108 Kerry Lane, Staunton, Virginia 24401
Service
INFORMATION
We are willing, even anxious, to explain, to demonstrate, to inform, to listen, and to learn.
You are always welcome to speak with your Technician.
Feel welcome to offer suggestions about the shop, the process, the website.
WE ACCEPT USED MOTOR OIL
We use waste oil for our heat, so if you have any, you may bring your old oil to us.
It must be free of water and antifreeze, and we reserve the right to reject oil that is unacceptable.
PARTS is PARTS
We use only OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) parts.
(The same, or improved, parts as were put on your car at the factory)
Our parts and labor are Warranted for 12 months or 12,000 miles.
So if a part we install fails during the warranty period, there is no charge for part or labor to replace it.
(However, please check the disclaimer at the bottom of this page.)
ESTIMATES
We offer written estimates upon request, itemizing all Parts and Services.
Because Manufacturers often change specifications mid-year, we want to see your car to assure the accuracy of our estimate.
Remember we only use OEM Parts, never 'aftermarket' parts.
MAINTENANCE
Many Manufacturers (BMW for example) suggest that engine oil be changed every 15,000 miles, and that drivetrain lubricants are 'lifetime'. We suspect Manufacturers have opted for the convenience of the first owner, unconcerned that engine wear or failure will occur for a later owner, after the warranty expires.
Oil cools the engine by reducing friction. It must be kept scrupulously clean if the engine is to live a full and happy life. Many oil passages inside the engine are tiny: For example, small spray nozzles are aimed at the underside of the pistons, and the hydraulic lifters are filled through pinhole size openings. If dirty oil clogs these passages, the engine will have a stroke in middle age. People who boast about how many hundreds of thousands of miles are on their car have changed a lot of oil. Examples of prematurely ruined engines are visible on our 'Solutions' page.
For these reasons we believe Oil should be changed frequently; even Synthetic should certainly be changed more frequently than every 15,000 miles.
WE RECOMMEND:
TIRES:
Check Tire Pressure at every fill-up or weekly. (No one does this, so you can be the first)
Rotate your tires at every oil change. (Wear happens)
Pay for Wheel Alignment once a year. (Curbs and potholes abound, but it is the Rebound that can bend the wheel and ruin the alignment.)
OIL:
We use Mobil petroleum oil for older models and Mobil 1 Synthetic for newer.
In our area 5W/30 is perfect and other weights are unnecessary except:
BMW M models and MB AMG models require Castrol 'TWS' 10W-60 which must be imported from Germany. It is not available at Wal-Mart.
Enthusiasts who race may prefer Redline oil and driveline lubricants.
We stock all these products. AMSoil is fine if you want to use it.
OIL CHANGE INTERVALS:
Remember: Oil is cheap when compared to replacing an engine.
Regular (petroleum based) oil should be changed between 3,000 and 3,500 miles
Synthetic oil should be changed between 5,000 and 7,500 miles.
Frigid start, stop and go, high rpm, hot or dusty miles mean change sooner.
Steady speed, temperate, rainy interstate miles mean you can wait longer.
NOTE: Maintenance Reminder lights should not be reset at 'unscheduled' oil changes so as not to confuse the computer about later services.
COOLING SYSTEM:
Hard working parts fail. Water pumps ultimately leak or make noise. A failed thermostat or leaking radiator will cause overheating. They should be replaced immediately. (BMW 6 cylinder water pumps are so short lived that most technicians suggest they be replaced preventively every 60,000 miles.)
Because modern engines contain Aluminum, special phosphate free coolant is required, and should be mixed only with distilled water. Coolant should be changed every 3 years in order to prevent corrosion and blockage of small radiator passages. Radiators, because they now include plastic parts which get brittle and split, should be replaced at 120,000 miles.
Nothing kills an engine faster than overheating. If your engine overheats, stop immediately. This will be on the test.
BRAKE FLUID:
Brake fluid attracts water. Water in the fluid decreases its efficiency and promotes rust in brake lines and calipers. We recommend Brake Fluid changes every 2 years.
TRANSMISSION FLUID:
Automatic Transmissions have a filter inside the case which should be changed with a fluid flush at 60,000 miles. Differential and Transfer Case (AWD) fluids should also be changed at 60. NOTE: ?Lifetime? lubricants means that when the transmission breaks, it is at the end of its life. And out of warranty.
Careful owners of performance models will change manual transmission and rear end lubricants at 30,000 miles and request Red Line brand lubricants.
POWER STEERING FLUID:
Generally neglected, the power steering system uses a hydraulic fluid which will become dirty, and cause wear. The fluid should be changed every three years when the coolant is replaced.
TUNE UP:
Engine Air Filter: for maximum performance and economy should be changed every 15,000 miles or once a year.
Spark Plugs: It depends. Check your owners manual.
Plugs should be checked every 30,000 to be sure no oil is leaking into the plug well.
'100,000 mile' plugs should be changed at 60. They may work that long but not at peak efficiency.
Fuel Filter: for max performance and economy, replace every 2yrs or 30,000 miles. Commonly neglected.
Belts and hoses: To prevent unexpected failure, replace at 4 yrs or 60,000 miles.
IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES ABOUT OUR PARTS
Our parts are guaranteed to be 100% matter. However, be warned:
1. The subatomic particles comprising all our parts are exactly the same in every measurable respect as those used in the parts of other manufacturers, and no claim to the contrary may legitimately be expressed or implied.
2. The minute electrically charged particles contained in our parts are moving at velocities in excess of five hundred million miles per hour.
3. The fundamental particles in our parts are held together by a "Gluing" force about which little is currently known and whose adhesive power can therefore not be permanently guaranteed.
4. A SPECIAL WARNING: In the unlikely event that one of our parts should contact antimatter in any form, a catastrophic explosion will result.
5. Notwithstanding any list of contents found on any part or container, be advised that, every part consists of 99.9999999999% empty space.
6. Our parts attract every other piece of matter in the universe, including the parts of other manufacturers, with a force proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the distance between them.
7. Any use of our parts, in any manner whatsoever, will increase the amount of disorder in the universe. Although no liability is implied herein, you should be aware that this process will ultimately lead to the heat death of the universe.
8. Please take care when lifting any part. Mass, and thus weight, is dependent on the part's velocity relative to the user.
9. Every ounce of our parts contains the energy equivalent to an 85 Megaton nuclear weapon.
10. It Is impossible for you to know (a.) precisely where your part's parts are, and simultaneously to know (b.) how fast they are moving. One or the other, but not both. We are certain.
IMPORTANT FINAL NOTICE: Our entire galaxy, including your parts, may one day fall into a black hole. Should another universe subsequently re-emerge, the existence of any part in that universe cannot be guaranteed. Sorry.
