Kent right now? Can you see any smog? Is it full of pollen? How about dust? Anyone in WA with hay fever can tell you that there’s plenty in the air that you can’t see. Well, the engine air filter’s vital job is to clean that air before it goes into your SUV engine, to mix with the fuel and be burned. Without an engine air filter, the inside of your SUV engine would be extremely dirty from all the gunk that was burned in the cylinders.

In fact, for every gallon of gas you burn, your SUV engine needs 12,000 gallons of air. That little filter does a very big job. It’s no wonder that the air filter gets dirty and needs to be replaced. Think about a vacuum cleaner. When the bag gets full of dust and dirt, the vacuum doesn’t clean as well. It can’t move enough air to create good suction. A clogged engine air filter is the same way – the SUV engine can’t get enough air to burn the fuel efficiently. That means less power and reduced gas mileage.

That’s why your vehicle manufacturer has recommended that you change your filter at regular intervals. Of course the Kent conditions you drive in will affect how quickly the filter gets dirty. If you drive in WA where it’s very dusty or where there’s lots of pollen or pollution, you may need to change the filter sooner. The filter is easy to check visually, so your considerate Central Avenue Automotive service professional can quickly make the call. He might recommend immediate replacement, or simply let you know that it is getting close and that you’ll need to replace it soon – like at your next oil change.

Because a severely dirty SUV air filter hurts your fuel efficiency, many Kent car owners find that a new air filter pays for itself in better gas mileage before the next oil change. They also make premium air filters that have been proven to increase your horsepower and torque. If more power is important to you, a high performance air filter is some of the cheapest horsepower you can buy.

The better your car breathes, the better it runs – kind of like Kent people. And don’t worry – if you have a question or don’t understand a recommendation just ask your Central Avenue Automotive tech.

1514 Central Ave S Ste A
Kent, WA 98032
253.854.6762

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Wheel Bearings

Posted by & filed under Tires and Wheels.

Why are wheel bearings vital for Kent motorists? It’s simple: your wheel bearings keep the wheels on your vehicle. In today’s Central Avenue Automotive post, we’ll discuss more about wheel bearings and how you can make sure they can do their very essential job while you drive around Federal Way, WA.

Come see us at: 1514 Central Ave S Ste A in Kent, WA 98032

Wheel bearings are pretty simple parts. They’re made of high quality steel and are engineered to last 100,000 miles or more if properly cared for. The bearings do two key jobs: First, they allow the wheel to freely rotate with as little friction as possible. Second, they support the weight of the vehicle. For example, if your car weighs 3,600 pounds, each wheel has to support approximately 900 pounds. That’s a lot of heavy lifting over many, many thousands of miles.

Even though wheel bearings are pretty straightforward, they need to be in near perfect condition to do their job for Kent motorists. The bearings are packed with heavy grease to lubricate and protect them. A seal keeps the grease in and water and dirt out. It’s when the seal starts to leak that problems begin. The grease can become contaminated; causing the wheel bearings to overheat and ultimately fail.

The first sign that your wheel bearings are in trouble is an unusual noise coming from a wheel. It could be a chirping, growling, rumbling or a cyclic sound. The noise could get louder or even disappear at certain speeds. Your tech at Central Avenue Automotive can inspect for bearing wear by lifting the vehicle and checking for play in the wheel.

Now some wheel bearing assemblies are factory sealed. That means that they cannot be serviced – they can only be replaced. Those that aren’t sealed can be serviced on schedule at Central Avenue Automotive. The bearings are removed, cleaned and inspected. If the bearings are still good, they’re re-installed – if not, they’re replaced. They are then packed in grease and a new seal is installed.

If your vehicle has a factory sealed wheel bearing assembly, the entire assembly needs to be replaced when trouble arises. Unfortunately, the parts are pretty pricey – but they usually last about 150,000 miles as long as the seals hold up.

Now, even a good seal cannot keep out water that’s exerting pressure on the seal. So if you’ve driven through hub deep water your bearings should be cleaned and repacked if they’re serviceable. If you have factory sealed bearings, you just need to watch for signs of premature failure. If your wheel bearings can be serviced, your car maker’s owner’s manual will recommend an interval, usually around 30,000 miles.

