Chesapeake Auto Repair

West Service Center, Inc. Often Asked About Premium vs. Regular Gas   Chesapeake auto owners often ask the question: “Will using premium gas make my car run better?” The answer is simple. But first, let’s talk about what exactly premium gasoline is. Different grades of gasoline have different octane ratings. Regular gasoline has the lowest octane rating and premium the highest. Most gas stations around Chesapeake, Virginia also carry a mid-grade that falls in between the two. The octane range for the different grades of gas varies by region due to altitude differences. Engines require different octane ratings because of design differences. For example, turbocharged engines usually require premium gas. There’s a sticker on your gas tank filler lid that tells you the minimum octane rating your automobile manufacturer recommends. Chesapeake auto owners should read their owner’s manuals carefully to see if it’s acceptable to use lower grades. W ... read more

A Cold Day In Chesapeake Your browser does not support video Most Chesapeake auto owners worry about a breakdown or a tire blowout on a busy Virginia interstate but don’t worry too much about failure of their air conditioning system. A breakdown at the side of the road can be a miserable and dangerous affair during Chesapeake rush hour, but so can a long ride in a hot van. A lot of Chesapeake drivers judge their vehicles’ air conditioning systems as “non-essential” and so may neglect them in favor of repairs and maintenance that keeps the van running. But preventive maintenance of an air conditioning system is simple and inexpensive, while auto a/c repair can be very pricey in Chesapeake. Suffolk auto owners should have the refrigerant in their air conditioning system checked regularly to ensure it is adequate and clean. Air conditioning systems often ... read more

Why A Trip Inspection Is A Good Idea   At West Service Center, Inc. we get a lot of Chesapeake motorists asking about car trip preparation. That’s a big deal. You could be driving through mountains and deserts in some pretty lonely areas outside of Chesapeake so it’s important to know that the car is up to the task and won’t leave you stranded. Smart Chesapeake car owners plan ahead for a major road trip – there are a lot of things to get ready. Where should you start? You could start with the tires. Look them over for tread wear and check to see that they are properly inflated. Take a quick test drive around Chesapeake to see if you can feel any vibrations: are the wheels in balance? Is the car tracking straight? Is the alignment ok? Come to West Service Center, Inc. for a peace-of-mind trip inspection. The next thing is a full service oil change to make sure all of your critical fluids are topped off and you ... read more

Cooling System Components Today we want to talk about a key system in our cars – the cooling system. It’s one of those things that Chesapeake car owners don’t give much thought to until it fails and then they’re stranded by the side of a road in Chesapeake. Cooling systems fail more often than any other mechanical system – usually because of neglect. Don’t you hate it when something breaks, and you could have done something to prevent it? The good news is that if Chesapeake drivers take care of their cooling systems they can keep working for the life of their car. Here at AutoNetTV and West Service Center, Inc. in Chesapeake, we emphasize essential preventive maintenance services like replacing your coolant according to the factory schedule. But the various parts that make up the cooling system need attention too. The major components of the cooling system are the water pu ... read more

Straight And True In Chesapeake: Wheel Alignment Your browser does not support video Most Chesapeake folks worry about running out of gas or having a breakdown on the side of the road. That is why we practice preventive maintenance on our vehicles — that and to keep our repair bills down. But one important part of preventive maintenance that may get overlooked by Chesapeake auto owners is a periodic alignment inspection. Poor alignment causes tires to wear rapidly, unevenly or both. This means they will have to be replaced early, and new tires are more expensive than an alignment check in Chesapeake. Bad alignment can also cause damage to suspension and steering systems, which can be expensive to repair in Chesapeake. Tire wear on misaligned wheels can also lead to blowouts, which are dangerous, can lead to serious accidents, and can seriously damage your van. Also, poor alignment itself can be the cause of an accident, since t ... read more