Chesapeake Auto Repair

10 Services Chesapeake auto owners Often Overlook   We live such busy lives nowadays: work, social events, running the kids all over Chesapeake. Some days it’s all we can do to keep track of everywhere we need to be. That’s why you’ve gotta be organized. Smartphones, calendar apps – we have to keep track of it all. So let’s talk about schedules. Specifically, automotive service schedules. And particularly, the vital scheduled services that are sometimes forgotten. Here is a list of 10 service items that are often overlooked by Chesapeake drivers. They’re all very important and need appropriate attention. So here we go, in no particular order. 1. Power Steering Service Be honest; have you ever thought of this on your own? Your power steering fluid gets dirty and builds-up moisture over time. Cleaning out your power steering system means that dirt and gum are removed and your important power steering parts are ... read more

Smooth Shifting in Chesapeake Virginia: Transmission Service   So you have some exciting plans for the Virginia weekend. You’re going to take some of your Chesapeake, Virginia friends out on the boat for some water skiing. Of course, you’ve gotten the boat all ready. And you haven’t forgotten about your tow vehicle. You’ve gassed it up and even vacuumed it out. However, there is something even more important than the cleanliness of the interior: you want to make sure that your van maintenance is up to date. Think about it – heavy interstate traffic on the way out of Chesapeake. There’s hilly terrain as you get to the lake. Some dirt roads – and it’s going to be pretty hot in Chesapeake this weekend. And all the time you’ll be towing around several thousand extra pounds. That all adds up a lot of severe strain on your engine, brakes and transmission. Let’s just consider the transmission. It’s going ... read more

Differential Service At West Service Center, Inc.: Vive ala Difference Your browser does not support video Every van on Virginia highways has a differential, and it is important to the proper operation of the vehicle, but most Chesapeake motorists don’t have a clue what it is. The differential compensates for differing wheel speeds. For example, when you turn, the inside tire on the turn travels a much shorter distance than the outside wheel. So the inside wheel of the van must move at a slower speed than the outside wheel. Without a differential, the wheels would hop and scrape while turning. Have you ever seen the large bugle-shaped object in the middle of the rear axle of a truck? That’s the differential. In a rear-wheel drive vehicle, the differential is located on the back axle. Four-wheel drive vehicles and SUV’s have differentials on both the front and the rear axle. You might expect that the differential is loca ... read more

Looking Down the Road – Headlamps   If you’ve ever been driving around Chesapeake and had a headlamp go out, you’ve probably just wanted to replace the bad bulb. If your car uses halogen headlamps, they dim over time. So if you just put in one, they won’t have the same brightness which can be distracting and will affect your field of vision. To have your headlights inspected, visit us at West Service Center, Inc.. We’re at 904 Cavalier Blvd in Chesapeake, Virginia 23323. Or give us a call at 757-487-4420 Experts in Chesapeake recommend replacing your halogen headlamps every year. It’s easy to remember if you do it when daylight savings time changes in the fall. That way you’ll have bright headlamps for those long Chesapeake winter nights. There are other types of headlamps in addition to halogen. There are the old standard bulbs that have been around for decades. These are OK, but you can us ... read more

Your Well Trained Technician At West Service Center, Inc.   When your van has a problem, or just needs some routine service, you might get a little nervous. Your car’s so important to your life in Chesapeake, you need to back on the road as soon as possible – with the problem fixed right the first time. If you’ve ever checked into some of the technician training West Service Center, Inc. professionals receive, you may be surprised at how much specialized knowledge and skill goes into diagnosing and repairing a modern car. For example: Today there are four cylinder engines that generate more power than the 1980s-era V-8’s. I mean a new V-6 Toyota Camry could beat Sonny Crocket’s Ferrari in a race to sixty. Some vans have several networked computers controlling most of the engine functions and many other vehicle operations as well. Norfolk motorists take all of this sophistication for granted – but somebody has to fix it w ... read more