Tacoma Auto Repair

Preparing Your Vehicle for Winter in the Pacific Northwest   Happy November, Bristow's Auto Family; pardon us for saying a well-used phrase, but Winter Is Coming. Winter-proofing one's vehicle is key to saving you money and time in the long run. Given our past knowledge of what winter looks like in the PNW, we feel there is no better time like the present to remind you of some essential safety tips you should take to ensure your safety on the road during our fast-approaching PNW winter.    Below is a list of key vehicle systems to have inspected:   Car Battery A common winter-car issue is your battery dying. PNW cold can be a recipe for disaster for my car batteries due to cold weather slowing down the chemical reactions in your battery. Your engine's oil will thicken as it gets colder, which means your battery has to work harder to move the oil where it needs to go when cranking the engine over. The cold also means that your vehicle has the added ... read more

Taken from https://www.kimiraikkonen.com/   Happy October, Bristow's Auto Repair family! For our October blog, we have decided to highlight our owner - Pete Bristows favorite F1 Driver. A driver that many professionals have called "A bit of a legend," "very unique," and "an incredible talent." A driver whose nickname is "The Iceman," as he is world-renowned- for his emotionless interactions through the years with reporters and overall aura of "no-shits-given attitude." Bristow's Auto Repair team presents why Kimi Raikkonen is Pete Bristow's Favorite F1 Driver.    INTERVIEWER: "WHAT IS YOUR FEELING BEFORE THE RACE?" KIMI: "IT'S ALRIGHT."   It's fitting to highlight Kimi and his awe-inspi ... read more

Given that August is upon us all & the extreme heat waves that we've seen throughout the country, there is no time like the present to talk about the implications of your vehicle overheating. The last place any of us want to be during these sweltering days is stuck on the side of I-5 with an overheated/smoking vehicle. Given the expected high temperatures surrounding a running engine and the aid from mother nature, heating the pavement and air around us, the end of summertime creates the perfect storm of conditions for an overheated vehicle. The team here at Bristow’s Auto Repair wants to ensure the safety of everyone on the road & to keep your vehicle from overheating, so we present Summer Car 101 Overheating Edition.   Overheating Warning Signs Hot Hood:  Although it's normal for a hood to feel warm when the engine is running, especially in the summer. One fundamental way to tell if your hood is too hot is if you can't touch the hood for more th ... read more

Warmer days are finally happening here in the beautiful PNW! Given the sunnier days and UV rays, a day trip up to Mt. Rainer is a Washington must. Mt. Rainer offers some of the most beautiful sights and thankfully is around 60 miles from our shop! There is so much to explore in this active volcano national park from hundreds of hikes, waterfalls, and wildflower meadows that here at Bristow's Auto Repair, we wanted to share them with you. So, buckle up and take the drive over to the 14,410-foot-tall Mt. Rainier National park for a great adventure! Paradise is a fitting name for glorious mountain views and the fields of wildflowers that you'll find at this popular hiking trailhead. Paradise offers multiple hikes from its base. For a more family-friendly and stroller compatible hike, try the Nisqually Vista Trail, and at 1.2 miles, it's perfect. The Skyline trail to Myrtle Falls offers a wheelchair-accessible path and is around a mile long. Make sure to pack ... read more

Racing In The PNW    Have you ever wondered about the origins of racing in the Pacific Northwest? Since the early days of engines, pushing for bigger, faster, and more has been a favorite pastime. Everything from drag racing, limited and unlimited hydroplane racing, road racing, off-road, circle track, and Motocross have been the racing scene's headliners in our lovely PNW. There is a lot of rich racing history in our area!   Pacific Raceways, formerly called Seattle International Raceway (SIR), is owned by a local family. In the '70s, Pacific Raceways was home to incredible events that brought huge crowds and intense entertainment, including side-by-side burnouts. The stands were filled with excited fans of all ages. SIR was host to many races, such as the 64 Funny Cars and the Fox Hunt, the two most significant events in the '70s. Those events eventually evolved into today's Northwest Nationals.   If you are into racing, you ... read more

