Chesapeake Auto Repair

The Fallacy of Cheap Tires   Do you ever shop for shoes in one of our Chesapeake area shoe stores? When buying a running shoe, is quality important? Does durability matter as long as the shoes look fabulous? Would you rather have one pair of long lasting shoes or two pair of lower quality shoes at the same price? Is the warranty important when buying tires? When you choose new tires in Chesapeake, what’s the most important factor for you? You know, buying tires in Chesapeake is a big deal. It’s a big ticket item so you know you’ll be spending a lot. You’re not only concerned about the price, but you want to know that it’ll be a long time before you need to buy new tires again. And of course there’s the safety aspect as well. The tires do a lot of work – they carry the weight of the vehicle and you and your passengers. They need to be up to the task. You want to be sure they hold the road and provide good traction ... read more

Suspension Service At West Service Center, Inc. In Chesapeake   Suspension systems function effectively for many years and tens of thousands of miles. Eventually, however, van suspension components do wear out, but how long that takes depends a lot on how you drive around Chesapeake and Norfolk. As you can imagine, if most of your driving is on smooth Virginia highways, your shock absorbers will last a lot longer than if you do most of your driving on bumpy Chesapeake roads or haul heavy loads. In addition to just wearing out, van suspension components can be damaged in an accident or by a hard impact – like a pothole, hitting a curb or a rock in the road. Because the life span of shocks can vary so widely, van vehicle manufacturers recommend periodic inspections. During an inspection at West Service Center, Inc. in Chesapeake, your honest automotive service technician will check for worn, broken or missing parts ... read more

Timing Belt Replacement in Chesapeake   Today we want to talk about timing belts. They’re something that many Chesapeake drivers don’t know much about and yet your vehicle won’t run if it’s broken – and it could cause many thousands of dollars damage if it does break. A broken timing belt is usually a tale of woe. Even though timing belt replacement is scheduled in the owner’s manual, it’s not the kind of thing that most Chesapeake car owners remember because it’s not well understood. Let’s review what a timing belt does. As you know, the engine’s power is generated in the cylinders. A piston rides up and down in the cylinder. During the first down stroke, an intake valve at the top of the cylinder opens and air and fuel is drawn into the cylinder. Then the piston returns to the top, compressing the fuel and air mix. At the top, the spark plug fires, igniting the fuel pushing the piston down in the power stroke. A ... read more

Chesapeake Air Conditioning Service   Working up a sweat is a great thing to do in a gym around Chesapeake, but not in your car. When your car’s AC System has a problem, you’ll often feel it right away. The question is, how long do you put up with it? You know, the old comfort versus cost dilemma. But a more comfortable drive around Chesapeake has a lot of benefits, and keeping the AC System well maintained can help prevent expensive repairs. A common cause for AC failure is water and air in the system. The system does not work as well with air in it. And water can cause rust that leads to damage of the A/C components. Also refrigerant, the stuff that makes the air cold, can leak out, reducing the efficiency of the system, making it work harder to try to cool the air. That is why periodically evacuating the air conditioning system and recharging it keeps the proper amount of clean refrigerant in the system so it cools better and lasts longer. You should also run th ... read more