Chesapeake Auto Repair

Water Pump   Your cooling system is very important. It circulates coolant through the radiator and your engine to protect your car from overheating. There are five main components to the cooling system: The cooling system is essential for Chesapeake drivers. It circulates coolant through the radiator and your engine to protect your van from overheating. There are five main components to the cooling system: the radiator the radiator cap the hoses the thermostat and the water pump The water pump’s like the heart of your cooling system, circulating the fluid throughout your van. It’s a small pump that’s driven by the engine; usually by belt, but sometimes by a chain or gear. The water pump only operates when the engine’s running. Water pump failure is pretty routine. We see it often at West Service Center, Inc.. Some start failing at around 40,000 miles, but most fail by 100,000 miles. Consult your car make ... read more

The West Service Center, Inc. Guide To Caring For Your Transmission   Most cars and trucks have automatic transmissions, yet a lot of Portsmouth auto owners only have a fuzzy understanding about what a transmission does. Think back to the last time you rode a bike in Portsmouth. You started out in a lower gear and shifted to higher gears as you went faster. Down shift for hills, stuff like that. Think of your legs as the engine – there’s an ideal speed you can pedal and you change gears to leverage the work you’re doing. Lower gears for power on hills or for starting out. Higher gears for more speed. That’s what the automatic transmission does – it automatically starts in lower gears and shifts up to higher gears to go faster on Virginia freeways. And automatically shifts back down to climb Portsmouth hills, pass or start up again. van automatic transmissions have certainly gotten more sophisti ... read more

Chesapeake Exhaust And Emissions Service   Many Chesapeake auto owners don’t realize that there is more to exhaust system maintanance than just tailpipes and mufflers. And if you can see smoke, or if it’s too loud. Exhaust service at a full-service automotive center like West Service Center, Inc. is really a lot more comprehensive these days. For example, in the U.S., the federal government required catalytic converters for all cars in Chesapeake in 1976 and on-board emission control computers in 1990. Virginia and federal emissions requirements have forced manufacturers to come up with much more sophisticated ways to comply with environmental laws. This also goes for cars sold in Canada. So, exhaust service has really become exhaust and emissions service. High-tech computer-controlled emissions devices are now necessary. And because it’s so sophisticated, auto manufacturers recommend having your emission system checked out by a qualified technician, lik ... read more

Check Engine Light Diagnosis At West Service Center, Inc. Your browser does not support video Hello Chesapeake drivers. Have you ever had your check engine light come on? Did you panic? Or just scowl and ignore it? What should you do? Pull to the side of the road and call a tow truck? Or just keep driving? What does that little light really mean for Chesapeake drivers? First of all, the Check Engine or Service Engine light does indicate that something is wrong. That’s why it is called a warning light. But the something that is wrong might be a loose gas cap, or it might be serious van engine trouble. That’s why Chesapeake drivers often don’t know how to respond to it. The check engine light has two modes: it flashes or it stays on. A flashing light is serious. You need to get your vehicle to West Service Center, Inc. in Chesapeake ASAP. No, you don’t need to call a tow truck, but, ye ... read more

Super Slick at West Service Center, Inc. in Chesapeake: Synthetic Oil Your browser does not support video When you get an oil change, it’s always a safe bet to just use the type of oil the auto maker recommends. But sometimes we’re asked if we’d like conventional or synthetic motor oil. We glance at the price tags on the two options and choose the cheaper one. But in this case, the more expensive oil might be the better bargain for Chesapeake drivers. Conventional oil is made from petroleum. Its molecules form long hydrocarbon chains. Synthetic motor oil is either more highly refined petroleum or completely man-made. Its molecules are more uniform. This provides vital advantages over conventional motor oil. First of all, the molecular structure of synthetic motor oil makes it more slippery than conventional oil so it lubricates better. This translates to better wear protection for Chesapeake car owners, cooler opera ... read more