Car Know How – How Your Heater Works

Many of the benefits we receive from cars we take for granted.  With that in mind, we thought we would draw your attention to one of the areas in your car you probably take for granted the most- the heater.

The instrument that produces heat in your car is called a heater core.  The heater core functions like a small radiator. Coolant is pumped into the heater core via your water pump.  The coolant flowing through the heater core warms up as heat is drawn from the engine.

A fan in front of the heater core blows air through the coils which heats up and travels into your car via air vents.  This is why when you first start your car you do not get “instant heat”.  The coolant needs time to heat up before it can warm you and the family up on a frosty morning. 

In fact, some vehicles have a delay on them so the fan does not kick on until the coolant in the heater core has reached the desired temperature.  Without the delay you would get nothing but cold air blowing through your vents until the coolant is warmed by the heater core!

Both heat and air conditioning units are tied together with a door in the middle that actuates to regulate hot and cool air.  When you move the temperature dial in your car the door moves to increase or decrease the ratio of hot to cold air. Thus, allowing you to control the temperature at which the air comes into your vehicle, much the same way your shower/tub works at home.

NOTE: A malfunction of this actuator can make it seem like your heater is not working.  Some people have even gone and replaced their entire heater core only to find out it was the actuating door that was the problem!

If you have more questions or have an issue with your heater that needs attention look no further than the Olympia Automall.  We have over 12 dealerships representing 21 different vendors with service departments to tend to your needs!  You've done your homework, now make the call!  When you are looking for new or used cars in Puyallup, WA come to the Olympia Auto Mall.

The Olympia Auto Mall – Washington's Largest!!!

          

The Olympia Auto Mall – Your Safety Is Our Priority

With the dawn of a New Year comes an exciting new chapter for the automotive industry. Our vehicles are getting smarter, more friendly to the environment, and more fuel efficient than ever before. In addition to these fine achievements our cars are now getting even safer. Technologies are becoming standard today that weren't even available a decade ago. The Olympia Auto Mall is proud to offer you 12 dealerships representing 21 manufacturers all dedicated to making your drive a safer one. Here are just a few examples:

Automatic Braking – Many of the vehicles offered by our dealerships feature systems that sense when there is imminent danger and slow down accordingly without you even having to raise a finger… or a foot in this case.

Backup Assist Technology – The backup camera has become a mainstay in today's vehicles. In addition to the backup camera, other technologies can help assist the driver in this often vulnerable state. Take reverse sensors for instance. As you're using your backup camera sensors indicate when someone or something made suddenly whisk behind you that you weren't aware of and give you the opportunity to avoid potential disaster. This technology also lets you know when you're approaching obstacles such as cones, parking obstacles, as well as other vehicles.

Blind Spot Technology – Again, using sensors and enhanced technology, the driver is made aware when they are signaling or attempting to move into another lane when another vehicle is in their blind spot, allowing the driver to avoid a potential accident.

Automatic Parking – This technology helps make the terror of parallel parking or trying to squeeze your vehicle into a tight spot a thing of the past. Many vehicles simply instruct you to a starting point, then you push a button, take your hands off of the steering column, and voilà, the car will automatically park itself. If only they let you do that during the driving test at the DMV!

Automatic Adjusting Headlights – you might not think of this is a safety feature, but the fact of the matter is this technology alone has been cited to decrease insurance claims. Basically adaptive headlights help the driver see better when negotiating a curve.

Frontal Collision Avoidance – this self-explanatory technology uses the same features cited in the first three categories mentioned only in the front of the vehicle. This can also assist the driver to avoid causing a rear end collision. It is used in adaptive cruise control to help the driver maintain a safe distance from themselves and the vehicle in front of them without having to disengage their cruise control.

These are just a few of the many safety features that the Olympia Auto Mall is proud to offer. To experience the brand-new safety features available to you first-hand come by our showroom. Our expert staff is ready to help you find the new or used car or truck that meets your needs. 

True, a new car can't buy you peace of mind, but we like to think it might be able to help you worry about a few less things in life so you can focus on what's most important. Whether you're looking for new or used cars in Tacoma, WA the Olympia Auto Mall is your premier choice.

The Olympia Auto Mall – Washington's Largest!!!

Environmentally Friendly Vehicles – Pros and Cons

When it comes to things we care about most in life, our environment is on just about everyone’s top ten list.  By considering how our vehicles affect the environment along with dedicating time and resources to build more fuel efficient vehicles and decrease our harmful emissions, we are doing our part to take responsibility in keeping mother earth alive and well for generations to come.

Flex Fuel- one such vehicle is our flex fuel models.  These vehicles are capable of handling fuel that has ethanol content up to 85%.  

• Pros- Ethanol is considered a renewable fuel and is thereby considered a more sustainable fuel source.  

• Cons- Your fuel economy may actually be less than using regular gasoline and you may not save much at the pump per gallon either.

CNG Cars – CNG stands for “Concentrated Natural Gas”.  

• Pros – CNG is the cleanest burning alternative fuel in the market today. CNG is right up there with gasoline as far as fuel economy per gallon is concerned.   

• Cons - You might find a hard time finding a place that offers a CNG fuel station.  CNG can cost more per gallon than gasoline.

Hybrid Cars – These are currently the most popular environmentally friendly vehicles on the road today.  

• Pros - Hybrid vehicles use a combination of electricity and gasoline, run by a computer to help improve fuel economy.  For example, you lose much of your fuel economy when idling.  Hybrid cars are designed to run completely on electricity at this stage and therefore save fuel.  In the case of the Toyota Prius, it achieves economy up to 50 mpg.  They also have other features such as regenerative braking which uses the energy lost from normal braking and instead, stores that energy into a battery in your car, and thus enhances the distance you can drive. 

• Cons - Hybrids have had trouble with their batteries in the past.  If you have to replace the batteries within the first few years of ownership, you may have just lost all of the money you saved in fuel efficiency. More recently these problems have been corrected with battery redesign.

Electric Cars- Electric cars are catching on more and more as we seek to use various alternative energy sources to power our vehicles. 

• Pros - Zero emissions and cost of fuel can be half or less than gasoline.   

• Cons – Electric cars are limited in how far you can go in the car. Also, charging the battery takes much longer than fueling up at the pump. For city driving, these cars are perfect.

These are just a few of the options available to you from the Olympia Auto Mall. The Olympia Auto Mall has over 12 dealerships representing 21 different brands that each offer eco conscious vehicles to align with your values and needs.

Come and test drive one of our models today!  

If you are looking for new or used cars in Olympia, Wa come visit the Olympia Auto Mall.  Our expert staff and friendly environment will help you find the vehicle that’s right for you!

The Olympia Auto Mall – Washington's Largest!!!