Auto Repair In Bainbridge Island

With Summer just around the corner, we thought we would share one of our island's fun summer events that Modern Collision Rebuild & Service puts on, the Bainbridge Island Classic Car Cruise-in, and it starts in less than a week. On the last Tuesday of May, June, July & August you will see an Island tradition take shape in the form of rubber and metal, all coming together to show off. We usually have anywhere from 100 to 150 cars join in for this fun event which draws in people from all over Kitsap County.  There are delicious hamburgers and hotdogs served and for $8.00 you can enjoy the beautiful cars, while having a hamburger, chips and a soda. This is the 21st year that this has been going on and every year it gets bigger. We have families show up just to see the cars and eat dinner. All the money that is raised goes directly to our local Helpline House for Project Backpack which helps kids prepare for the coming school year. Since the first car show, Project B ... read more

I attended a class a couple of days ago about company culture and one thing that was talked about was a company's mission statement and do the employees and customers know what it is? While we do have one it is not something that I have really advertised or talked about much. We do live up to our mission statement in our everyday actions, but until you have an interaction with our company you may not understand who we are and our “Why”. It is important that people know your mission statement and your why, because they will want to be part of a company who truly lives by what they talk about.  Modern Collision Rebuild & Service Strategic Objective:  Modern Collision Rebuild & Service provides the highest quality automotive collision and mechanical, repairs and service by hiring employees who take pride in themselves and their work.  We achieve an enjoyable work environment largely by realizing that a successful family life is the foundat ... read more

Ouch, it’s no fun heading to the gas station today. What can you do to save on gas and help you keep a little more money in your pocket? It’s simple, don’t drive your car. But that is not really a viable option for most of us, so what can you do? Consolidate some of your trips like grocery shopping. Do you really need that one thing, or could you wait and combine it with a trip to the hardware store and to town? Combine a few needs into one trip and it could save you a gallon or two of gas. Most vehicles out there are in need of some sort of maintenance that can improve fuel mileage, like making sure your tires are properly inflated, a new air filter or spark plugs.   One of the most overlooked items is the fuel system. Injectors and the fuel system can develop build-up over time just like us and our arteries. But for our car, we can flush the fuel system with solvents to break up these deposits and restore proper fuel mileage. I have seen fuel mileage incr ... read more

With spring just around the corner, make sure you are ready for the wonderful wet Pacific Northwest spring. We tend to have wet springs which is why it is so green here. Road conditions are worse in the spring than almost any other season we have. Why? I blame the wet weather. Rain can cause an accident easier than almost anything because of the false sense of control until you hit that patch of water or mud and things don’t quite go as planned.   Having good tires is just as important as having a full tank of gas when heading out on a long trip, without good tires you won’t be going anywhere, at least not safely. Most people who live here also know the importance of good wipers. There is nothing worse than not being able to see when the car in front of you sends the spray of water all over your windshield.  Get ready for spring and enjoy the wet weather, it is what keeps us green all year long. Grab your boots and rain gear and head out for a wonderful day hike ... read more

What’s up with all the potholes? Did you notice, everywhere you drive the roads look like swiss cheese. Our unique weather over the last few weeks have created these unique traffic calming features. What causes these? The rain followed by a good deep freeze and then the thaw. Rain will seep into the roadway through seams and cracks, this will sit in the asphalt, then when the freeze comes the water will expand which causes the asphalt to lift up. Once it thaws, guess what, the potholes appear.  While it is hard to avoid most of the potholes, it is recommended that you not play Wack-A-Mole with the potholes. Your vehicles suspension is built to handle rough bumpy roads but not without causing wear and tear on the suspension components and the alignment of the wheels. If you seemed to have vibrations that appeared out of nowhere, or your vehicle now seems to steer itself off the road, be sure to have your vehicle checked ... read more

Tires are round and come in all different sizes and patterns, materials but the only thing they have in common is their shape. While I am no tire expert by all means, I do know enough to be able to give a little insight about this marvelous invention and that we should appreciate the advancements in their technology. I could start with the invention of the wheel but I’ll skip a few thousand years, and start in the late 19th century.   Some of the first rubber tires were made of a thick layer of rubber around a solid metal disc. I could only imagine the chatter of teeth and the rattling of bones of the passengers on a nice rough surface, but I'm sure it was an improvement over the solid metal wagon wheels that preceded them. In about 1890 John Dunlop (Dunlop tire company) created the first rubber air filled tire for his sons bicycle, then, shortly after that ... read more

Getting ready for fall weather  Well, the weather sure has changed and I personally am glad to have some rain after the long hot summer we had. Are you ready for driving in the rain and dark evenings? Is your car ready for it?   This is a good time to make sure your tires are adequate for the long rainy season. Just because they hold air doesn’t mean they will help keep you in control in a rainstorm. This time of year, it is important to have a good amount of tread on your tires, so when you are driving in the rain you are able to stay in control. This time of year, we recommend that if any tire is even getting somewhat close to the minimum tread depth requirements, it gets replaced. Losing control of your vehicle in the rain and risking your safety along with others is not worth the cost of a new set of tires. Don’t forget to check yo ... read more

Are your headlights illuminating the road properly?  Yes, summer is over and it is starting to get darker earlier, and soon you will be coming home after work and have to use your headlights to see the road. Seeing what is in the road ahead of you is important not only for you but the other drivers on the road too. Headlights are not something people think about unless they don’t work.   But what happens when they work, but not as well as they did when they were new? It is like batteries in a flashlight that are slowly dying. You really don’t notice the light slowly dimming until you almost can’t see. Well, that is a lot like your headlights.  The lenses of most vehicles are made of plastic and as your vehicle ages the sun takes its toll on the plastic components of your vehicle, including the clear headlight lenses. Ever walk through a parking lot and notice some headlights have a yellowish tint ... read more

Vehicles are like us.  If you sit around, things don’t seem to work right. It is important to keep all the moving parts of your vehicle moving, especially here in the northwest. Just starting your engine and letting it idle for 5 minutes every other week is not enough. Keeping the engine moving is essential, but what about all the other moving parts? The brakes need to move otherwise they start to rust up and become seized.  The transmission has lots of moving parts, and moving them around is just as important.  These are just two of the many different systems of the drivetrain.  What about all those little things on the inside or the outside of your vehicle?  Most systems on a vehicle now days are controlled by electricity and a computer. What would happen to your laptop if you left it outside under cover for weeks on end without turning it on, using it or warming it up ... read more

Wow! The heat wave last month made me appreciate all the cooler temperatures we have in the Pacific Northwest. Your car seemed like a great place to hang out with the A/C blasting at full speed, especially if you don’t have A/C in your house. But what does the heat do to your car?  When your vehicle was new, all the components functioned well, and it was a very well-designed piece of machinery. But as it ages, components will begin to fail and require replacement. Your vehicle can be a cool place for you to be during the sweltering heat.  But what about your car, how is it doing?  Your vehicle is designed to work under extreme heat and still function to be able to give you reliable service and comfort.  Any time your vehicle is running, whether it is in the middle of winter or in an extreme heat wave, your vehicle is running at about 200 degrees. You should try open ... read more