If you have any sort of trailer, don’t forget its wheel bearings. They probably need to be serviced even more frequently. This is especially true for boat trailers that are used to launch the boat by backing it into the water. These should be serviced every year, usually at the end of the season so that the bearings don’t have the opportunity to rust all winter.

So what happens to Kent drivers if wheel bearings fail? Well, the wheel can literally fall off the vehicle. I don’t need to tell you how harmful that could be. So check with your service advisor at Central Avenue Automotive and see if your vehicle’s wheel bearings can be serviced and when it’s recommended. Listen for warning signs. If you’ve been fording streams or puddle surfing after rainstorms, be especially vigilant.

Visit the automotive professionals at Central Avenue Automotive for a wheel bearing inspection, or for headlamp service. Call 253.854.6762 for an appointment.

6 Questions to Ask Any Auto Shop

Posted by & filed under Service Standards.

The best thing to do when you’re looking for a shop is pay them a visit so you can see the facility. Make sure it’s clean and that the people working there are friendly and knowledgeable. Once you’re at the shop, there are 6 simple questions to ask. You can do this over the phone, but I think you miss the personal impression, and that in itself will sometimes tell you everything you need to know.

Keep in mind that one of the most misused methods of selecting an auto shop is to choose one based on price alone. It’s a common practice for shops to have strategies in place to give you just enough information to get you in the door, which means their estimates will be inaccurate. How can they give you an accurate estimate if they haven’t even seen or assessed your car?

6 Questions for Your Auto Shop
Photo Credit: Colin_K via Compfight cc

That’s why these six questions are so important to ask.

1. What is your Warranty?
At Central Avenue Automotive, our Warranty is 3 years or 36,000 miles on parts and labor, whichever comes first. Respectable auto shops will be happy to provide a warranty on their work.

2. Do you have a Guarantee?
At Central Avenue Automotive, we guarantee that we will fix your car and treat you like family and friends. Our people will always treat you and your car with respect. We guarantee that the technicians who are working on your car have at least 5 years’ experience, and 90% of the staff has over 20 years of experience.

3. Are your technicians ASE certified?
Every technician at Central Avenue Automotive is ASE certified. ASE technicians are incredibly well-trained. Even after they get out of school or their apprentice program, they still attend 8 hours of training every quarter.

4. Do you provide a free customer shuttle?
At Central Avenue Automotive, we provide customer shuttles to and from work or home. We know you need help when you car is out of commission, so we make it our mission to help you. A good repair shop should be able to provide you some help and options — your car repair shouldn’t put your life on hold.

5. Does this shop benefit the community?
Everyone who works in our shop also lives in the community. We support Kent Little League, Kent Lake High School, Kent Youth Soccer Association, Auburn Youth Soccer Association, and Kent Communities’ in schools. We mentor graduating seniors who want to go into the automotive field. We also support many other local programs, because this community is where our families live, too.

6. What happens if you are closed?
At Central Avenue Automotive, we are available 24/7 with towing and roadside assistance, as well as 24-hour online appointment scheduling. We also offer a night drop form if you have to drop off your car outside of normal business hours.

These are the 6 simple questions to ask to help you find a quality repair shop.

Fuel System Cleaning at Central Avenue Automotive for Better Performance

Posted by & filed under Fuel System.

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Hi Kent motorists. Let’s talk fuel injectors. A fuel injector is a valve that delivers fuel to a vehicle’s engine. It has to deliver the precise amount of fuel, to precisely the right place, precisely when the engine needs it. The fuel also has to be mixed with air before it can burn in the engine.

Fuel injectors are engineered to spray fuel in a specific pattern into the engine. (The pattern varies by engine type and design.) In order to achieve these spray patterns, the fuel must be pressurized.

The pressure in a fuel injection system varies depending on its type. Many gasoline SUV engines use port injection systems, which operate with a pressure of 60 pounds per square inch. Newer direct injection systems operate at 10 to 30 times that pressure. Some diesel passenger vehicles have fuel injectors that operate at 30,000 pounds or more per square inch.

