Chesapeake Auto Repair

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

Does Your Car Have A Recall Item?   No matter how well they’re made, cars are bound to have problems with their design or manufacturing. Think of all the moving parts. When the government thinks a problem is really serious, they require the automobile manufacturer to issue recall notices to Chesapeake residents and to fix the affected cars free of charge. The auto manufacturer then tries to contact all Chesapeake drivers who own that type of car so they can have it taken care of at their Chesapeake service center. These recalls always affect safety, so Chesapeake car owners would be wise to take them seriously. It’s really easy to find out if a vehicle is being recalled. For links to government sites, look in the AutoNetTV website. Other website include: carfax.com; autobytel.com; and dmv.org. All of these sites have free recall searches. Recalls are pretty serious for Chesapeake motorists and don’t happen all that often. But sometimes cars have les ... read more

Alternative Fuel Vehicles In Chesapeake Virginia   Let’s talk about alternative fuel vehicles. In their quest to reduce the use of fossil fuels and harmful exhaust emissions to our Chesapeake environment, automakers will have a number of alternatives for us very soon. For instance, Flex Fuel vehicles are already available in the Chesapeake area. Flex Fuel vehicles can run on gasoline or on E85 fuel. E85 is a mixture of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. The ethanol is made from corn. The benefits are in using less petroleum and reduced pollution. The drawbacks are that E85 gets lower fuel economy and that when gas prices are low, E85 can be more expensive than straight gasoline. You should only use E85 if you have a Flex Fuel compatible engine. Flex Fuel vehicles have special seals and gaskets that can stand up to the high alcohol content of E85. Using E85 in a regular engine can lead to gas leaks and fires. Diesel engines have been around the Chesapeake ... read more

Power Steering Service At West Service Center, Inc. In Chesapeake Many Chesapeake drivers have been hearing about technological advances in power steering, specifically, electric power steering. Some very high-end cars have been featuring electric power steering for a few years now. An electric motor directly provides the power assist to make steering easier. Undoubtedly we’ll see much more of this in Chesapeake as full electric cars and electric hybrids become more common. The vast majority of cars and trucks serviced at West Service Center, Inc. in Chesapeake use a hydraulic power boost system. With hydraulics, fluid is pressurized by a pump which actuates a hydraulic cylinder to reduce steering effort. Some of these pumps are powered by an electric motor. Most pumps are powered by the serpentine belt driven by the engine. Power steering fluid has the necessary hydraulic propert ... read more