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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
Frequently asked questions
- Why does my car stall and run poor after I brought it in for service?
- Why can't the relearn procedure be done before the car is delivered?
- What if my car continues to run poorly after the relearn period?
- Doesn't performing a service on an old transmission actually damage it?
- Can my car really go 100 thousand miles before my first tune up like my salesman told me?
- Can my coolant really last five years?
- I am told my battery tests bad but it still starts the car just fine, how can this be?
- Does using premium grades of gasoline really help my engine?
- If all automotive fuels contain detergents why do you recommend injector cleaning service?
- Someone told me that it is normal for my amber "check engine" or "service engine soon" light to come on once and awhile, is this true?
- My car continues to run just fine when my "check engine" or "service engine" soon light is on, how can anything be wrong?
- I need new rotors at my first brake job and I didn't abuse my brakes. My last car never needed rotors, why did this happen?
1. Why does my car stall and run poor after I brought it in for service?
Modern automobiles have computer controlled engines. One of the advantages of computer control is the ability to program the engine control system to adapt to normal wear and aging. When battery goes dead or is disconnected for service work the computer looses those adaptive settings and assumes the car is new. The car will run poorly until the computer relearns how to make your particular car run right. This relearning process is also called relearning adaptives. In some cases the difference between a worn engine or an engine with excessive built up deposits is too much for the computer to relearn and additional service work will have to be performed to obtain the best results.
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2.Why can't the relearn procedure be done before the car is delivered?
Most of the relearn procedures are done before the car is delivered to the customer. Some relearn processes take up to twenty miles of driving to take effect. This is out of the range of a normal test drive. In some situations permission for a more extensive test drive is obtained from the customer to verify a repair. In those cases the relearn procedure will be complete before the car is picked up.
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3. What if my car continues to run poorly after the relearn period?
Some conditions cannot be detected until after the computer relearn procedure has been completed. Your car may need a fuel system service to return your engine within adaptable specifications. Contact us if problems persist. 454-6597
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4. Doesn't performing a service on an old transmission actually damage it?
This is a myth. Servicing a transmission is essential to prolonging it's life. If your transmission is showing signs of malfunctions it may already be too late to help it by flushing the old fluid out of it, and repairs may be required. Stories of transmission failure after flushing the fluid come from the fact that many people wait until they notice a problem before they take care of their car. The transmission was already on its "last wind" before it gets overdue maintenance. A well maintained transmission will last the life of the car. The recommended service interval for transmissions is 30 thousand miles.
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5. Can my car really go 100 thousand miles before my first tune up like my salesman told me?
The short answer is no. If you commuted between Grand Rapids and Lansing every day you might go that far. Even then that spark plug will most likely still have been in the engine for two or more years and with Michigan road salt the spark plug will be corroded and difficult to remove. We generally warn people of the dangers of spark plug seizure after more than 50 thousand miles of driving. If your car is platinum plug equipped it is generally wise to replace it before 50 thousand miles or two years, whatever comes first. A tune up should be performed sooner if the car is used in stop and go driving and or short trips. Normal copper core spark plugs should be replaced before 30 thousand miles. Your car will still require normal oil changes and transmission service intervals.
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6. Can my coolant really last five years
No. Extended life coolants are not performing as initial testing showed that they could. Extended life coolants found in most new GM cars and some other brands are having problems living up to their name. Some areas of the country are worse than others. We have found that three years or 50 thousand miles is about as far as you want to go on extended life coolant. Normal green coolant should be flushed every other year or 30 thousand miles.
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7. I am told my battery tests bad but it still starts the car just fine, how can this be?
Your battery may start the car just fine but may be putting excessive strain on other parts of the electrical system. An older aging battery my start the car but require more from the alternator after starting the car. Over time the additional demands may damage the alternator. A typical battery costs less than 70 dollars. A typical alternator costs 300 to 500 dollars. Replacing the battery before you need an alternator makes economical sense and saves the hassle of a breakdown.
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8. Does using premium grades of gasoline really help my engine?
Most of the time the only thing premium or midgrade fuels give you is expensive exhaust. In the early days of fuel injection, fuel retailers would put detergents in their premium grade fuel to help clean injectors. After testing showed that putting detergents in fuel would improve air quality because engines would burn cleaner from cleaner injectors, the government required all automotive fuel to have some form of detergent. Unless your owners manual specifically asks for premium fuel you are wasting your money to buy premium. Putting an occasional tank of premium doesn't help your car in any way either.
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9. If all automotive fuels contain detergents why do you recommend an injector cleaning service?
Every time you turn your car off the last drop of fuel vaporizes on the tip of the fuel injector and leaves behind a deposit that eventually plugs the injector. This deposit is very difficult to clean and fuel additives have little or no effect on them. A more aggressive cleaner applied by a fuel system service machine is required to remove these types of deposits. If you do stop and go driving and or short trips less than fifteen minutes you may need a fuel system service as often as every 15 thousand miles. Most drivers should have their fuel system serviced every 30 thousand miles and with every tune up.
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It is not normal for these lights to come on any time the engine is running. When these lights come on it means that some sensor or component of the car has failed a test and is causing problems all of the time. The computer may only be able to test some sensors or components during specific speeds or operating conditions so the warning light may only come on occasionally. Ignoring these lights may end up costing thousands of dollars and gets more expensive every year. Save yourself money and schedule an appointment as soon as you can if these lights are activated.
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11. My car continues to run just fine when my "check engine" or "service engine" soon light is on, how can anything be wrong?
Your cars computers has the ability to adapt to a failed component or sensor and "guess" at the proper conditions. These substitutions are not accurate and long term use could cause other components (meaning expensive) to fail.
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Automakers are always looking for places to save weight and cut costs. Nobody knows why, but the braking system isn't an exception and rotors have been getting thinner and lighter with each new model design. Rotors used to last two or three sets of pads, but now you are lucky to get two.