Fuel System Cleaning at Central Avenue Automotive for Better PerformanceVehicles have one fuel injector for each cylinder in the engine. Your vehicle’s control computer constantly monitors the engine and various sensors in the vehicle and adjusts the fuel injectors accordingly so that they can deliver the proper amount of fuel to the engine. As you can see, fuel injectors are a sophisticated and vital part of your vehicle’s engine. Because fuel injectors are such precision instruments, dirt and contaminants are a serious detriment to their performance. When an injector gets gummed up, it affects the pressure, pattern and timing of the fuel delivery. The result is a decrease in fuel efficiency and loss of engine performance for Kent car owners.

So it’s to Kent car owners’ advantage to keep their fuel injectors clean. That starts with keeping the fuel in your tank clean. High-quality fuel contains detergents and additives that help clean your engine. Brand-name fuel companies also deliver a more consistent quality of fuel to Kent motorists than do bargain Auburn area service stations.

The second way to keep your injectors clean is to keep your fuel filter clean. This filter screens dirt and rust out of the fuel as it travels from the tank to the engine. If the filter clogs up, fuel will bypass it and carry its load of dirt into the engine.

Kent car owners should check their owner’s manual to find out how often they should change their fuel filter. This should be part of your regular preventive maintenance. Also, remember that if you use bargain-brand or low-grade fuels, or if you drive an older vehicle between Kent, Federal Way and Burton , your filter will need to be changed more often.

You can also purchase cleaners at Central Avenue Automotive that will protect your fuel injectors. These cleaners are added to the fuel tank. They work best at preventing build-up in your fuel injectors and can clean up small amounts of carbon, gum and varnish. But they won’t be able to clean a fully gummed-up injector. Read the labels before using any of these products for full directions on their use. If your fuel injectors are gummed up, you can get a professional deep cleaning service at Central Avenue Automotive in Kent that will result in better fuel efficiency and improved vehicle performance.

Good car care will prevent serious damage to your fuel injector system. And this is one system that you want to keep in perfect condition.

How to Find a Good Auto Repair Shop

Posted by & filed under Service Standards.

Probably the most important thing that you can do when you’re looking for a good service and repair shop is to speak with your friends. If you’re new to the area, then speak to your co-workers or to people that you may go to church with.

Speak to auto parts store employees. A lot of people don’t realize that their local auto parts store is a great resource.

The local NAPA or CARQUEST people are going to know who the good shop owners are in town. They are the places that refer customers who have had their check engine light looked at, or who they’ve sold an O2 sensor to and the issue is still not fixed, and the customer isn’t sure what to do.

Good Auto Repair in Kent WA

Another great resource is Google. Just take a look and read online reviews. Read 5, 10, 15, or 20 customer reviews and you’ll get a feel for how the shop operates and how they’re viewed within the community.

Check with the Chamber of Commerce. The Better Business Bureau is another great resource.

Also take a look at the shop’s website and at the staff bios. Go in and pay them a visit. Get the free consultation.

Trust your gut. Look at the shop. Is it clean? Are the service advisers friendly? Are the technicians certified? These are all questions you should ask.

Any high-quality shop is going to be happy to show you their technician certifications and is going to be happy to really show themselves off, because they’re proud of what they’re doing and how they conduct their day-to-day business. They’ll be happy to answer any of your questions.

AAA is another great resource. They really put auto shops through a litmus test of checking on them to make sure that they’re a quality shop. I know that AAA of Washington goes the extra mile to make sure that before they give a stamp of approval on a shop, they take a sample of customers. They’ll actually call customers to see what they’ve had done. AAA tours the facility and knows what kind of quality shop it is, and sees that they have the right equipment. They also demand that in order to be an AAA-approved shop, you have to employ technicians that are certified in the areas that you repair.

Those are some of the quickest, easiest, and most effective ways to find a good shop in whatever area of the country that you live in, but probably the best way to find a shop is by referral. Again, talk to your friends, family, and your neighbors.

Wet Weather Affects Your Brake Fluid

Posted by & filed under Brakes, Fluids.

The dangerous thing for cars in western Washington, particularly Seattle and south King County, is that the area is built on multiple hills. Drivers are using their brakes all the time to climb a lot of hills and that’s really tough on the car. The car is working hard to climb a really steep hill, and then on the other side you’re using your brakes 10 or 15 times to go down a hill that’s only two miles long. Your brake fluid needs to be in good shape to handle that kind of stress.

Unfortunately, one of the properties of brake fluid is that it absorbs moisture in wet weather.

