Have you ever noticed your dashboard ABS icon lit up? If you have it means there is an issue that needs to be diagnosed, ABS issues don’t need to be ignored long. The anti-lock braking system, or ABS, is an important feature on every modern car, truck, or SUV. It has been legally mandated since 2013 in the US but was standard on almost every vehicle even prior to that. Here’s what you need to know to make sure your ABS system doesn’t fail, from Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA.

At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, we know the key to making your vehicle last; good maintenance. An overwhelming percentage of the problems we see, especially the really catastrophic ones, are a result of poor maintenance. While properly maintaining a vehicle can seem a like a bit of a hassle, it is absolutely worth the payoff. Good maintenance is the only difference between a car that lasts 80,000 miles and a car that lasts 400,000 miles. Preventative maintenance and repair when a problem occurs are are your two concerns, and both will keep your car on the road far longer, if observed properly.

No matter what type of car, truck, or SUV you drive, old or new, it probably has doors. Those doors are heavy, and they see a lot of use. Naturally, from time to time, parts wear out. If your door doesn’t function as well as it should, here’s why, courtesy of Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian.

Charging and electrical systems, particularly on luxury and performance cars, are the most intricate and complex systems on your vehicle. It takes highly trained technicians armed with the right equipment to properly diagnose and repair electrical issues on high-end vehicles such as Porsche, Audi, BMW, MINI, VW, and Subaru. At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian we have the technicians and the tools you need to get the job done right.

If you’ve ever been in an emergency braking situation, you’re probably all too aware that the brakes are the most important safety system on your vehicle. And like many other systems in a vehicle, the brakes need regular upkeep to continue functioning properly. One way to preserve the integrity of the braking system is through brake bleeding, and while it may not be as well known as certain services like oil changes, it is a key maintenance item for a vehicle.

Automatic transmissions aren’t easily understood outside of specialists like those at Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA. While it would be impossible to teach you enough to make you a transmission expert in a series of articles, what we can do is give you the fundamental knowledge you need to have a good idea of what your transmission is doing, and how it works.

At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, cars are our passion, so naturally, we like to keep up with new technology on the market. At the moment, surprisingly the current trend is moving towards a goal you may not expect; self-driving vehicles. You’ve probably heard about self-driving cars a little bit here and there on the news, but it likely still seems somewhere in the realm of science fiction to you. However, the reality is that self-driving cars are on the way and maybe here sooner than you think. Already, almost all major automobile manufacturers are dumping billions of dollars into research and development for self-driving cars, and even companies like Uber are jumping on board. 

Buying a used vehicle can be a risky endeavor, but also a rewarding one. Buying used, even if the vehicle is close to new, will save you a lot of money compared to the price of a new vehicle off the lot. However, there are some inherent risks that come with purchasing a used vehicle; here is how to best avoid trouble.

There are multiple types of tires on the market for almost every car, truck, or SUV. Once you decide it's time to replace your tires, the choice can be overwhelming. The type of tire you want depends on a variety of factors, from climate to how you drive. At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA, our technicians have been trained to help you make that choice. Here’s a short rundown of common street tires that will suit your needs.

There are multiple types of tires on the market for almost every car, truck, or SUV. The type of tire you want depends on a variety of factors, from climate to how you drive. Here’s a short rundown of common street tires that’ll suit your needs.

Nearly every day, you drive your vehicle. Whether it be a couple of miles to the store or a full-on road trip across the nation, you want to make sure that your vehicle is safe to drive and the systems are in check and/or up-to-date. Here are a few reminders to check and see if your vehicle is running in top shape.

Your gas mileage mostly depends on what kind of car you drive; engine displacement and vehicle weight are the largest determining factors on gas mileage, and there’s not much you can do to change either of those. That doesn’t mean attempting to improve your fuel economy is a completely hopeless endeavor, however. With these tips from Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA, you might be surprised how much your fuel mileage can be improved.

It’s easier than ever to keep your fleet running smoothly for thousands of miles. If a vehicle has less than 50,000 miles on it today, chances are it still has 75 percent of its driving life ahead of it. That’s good news if you’re a company managing a fleet of vehicles. It wasn’t that long ago that hitting the 100,000-mile mark on the odometer was a major milestone. Today, vehicles are built to last. With the proper maintenance and attention, there’s no reason you shouldn’t expect to see that 50,000-mile reading on the odometer one day roll right past 200,000 and keep ongoing. Here at Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service, we're going to give you some tips on how to make that happen!

At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, we know that the first and most important step toward keeping your car, truck, or SUV reliably on the road, is knowing how to properly care for it. Here are a few tips on how to keep your vehicle in shape.

Judging by the number of near-rear-endings we witness on our morning commutes, the typical attitude toward brake maintenance appears to be, “Brakes: Don’t let them stop you!” This puzzles us because monitoring your braking system’s health is one of the most straightforward aspects of car ownership. You do have to know what to look for, though, or rather, what to listen and feel for. So let us, uh, break it down for you. Here are the top three signs that your brakes need fixing.

A good technician will give your car a quick inspection whenever you have maintenance performed. Fluid levels, tire condition, dashboard lights, and a variety of other items typically are briefly explored whenever you bring your vehicle in for maintenance. At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, we're good at noticing things that need repair, but the fact of the matter is that only you know your car. You know when your car feels off when its been serviced last (or that it hasn't been serviced at all,) and have at least some vague idea of what’s going on with your vehicle day to day. Here are some questions you can ask us next time you come by the shop;

There have been a lot of technological advancements, and breakthroughs in efficiency to make modern cars, trucks, and SUVs so much more fuel-efficient than their counterparts. While engine design certainly plays a huge role, automatic transmissions have come a long way as well, contributing greatly to the gas mileage of your vehicle. From Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA, here are some ways transmissions have changed to meet the demands of fuel efficiency.

At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, we’re not only here to fix your car when something goes wrong...we’re here to help you understand your car, truck, or SUV a little better, too. Here are some tips concerning your thermostat - how it works, what to watch out for, and what to do about it when one fails.

Nobody wants to put an engine or transmission in their car. However, when that time comes, it’s important to make an informed decision - here are some things to consider when installing a used engine or transmission, from Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA.

At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA, we know that transmissions are witchcraft to most people. More often than not, if major damage has occurred, it’s a lot more time and cost effective to just replace the entire unit and get a fresh start. Here’s what to look out for, from Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA.