Chesapeake Auto Repair

Questions To Ask Your Chesapeake Service Advisor   We find that a lot of Chesapeake service and repair at West Service Center, Inc. are a little tentative when they talk with their automotive advisors. They want to ask questions, but don’t want to be embarrassed or to seem pushy. Cars are very complicated and there’s more to know about them than most of us have the time to learn. Maybe it’s because cars have become so much more reliable that the average person just doesn’t need to know as much to keep their vehicle on the road. You know, your local hospital has a Patient’s Bill of Rights that they post throughout the hospital. We think our Chesapeake automotive service customers also have a right to ask any question they need to understand what is wrong with their car and what it will take to fix it. They need to feel free to ask the cost and benefits of recommended services. And they certainly have a ... read more

Steer Right In Chesapeake   Virtually all vehicles come with power steering so many Chesapeake drivers have never driven a car or truck without it. Power steering assists you when you turn your van steering wheel. Without it, it would be very hard to steer. Now this power assist comes in a couple of forms. In recent years, a lot of Chesapeake vehicles have an electric motor that reduces steering effort and helps improve fuel efficiency. The other kind of power steering is hydraulic. This is the kind most older Virginia vehicles, and a lot of newer ones, have. Power steering fluid is pressurized by a pump and is used to assist steering. Of course, Chesapeake car owners need the right amount of fluid in the system. If it’s too low your steering is affected and you could damage your van pump. Also, power steering fluid can become corrosive over time and damage the pump, hoses and connectors; leading to leaks and re ... read more

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