Wet Weather and Brake Fluid
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Brake fluid will absorb moisture to the point to where it is made up of brake fluid and water. Water has a boiling point that is a lot less than brake fluid. So as you’re going downhill and you’re holding your foot on the brake, your brake operating temperature may reach 500, 600, 700, even 800 degrees. Water boils at just a little over 200 degrees. So we’ve got boiling brake fluid.

When brake fluid boils, it turns into vapors. You can’t compress a vapor the same way that you can fluid. Fluid doesn’t compress, but a vapor will compress. So you’re pushing on your brake pedal and all of a sudden it goes to the floor. Now you’re going down a hill, and you have no brakes. All of this could have been avoided by changing the brake fluid.

If you live in Arizona and other drier climates, you can get away with not changing your brake fluid for 5, 6, 7, or 8 years. In Washington, if you go a couple of years, you’re going to start having some serious brake problems by not changing the fluid.

That’s probably the biggest shock to people who move to Washington: keeping up with air conditioning service along with brake fluid service. Those are big differences between whether you’re from Southern California or Nevada where the climate is typically a lot drier.

Another thing that we get a lot of is rain. When it rains here and the roads are wet, a lot of moisture enters the vehicle. It finds little crevices, the breathing vents and stuff, and enters into the fluid. It’s really common for us to service a rear differential on a truck or on a full size car and pull the fluid out to find the fluid looks like chocolate milk when it is supposed to look like vegetable oil.

The reason for this is that the fluid absorbed all this moisture in our air and on our roads, and has contaminated the fluid. When the fluid is contaminated, it loses its lubrication properties. Then all of a sudden you start to do damage to hard parts on the car.

Contaminated fluid and faulty air conditioning are the two most common problems with a moist climate that we see at our shop.

Synthetic Oil For Kent Autos

Posted by & filed under Maintenance.

If you aren’t currently using synthetic motor oil in your Kent vehicle, maybe now’s the time to consider it. Need more information? Well, synthetic motor oil is a substitute for petroleum based oil.

Synthetic oil doesn’t gel or gum-up like petroleum based oil and it doesn’t vaporize as easily. It protects better in severe driving conditions like stop and go driving around Kent, as well as in very hot or very cold conditions. More and more new vehicles are being delivered with full synthetic motor oil; with the recommendation to use synthetic for the life of the vehicle.

Why is this? Synthetic motor oil maximizes engine power and fuel economy. To see why; we’d need a microscope, so we’ll have to settle for using our imaginations.

The molecules of conventional motor oil are long hydrocarbon chains. Synthetic motor oil, on the other hand, has uniform, round molecules. Which is more slippery, a pile of pencils or a pile of marbles?

Synthetic motor oil lubricates better because there’s less friction. That means better wear protection, cooler operating temperatures, more power and better fuel economy. And synthetic oil doesn’t sludge up like conventional oil, so it prevents those small oil passages from clogging up.

Some manufacturers are extending oil change intervals. The added protection of synthetic oil covers you for these longer intervals. Talk with your service advisor about how you drive and see if he thinks you can benefit from synthetic oil. Also ask about the appropriate oil change interval for synthetic, because it may very well be longer than for conventional oil.

Most of us here in Kent have a busy life and might occasionally miss an oil change; go ahead admit it. Since we’re not perfect, doesn’t it make sense to use a motor oil that’s got your back?

Now synthetic oil costs more. But it lasts longer, protects better and increases fuel economy. You’ll likely save money in the long run. If you’re serious about making your car last longer, start using synthetic motor oil right away.

Give us a call at 253.854.6762 to schedule an oil change, or visit us at our Central Avenue Automotive website.

Using Proper Fluids In Your SUV Or Other Vehicle

Posted by & filed under Fluids.

Today Central Avenue Automotive is talking about the proper fluids for your vehicle. It’s become more complicated with changes in automotive design and manufacturing. It’s not that people in WA are confused as much as they don’t realize how much things have changed in recent years.

If you have questions about the fluids in your vehicle, please don’t hesitate to stop by Central Avenue Automotive. You can find us on 1514 Central Ave S Ste A in Kent, WA 98032.
Just give us a call at 253.854.6762

Let’s take engine oil. Twenty or thirty years ago, there were just a handful of different weights of oil. The weight of an oil is a scientific measure of its properties, particularly its viscosity or thickness.

