September can still give us some great weather, and hopefully this will be another weekend to get out and about, or…just stay home and enjoy. If you’ve never been to an exotic, elegant car show and you love cars (or just beautiful art, for that matter), I would recommend attending one of these events. The design and sophistication of these vehicles is incredible, especially for their age. The owners presenting the cars are usually pretty interesting people by their own right. The Kirkland Councours d’Elegance is in it’s eighth presentation this year. They are donating half of the “wine tasting” proceeds to benefit care for children at Evergreen Hospital and Seattle Children’s hospital. For more info, go to www.kirklandconcours.com .
In most of our “reality” world, if you’re thinking about replacing or adding a vehicle to your stable, please call and ask Paul or Mark any questions you may have about the reliability history, maintenance needs or anything else. We can also perform a pre-purchase inspection before you buy a pre-owned vehicle.
Have a great weekend and week ahead!

Yes, unfortunately it’s that last sort of official week of summer, although we usually have some awesome weather in September around here(along with some colder evenings). Bumbershoot, which bills itself as North America’s largest urban arts festival, celebrates it’s 40th anniversary this 3-day weekend. They have some more attractive options with ticket pricing this year, also. Just no rain, pleeeze (you do know what bumbershoot means, don’t you?)! There’s also the Evergreen state fair in Monroe through this weekend, and of course, the big Puyallup fair coming up next week.
If you’re planning a driving trip, remember to check those fluid levels & tire pressures. And as the darker, wetter & colder months ahead loom, you may be due for some scheduled maintenance, or seasonal fluid changes. Please feel free to give us a call if you have any questions or just need your wipers, lights, or fluids checked.

All of us at Southend Auto Care are excited and gratified to have been named a AAA” Top Shop”.  We thank you, our customers for grading us in the highest percentiles for our service to you. In addition to top levels of customer satisfaction, there are over 20 strict guidelines established by the AAA auto club to be part of the recommended auto repair network, including advanced technician certification, cleanliness of facility, professionalism, and best business practices. We believe this recognition is a true reflection of our dedication to provide you with the best auto care provider service anywhere. We look forward to serving an even greater part of the community with the same dedication.  Again, thank you!

     Well, we might actually hit 75 degrees for the first time this year in the Seattle area this week; can you believe it!? Even us “seasoned” veterans of this area are grumbling. It seems to me about one in 5 years is like this, pining for just a measly few days of sunshine to tide us over. Thank you in advance!
    Fuel prices are expected to remain relatively stable through the summer. Fuel prices are dictated largely by supply and demand, with recent times higher prices due to increased global demand as well as instability in several oil producing countries. Did you know the United States alone consumes approximately 25% of the world’s energy produced(crude oil and natural gas included)? China, who previously exported crude oil, now has doubled it’s import of crude oil in the last 4 years.
Overall taxes and fees on gasoline at the pump varies state to state, most falling within about 31 to 61 cents per gallon, with Washington at about 56 cents.
    Remember, several things affect the fuel mileage your cars gets, such as tire pressure, extra weight in the vehicle, and driving habits(such as quick accelerations and one of the largest consumers of fuel:driving above 60 miles per hour). Combined, these make a noticable difference.
Also, keeping your car’s maintenance up, with clean filters, correct type of engine oil installed at oil change services, fuel system servicing, and normal scheduled maintenance items performed on a timely basis improves fuel mileage. Don’t forget about the interior cabin air/pollen filter in many vehicles, while you’re at it.
Have fun getting out, driving, and enjoying all the great activities our region has to offer this summer. I’ve got cabin fever myself!

We are happy to announce the launch of our new website, www.SouthEndAutoCare.com. It includes lots of new features, such as our Online Promotions Page (print out coupons and save on your next visit) and Real-Time Online Appointment Scheduler. We also have a Contact Form that you can fill out and submit to us with your questions and/or comments. Also check out our Customer Reviews page to read reviews from our customers and submit one of your own.

Another facet of this new website launch includes the start of our Facebook Fan Page, plus we are now also on Twitter. So be sure to go to our Facebook Page and become a fan, as well as follow us at twitter.com/seautocare. We will occasionally offer Facebook only or Twitter only coupons and promotions. It’s also a great way for us to stay connected with you, our valued customer.

Cheers,
Mark