Auto Body Tacoma

These cold winter months can be rough on your body… your car’s body that is. Salt and chemicals are used on roadways as deicer in the colder climates. Chemical deicer and salt are both strong corrosives and will heavily oxidize your cars precious sheet metal. Repairing rust is a labor intensive process that involves removing all the rust and potentially replacing the sheet metal and repainting your vehicle. There are a few simple preventative measures you can take this winter that will help keep your car’s body looking it’s best.
Paint is typically the most noticeable part of any car. Regular waxing will help protect your car’s finish from oxidization and discoloration. A good coat of wax on your car before the winter storms hit will protect your car’s finish from the corrosive salt and deicer and cold temperatures.

• Wash the underside of your car often during the winter months. The previously mentioned salt and chemicals will collect under the vehicle and slowly start eating away at your car. Accumulations of dirt can also cause rust. Just take a hose and rinse off the undercarriage of your car and take extra car to rinse the dirt out from the wheel wells.
• Applying undercoating to a car that has been on the road for a year or two is pointless. Skip the undercoating unless you are buying a new car. Once sheet metal has already started to rust undercoating won’t help. In order for undercoating to be effective it needs to be applied to clean metal. There is also going to be water in places it does not belong. Once you have apply the undercoat you trap that water or rust and it will continue to corrode your car underneath the undercoating.
• Don’t drive through large puddles of standing water. This water is loaded with salt and deicer and will get thrown into all the cracks and crevices of your car. Make sure that you rinse off your car as described earlier.
• When winter ends and springtime rolls around, it’s time to treat your car to a thorough wash and good wax job again. Remember wax also prevents against sun damage. Make sure to get all of the road grime and salt off of the car before you begin waxing.

With proper care and love, your car’s body will stay in shape for years to come. A little preventative maintenance can save you a lot of money down the road.

It’s that time of year again. Temperatures and wind chills that can take your breath away. Snow and ice that make stepping outside a dangerous proposition. You know all too well how winter affects you. It is important to take a moment to think about how it affects your car as well. After all, you don’t want to be broke down in Puyallup, WA.

If you live where it snows, you know the damage that snow, ice, loose gravel and salt can do to your car. Minor scratches and nicks turn to rust, your heater gets a workout it may not be prepared for, and your windshield must deal with the temperature stress of a warm interior and a freezing exterior. Check out these tips for preparing your car for cold weather:

Windshield Safety

Thermal shock is the term engineers use to describe the stress caused by drastic differences in outdoor and indoor temperatures. If you have a small ding in your windshield, thermal shock can cause your minor ding to turn into a major crack.

Repairing a small ding costs as little as $50 to $60. Replacing a cracked windshield can cost hundreds of dollars; on some cars, the cost may be even higher. Once a ding or star (star-shaped with points spreading out) expands, windshield replacement is often the only option. It’s important to repair small chips and dings quickly.

Repair not only saves the windshield it preserves the factory’s seal of windshield to auto body. Passenger side air bags deploy off the windshield, preserving the factory installation is an important safety consideration and keeping the factory’s original adhesive set also helps avoid air and water leaks.”

Fluids

As any mechanic will tell you, checking fluids is the least expensive and easiest preventive maintenance you can do. Change your oil in accordance with the recommendation from the manufacturer, and don’t forget to change your engine coolant (diluted with 50 percent water) and transmission fluid, about every two years. Be sure to mix anti-freeze with equal parts water, as pure engine coolants can freeze at zero degrees.

Though fluids like oil and transmission are commonly checked, other fluids integral to your vehicle’s performance, may go unnoticed. Make sure to fill your battery fluids, power steering, brake, and radiator fluids to their recommended levels

Don’t forget to top off windshield washer fluid. If you’ve ever driven after salt trucks have come through to melt snow and ice, you know the importance of windshield washer fluid. Do not dilute washer fluid with water since it can freeze during winter’s harsh temperatures. While you’re at it, you might want to change the wiper blades to prevent poor vision in already poor driving conditions.

Batteries and Corroded Cables

Winter mornings are rough on older batteries. The average life of a battery is 3 1/2 years. If your battery is older than that have a mechanic check the battery and cables to ensure your car starts quickly and reliably.

Anything Made of Rubber

Worn, bald or badly aligned or balanced tires can mean accidents on ice, rain or snow. Make sure to do a safety inspection on your tires for adequate tread, proper inflation and alignment and rotate your tires every 6,00 miles. If you live in unusually snowy areas, you may want to consider snow tires for added traction, or keep chains in your trunk or garage to help you through heavy snowfall.

Rubber parts under your hood need maintenance, too. Radiator, heater and vacuum hoses, among others, should be checked for cracks and bulges. Also, inspect all belts for damages and splits.

Rust, Minor Scratches and Nicks

Road salt can turn a slight scratch or nick to an ugly rust spot that’s impossible to avoid. And it can spread. Avoid costly body work by restoring spots before they turn into larger problems.

Boots

Front-wheel drive vehicles equipped with CV (constant velocity) joints should have the boots checked for rips and cracks. Boots protect CV joints, but when the joints are exposed to salt, ice and snow, they can damage the joint. Replacing a joint can costs hundreds of dollars, but replacing a boot can save you a a much more costly repair.