It was common in those days to use a lighter weight oil in the winter when it’s cold outside. That way the oil would be able to splash around inside the engine and protect the parts before it was fully warmed up. And a heavier weight oil would be used in the summer. The thicker oil wouldn’t thin out too much in the summer heat and vaporize in the engine.

Modern valve trains have become very complicated with more moving parts and small passages than ever before. The valve train is in the top of the engine, so when the car has been turned off for a while, the oil tends to run down to lower areas and the valve train parts are vulnerable at start-up, before the oil starts circulating.

So new weights of oil have been introduced to meet the engineering specifications of these newer engines.

Manufacturers are recommending specific weights of oil. The recommendation is often printed on the oil fill cap. It’s certainly in the owner’s manual. Of course, your Kent WA auto service center can look it up for you.

It’s more important than ever to have the correct weight of oil. The wrong weight could actually harm the engine.

Other fluids are also becoming more sophisticated. In the last few years new types of transmission, power brake fluid and coolant have all been introduced for some of the same reasons as for engine oil.

In addition, vehicle manufacturers are now using a wider variety of materials in these systems. Looking at the cooling system as an example, it used to be that the parts were all made out of steel or iron and the hoses were rubber. Now, some parts are plastic, aluminum or other materials.

So the anti-corrosion additives contained in the coolant, or anti-freeze, need to be different in order to protect the different materials used to make the cooling system. If you use the wrong coolant that wasn’t formulated to protect your plastic cooling system parts, they could become corroded and fail. And if you’re using the wrong coolant, your cooling system won’t be covered under warrantee. So it’s important to use the right coolant and to not mix different types.

Your owner’s manual or your Kent WA service advisor at Central Avenue Automotive can make sure you’re using the right type. You may have heard of universal coolant. Universal, or global, coolant can be added to other types without harmful reactions. That’s OK for an emergency top off, but following your manufacturer’s recommendation for your SUV or other auto type is always a safe bet.

In the area of brake fluid, there are a couple of new formulations. It’s important to remember that the new ones aren’t better than the old ones. They’re just different formulations for different vehicles. So if your vehicle calls for DOT 3, using DOT 4 or DOT 5 is not an upgrade. Use the recommended formula.

There are fluid formulations for vehicles with higher mileage. These are special engine oil, transmission fluid, and so on that contain additives to condition and restore seals and gaskets in older engines.

They’re fine to use as long as they’re a variant of the proper fluid. In other words you can use a high mileage engine oil as long as it’s also the correct weight recommended by the manufacturer. Same goes for transmission fluid; as long as it’s the right type for your transmission.

Winter Advice for Air Conditioning Maintenance

Posted by & filed under Air Conditioning, Cabin Air Filter, Dashboard.

Our auto shop is located in Kent, Washington, where it tends to be wet and cooler than in some other areas of America. If someone were to move here from a hot, dry climate, there are some maintenance areas that need more attention because of the difference in conditions.

Probably the most important thing for someone who moves to western Washington to understand is that it doesn’t really rain here every day of the year. We have seasons. Having seasons with temperature and weather changes can really affect cars.

Air Conditioning Maintenance

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When we go from hot to cold or from cold to hot, we always have a run of vehicles that won’t start. It’s because batteries can fail during temperature changes. It takes a whole lot less power to start a car when it’s hot outside than it does when it’s cold. This is something we see a lot of when people first move here — they’re here a couple of weeks and all of a sudden AAA is bringing their car in on a tow truck because their car doesn’t start.

Another thing that we see a lot of is air conditioning failures, mostly due to moisture in the air. A lot of people don’t realize this, but an air conditioner not only cools your car, but also defrosts windows and keeps moisture out. A well-functioning air conditioner is constantly pulling moisture out of the inside of the car. We all know that if you keep something wet for too long, things tend to mold and mildew.

It’s really crucial that your air conditioning is working correctly during the winter months, because that’s pulling all of the wet air out of your car and keeping your interior dry. It also keeps your windshield defrosted and the car’s inside electronics dry. You don’t want moisture developing all over your vehicle’s computer, or on the inside of your dash, or the inside of your CD player.

A critical function of an air conditioner is to dehumidify the inside of the car. Make sure you’re working with a professional if you need air conditioning repair.