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Award winning service!
- Voted "Best Auto Repair Service" 2004-2005 by readers of Grand Rapids Magazine
- Voted "Shop of the year" in 1998 by readers of On The Town Magazine
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The keys to inexpensive ownership |
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EVERY REFUELING EVERY
3000 MILES EVERY
6000 MILES EVERY
30,000 MILES EVERY
60,000 MILES |
Get to know your car's oil. By making it a habit to check your oil every time you get gas you get to know your cars most valuable fluid. If you find your oil level low, or if you have to add more than a quart every 1000 miles then something is going wrong. Taking care a problem when it is small is much much less expensive than when it becomes a catastrophic failure. Look at your oil level and color. Get to know what is normal. Save yourself thousands when something changes. If you don't know how to find your oil dipstick or check your oil we are working on offering a class titled "How to make your car last forever for much less money" check it out here and learn how. Back to top
Your coolant is your second most valuable fluid. Loss of coolant probably ends more automobiles lives than any other failure. Checking coolant is usually really easy. Just look at the coolant reservoir when the engine is warm. If it is low add a 50% mix of water and engine coolant to bring the level up to the normal mark. If you have to add more than a quart every six months something is leaking. Catch the problem while it is small and save thousands of dollars. Nice incentive to make checking coolant a habit. If you don't know how to find your reservoir or make a coolant mix oil we are working on offering a class titled "How to make your car last forever for much less money" check it out here and learn how. Back to top
The number one cause of tire failure is under inflation. Think rollover. Checking tire pressure is as simple as buying a tire pressure gage and setting your tires to the right pressure. Better gas mileage, safer handling, nicer ride and longer lasting tires are all a result of correct tire pressure. If you want to learn more about tires and setting pressures and what pressure to set them at, look at your owners manual or we are working on offering a class titled "How to make your car last forever for much less money" check it out here and learn how. Back to top
The simplest form of maintenance and the most important. Change oil every 3000 miles if you drive like everybody does. If you commute long distances or are feeling really lucky you can extend that interval to 5000 miles. Your owners manual may say 7500 miles between changes. It lies. That number is padded to make the car look good in surveys that compare the cost of ownership over 30 thousand miles. Most people drive their cars past warranty. Change your oil often if you plan to also. Back to top Add injector cleaner to your fuel Many many problems that shorten a car engines life are caused by deposits. Cars are also getting more and more complex and unfortunately more sensitive to deposits. Adding an injector cleaner to your fuel every oil change will help prevent the build up of sludge in your EGR system, keep deposits from building up on the back of your intake valves, minimize deposit build up on the tips of your fuel injectors and absorb any water that may have made it into your fuel tank from condensation. Water makes rust which damages fuel pumps and clogs fuel filters. Your car will run better longer, get better gas mileage, and require fewer repairs. We recommend BG 44k, which can only be purchased at a professional repair shop. Chevron with Techron or Krex will also work, and these can be purchased at a auto parts store. Back to top Most cars on the road are now front wheel drive. Front wheel drive cars put extra stress on the front tires because they not only use the front tires for directional control, but they also use them for propulsion. As a result the front tires wear much quicker than the rear. Rotating tires from front to back equalizes the wear and makes a set of tires last much longer. If your vehicle is four wheel drive, frequent tire rotation will minimize wear and tear on the four wheel drive system. Back to top When your tires are removed for the tire rotation it is simple to perform a quick visual brake inspection to catch any problems that may be developing before they become big, unsafe, and expensive problems. Ask that your brakes be looked at during your tire rotation. Back to top A dirty air filter makes your engine less efficient. Ask that your filter gets checked every other oil change. If your mechanic recommends it's replacement, ask to see your filter. If you want to know the difference between a good or bad filter we are working on offering a class titled "How to make your car last forever for much less money" check it out here and learn how. Back to top Your cars computer system is the most complex computer system you own. It also is subjected to the most harsh conditions of any computer you own. Having it checked out every 30 thousand miles makes sense because every part of your car depends on that computer to last. A computer diagnostic will evaluate the health of your oxygen sensors, your engine sensors, and evaluate your charging system and battery to prevent larger and more expensive problems from happening. Back to top Have your induction system cleaned. This cleans your fuel injectors and your intake manifold and will improve performance, fuel economy, and prevent long term deposit damage. A tune up includes replacing the spark plugs, replacing the PCV valve, replacing the fuel filter, replacing the air filter, and checking your belts, hoses, and wiring. Back to top Have your transmission serviced Flushing your transmission fluid will extend the life of your transmission. The number one killer of transmissions is heat, the number two killer of transmissions is dirty fluid. Don't wait until you notice a problem with your transmission to maintain it. It will be too late. Take care of your transmission and it will last the life of your car. If you have a four wheel drive vehicle or a rear wheel drive vehicle, now is also the time to service your differential. Back to top Brake fluid is hygroscopic. This means that it absorbs water from the air. As the water content of your brake fluid goes up its ability to not boil during hard braking goes down. Boiling brake fluid does not stop your car well. Brake fluid that has water in it also damages expensive components of your brake system, especially if you have antilock brakes. Back to top Have your fuel system serviced You have been buying dirt at more than a dollar a gallon for years now. It is called gasoline. Gasoline contains dirt, varnish, waxy substances called olefins and a whole plethora of nasty substances that stick and bind and gum up. Adding injector cleaner to your fuel every oil change helps prevent that build up, but some deposits require more than just additives. A fuel system service save money by removing deposits that rob engine power, mileage and damage sensitive components of your car. Some engines also tend to sludge up their EGR system and require and special EGR system cleaning also. Ask your mechanic if your engine is susceptible to these deposits and have them cleaned. Back to top Coolant turns into acid from being exposed to different metals and being heated and cooled every time you use your car. This acidity damages radiators, water pumps, heater cores, and head gaskets. These are all things that cost many times over the price of a simple flush. Back to top Have your brakes completely inspected Some parts of your braking system require minor disassembly to be thoroughly inspected. Ask to have a complete inspection to make sure that your brakes are functioning safely. Back to top Normal wear and tear will bring your car out of alignment. A properly aligned car will put less stress on suspension components, greatly improve the longevity of your tires, and improve the ride and safety of your vehicle. Back to top Your serpentine belt drives your alternator, air conditioning, and your power steering pump. It leaves you stranded when it breaks. Replacing this belt is inexpensive insurance against a breakdown. Back to top Your timing belt synchronizes your engine so that very expensive parts don't hit each other. When the belt breaks your engine self destructs. The engine will require disassembly and replacement of many expensive parts. Replace the timing belt, drive another 60 thousand miles without having to replace expensive parts. Some engines use the timing belt to drive the water pump. We recommend replacing the water pump at the same time because most water pumps fail before 120 thousand miles. Back to top Replacing your spark plug wires every 60 thousand miles with your tune up protects your ignition coil and module from damage caused by broken down wires. Spark plug wires deteriorate with time and force ignition coils to work harder. Replacing your wires prevents this and helps avoid breakdowns and catalytic converter damage caused by misfires. Coolant hoses break down over time. The rubber
becomes soft and looses its ability to handle cooling system
pressures. Hose failure will leave you stranded and could damage
the engine from coolant loss. Replacing these hoses is inexpensive
insurance against failure. Back to top Oxygen sensors tell your car computer how well it is
doing its job. As they age they provide less and less accurate
information and eventually lead the computer astray. A bad oxygen
sensor will degrade fuel mileage, increase deposits, and eventually
damage your catalytic converters which could plug and leave you
stranded. Your oxygen sensor is the single most important sensor
on your car. All the other sensors depend on its accuracy.
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