Spark Plugs

Worn or misfiring spark plugs can affect how efficiently a vehicle burns the fuel/air mixture, ultimately affecting engine performance. Worn spark plugs waste gas and increase exhaust emissions, so have them checked and replaced often.

Brakes

Brakes are your most important safety equipment and they should not be neglected. Don’t postpone needed brake work. It’s dangerous to drive with poorly performing brakes, especially in snowy weather. Postponing brake service also can cause the cost of overhauling your brake system to skyrocket.

Lights

Last, but not least, check your lights. Accidents can occur if you can’t see where you’re driving, or if other drivers can’t see you, especially as we approach winter’s short days and long nights.

Maintain your vehicle regularly to provide years of service with better performance and safety.

Is your vehicle ready for the cold weather? Temperatures and wind chills that can take your breath away. Snow and ice that make stepping outside a dangerous proposition. You know all too well how winter affects you. Have you ever considered how cold weather affects your vehicle? After all, you don’t want to be broke down in freezing weather.

If you live where it snows, you know the damage that snow, ice, loose gravel and salt can do to your car. Minor scratches and nicks turn to rust, your heater gets a workout it may not be prepared for, and your windshield must deal with the temperature stress of a warm interior and a freezing exterior. Check out these tips for preparing your car for cold weather:

Tacoma Wa Windshield Safety

• Thermal shock is the term engineers use to describe the stress caused by drastic differences in outdoor and indoor temperatures. If you have a small ding in your windshield, thermal shock can cause your minor ding to turn into a major crack.
• Repairing a small ding costs as little as $50 to $60. Replacing a cracked windshield can cost hundreds of dollars; on some cars, the cost may be even higher. Once a ding or star (star-shaped with points spreading out) expands, windshield replacement is often the only option. It’s important to repair small chips and dings quickly.
• Repair not only saves the windshield it preserves the factory’s seal of windshield to auto body. Passenger side air bags deploy off the windshield, preserving the factory installation is an important safety consideration and keeping the factory’s original adhesive set also helps avoid air and water leaks.”

Tacoma Wa Fluids

• As any mechanic will tell you, checking fluids is the least expensive and easiest preventive maintenance you can do. Change your oil frequently (consult your owner’s manual for recommended frequency), and don’t forget to change your engine coolant (diluted with 50 percent water) and transmission fluid, about every two years. Pure engine coolants can freeze at zero degrees, but mixing with water prevents freezing and provides great protection for the cold weather.
• Though fluids like oil and transmission are commonly checked, other fluids integral to your vehicle’s performance, may go unnoticed. Power steering, brake, radiator and battery fluids also should be filled to recommended levels.
• Don’t forget to top off windshield washer fluid. If you’ve ever driven after salt trucks have come through to melt snow and ice, you know the importance of windshield washer fluid. Do not dilute washer fluid with water since it can freeze during winter’s harsh temperatures. While you’re at it, you might want to change the wiper blades to prevent poor vision in already poor driving conditions.

Tacoma Wa Batteries and Corroded Cables

• Winter mornings are rough on older batteries. The average life of a battery is 3 1/2 years. If your battery is older than that have a mechanic check the battery and cables to ensure your car starts quickly and reliably.

Anything Made of Rubber in Tacoma Wa

• Worn, bald or badly aligned or balanced tires can mean accidents on ice, rain or snow. Make sure to do a safety inspection on your tires for adequate tread, proper inflation and alignment and rotate your tires every 6,00 miles. If you live in unusually snowy areas, you may want to consider snow tires for added traction, or keep chains in your trunk or garage to help you through heavy snowfall.
• Rubber parts under your hood should be checked also. Radiator, heater and vacuum hoses, among others, should be checked for cracks and bulges. Also, inspect all belts for damages and splits.

Rust, Minor Scratches and Nicks in Tacoma Wa

• Road salt can turn a slight scratch or nick to an ugly rust spot that’s impossible to avoid. And it can spread. Avoid costly body work by restoring spots before they turn into larger problems.

Boots in Tacoma Wa

• Front-wheel drive vehicles equipped with CV (constant velocity) joints should have the boots checked for rips and cracks. Boots protect CV joints, but when the joints are exposed to salt, ice and snow, they can damage the joint. Replacing a joint can costs hundreds of dollars, but replacing a boot can save you a a much more costly repair.

Tacoma Wa Spark Plugs

• Worn or misfiring spark plugs can affect how efficiently a vehicle burns the fuel/air mixture, ultimately affecting engine performance. Worn spark plugs waste gas and increase exhaust emissions, so have them checked and replaced often.

Tacoma Wa Car Brakes

• Brakes are your most important safety equipment and they should not be neglected. Don’t postpone needed brake work. It’s dangerous to drive with poorly performing brakes, especially in snowy weather. Postponing brake service also can cause the cost of overhauling your brake system to skyrocket.

Tacoma Wa Auto Lights

• Last, but not least, check your lights. Accidents can occur if you can’t see where you’re driving, or if other drivers can’t see you, especially as we approach winter’s short days and long nights.

Maintain your vehicle regularly to provide years of service with better performance and safety.