Chesapeake Auto Repair

How Do You Save Gas In Chesapeake Virginia?   No one in Chesapeake, Virginia likes to spend a chunk of change at Chesapeake gas pumps. Rising Virginia fuel prices, however, have spurred Chesapeake auto owners to focus on how to improve their fuel efficiency. North Americans literally drive billions of miles less each month during times of high fuel prices. But we still need to drive (we are car-loving Americans, after all!), so it makes sense to try and increase our fuel economy however we can. Let’s look at a real life example of one of our AutoNetTV producers. He has one of those really big SUVs. Lots of kids and horses to haul around, you know. His family was planning a four day camping trip. Here’s what he did to cut his fuel costs: First, he installed a new, high flow engine air filter. Then he had his Chesapeake service center change his oil, flush his cooling system and service his front and rear differentials ... read more

Chesapeake Drivers Severe Service Maintenance Schedules   Since driving requirements and lifestyles differ among Chesapeake auto owners, van auto makers publish two auto maintenance schedules: the regular schedule and the severe service schedule. Which schedule should Chesapeake auto owners follow? Here are some questions to ask yourself: Are most of your trips less than four miles around Chesapeake? Are most of your trips less than 10 miles in below-zero Virginia temps? Are most of your trips off-highway in Virginia? Do you drive often in dusty Chesapeake areas? Do you regularly tow a trailer or carry heavy loads around Chesapeake? Do you drive in very hot or very cold Virginia weather? Think about your typical week. Do you live by your nearest Chesapeake expressway on-ramp and enjoy a non-stop commute to Chesapeake or Portsmouth? Or, do you drive the neighborhood car pool in stop-and-go traffic on Chesapeake surface streets ... read more

Fuel System Cleaning at West Service Center, Inc. for Better Performance Hi Chesapeake car owners. Let’s talk fuel injectors. A fuel injector is a valve that delivers fuel to a vehicle’s engine. It has to deliver the precise amount of fuel, to precisely the right place, precisely when the engine needs it. The fuel also has to be mixed with air before it can burn in the engine. Fuel injectors are engineered to spray fuel in a specific pattern into the engine. (The pattern varies by engine type and design.) In order to achieve these spray patterns, the fuel must be pressurized. The pressure in a fuel injection system varies depending on its type. Many gasoline van engines use port injection systems, which operate with a pressure of 60 pounds per square inch. Newer direct injection systems operate at 10 to 30 times that pressure. Some diesel passenger vehicles have fuel injectors that operate at 30,000 pounds or more per square inch. Vehicle ... read more

West Service Center, Inc.: Why Replace Your Engine Air Filter? Just as our bodies need clean air to function properly, your van engine needs clean air to operate efficiently. Let’s go egghead for a minute. For every gallon of gas we burn driving on Virginia freeways, twenty pounds of carbon dioxide comes out the tailpipe. Question: how can a gallon of gas that weighs a little over six pounds produce twenty pounds of carbon dioxide? The answer is that the carbon comes from the gasoline, but the oxygen comes from the air. You see, it takes about twelve thousand gallons of air to burn a gallon of gas in your engine. Clearly, your van needs a lot of air to keep going in Portsmouth. A lot of clean air is best. You’ve seen the pictures of people in Japan wearing face masks. They want some kind of filter to keep unwanted pollution and germs out of their lungs. Well, your van also works bette ... read more

Finding Vehicle Recall Information In Chesapeake Virginia   No matter how well they’re made, vehicles in Chesapeake, Virginia will have design or manufacturing problems. And when the government thinks a problem is really serious for people in Chesapeake, Virginia, they require the manufacturer to issue a recall notice and fix the car free of charge. The manufacturer then tries to contact everyone in Chesapeake, Virginia who owns that type of car to get the recall work done. Perhaps you have received a postcard notifying you of a recall issue on your car. Because these recalls always affect safety, Chesapeake motorists should take them seriously. This isn’t difficult to do because it’s easy to see if a vehicle’s being recalled. The government has links on its websites, or just visit AutoNetTV for links. There are many websites with free recall information and searches. There’s CarFax, AutoByTel and the&nb ... read more