  The History of BMW 2002   The BMW 2002 first rolled off the line in 1968. This iconic car's base model came stock with a single carburetor that produced 101 horsepower; this matched the Datsun 510 at the time. The BMW 2002Ti, an upgraded version, sported twin Solex 40 carburetors with a higher compression engine that delivered 119 hp, which pushed this little powerhouse to a top speed of 115 mph putting in the class of the likes of the Austin-Healey 3000 MkIII, but this 2002Ti seats 4 with space in the boot (trunk). The 2002Ti weighed more, but with those twin Solex 40's it had the pulling power to deliver both speed and performance.   When 1969 rolled around, BMW offered an automatic 2002 with a 3-speed transmission with a single carburetor engine. This coupe was not designed for sport but as a stylish easy-driving car. By 1971, BMW offered yet another version; the cabriolet had a 1.6-liter engine that was later upgraded to a 2-liter engine making it a ... read more

  At Bristows, we know the importance of being able to hop in your car and take a drive to clear your mind. Don't let recent events like the election, talk of the second wave of COVID-19, or the current season change have you feeling stressed, a little blue, or trapped. Take a nice drive to keep having fun this fall! The Pacific Northwest is a favorite of many, and as a Washington resident, you already know why. The beauty of Washington abounds in every corner of this beautiful state. There are so many gems that are just a road trip away. Need some fun fall road trip ideas? Look no further.    Port Angeles Just a hop, skip, and a jump away is amazing Port Angeles. Getting there is easy from Tacoma; it's only about two hours away. Port Angeles is about a 100-mile drive, and you'll get to cross the Tacoma Narrows Bridge! Here is a fun fact for you, the original bridge was named Galloping Gertie. It was rebuilt in 1950 and later renamed by locals Sturdy Gert ... read more

Have you ever found yourself stuck on the side of the road? If not, you are lucky or very good at preventive maintenance. We all plan to have a safe drive; however, just in case things don't go as planned, it is good to have an emergency kit packed in your car for that just-in-case. What should you keep in your vehicle emergency kit? Great question! At Bristow's, we have put together a list of items to consider packing before you take off on your Great Escape.   First Aid Kit Purchasing a first aid kit that is pre-packed is a no brainer. It comes with gauze, bandages, antibiotic ointment, tape, scissors, gloves, aspirin, tweezers, hydrocortisone, and a thermometer all packed into an efficient little bag. You can pick them up for about $25, and it is sure to come in handy. If you can find room to add a few things into the bag, we suggest you tuck in a flashlight, extra batteries, and a spare phone charger. Adding a handwritten note with your insurance information, prefer ... read more

The world had no idea what was in store when Gottlieb Daimler (1834 - 1900) & Carl Benz (1844 - 1929) were born into the world. This powerful duo pushed our world into a new era with their quest for automobile innovation and technology, leading us into a new wave of the future.   In the late 1800s, Carl Benz produced the world's first 2-stroke engine powered bicycle. Soon after, Benz & Daimler teamed up to form a company focusing on research and development of a 4-stroke engine designed to power an automobile. Of course, this comes after a few business ventures with other shareholders that did not share their vision and only wanted to work on developing stationary engines. As we all know, this was not to be their destiny, and so they parted ways. Daimler & Benz stayed true to their dream separately and together, focusing on building the world's first automobile, first by inventing the first internal combustion engine called The Grandfather Clock in 1884, foll ... read more

BMW has a long history of perseverance that began in 1916. What started out as an airplane engine company, BMW morphed along the way to stay relevant. From airplanes to motorcycles to fine luxury automobiles as well as mergers and takeovers, BMW continues to set the standard for excellence. They even made pots and pans to stay afloat during some of the toughest years!  The first BMW logo was created in 1917 honoring the original Karl Rapp logo that represented a spinning airplane propeller. In more than 100 years, that logo has changed very little. People love that logo and that’s why you see it on coffee mugs, key chains, flags, hats, and more. That way, everyone can say they own a BMW!  BMW headquarters is located in Munich where its primary manufacturing plant is located. It produces more than 200,000 vehicles a year and employs more than 9,000 people.  One of the things that makes BMW unique is its ability to adjust with the times. Through wars and negative ... read more