Your drive belts are simple but integral components to the function of your car, truck, or SUV. At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, belts are one of the first things we assess when looking over a vehicle, as they alone are in charge of operating your AC, water pump, alternator, and power steering.

At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA, we know that the key to keeping a transmission reliable and in shape is taking care to prevent an issue in the first place. Here, well explore a condition which has a lot of potential to cause your transmission harm: overheating.

If you want to avoid nasty and unexpected surprise maintenance costs, sticking to a regimented schedule of preventative maintenance is something you are going to want to get used to. The reason being is simple – frequent maintenance will keep your vehicle in good health, ensuring you get the most out of all those expensive-to-replace parts. While it might sound counterintuitive, the best way to reduce maintenance costs is to stick to a prescribed maintenance schedule.

Ride quality is an essential part of your driving experience. At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, we strive to keep your car, truck, or SUV as smooth and comfortable to drive as the day it came off the lot. Your shock absorbers play a huge role in ride quality; here’s what you should know.

If you drive a vehicle with more than a few miles on it, there’s a good chance you’ve noticed an occasional drip underneath it that leaves spots wherever you park. Identifying what is leaking from your car will help you determine whether or not it’s a cause for concern, and what to do about it.

There are seven liquids a car can possibly drip: oil, gas, brake fluid, transmission fluid, gear oil, water, and coolant. How do you tell the difference? This article aims to help your know-how.

Exhaust systems are one of the most neglected aspects of most vehicles. Exhaust pipes, catalytic converters, and mufflers are exposed to heat, emissions, and road damage. While your exhaust system is fairly simple and straightforward, these conditions mean it is inherently prone to rust and damage. As a result, this system is often one of the first systems you will have trouble within your car.

We know you’re busy. At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA, we also know that while there are certain issues with your car, truck, or SUV you can ignore for a while, some of them shouldn’t wait. While serious issues are often obvious, sometimes they aren’t - ball joints are one such case.

At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA, we know how troublesome it can be to pinpoint a transmission issue and get it fixed. That’s why it’s a good idea to consult us, the experts, for all your transmission needs. We want to help you get on the road safely and quickly.

Does your steering wheel feel like it’s fighting you when trying to drive in a straight line? Does your truck turn too aggressively when you try to go one direction, and poorly when you try to go another? There are a few possibilities as to what it means if your truck resists going in a straight line. Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian has the answers for you.

Good steering is an underrated and often neglected aspect of driving. At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA, we believe in making sure you have the best vehicle possible, whether you’re driving across town or traveling long distances.

Good steering is an underrated, and often neglected aspect of driving. At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA, we believe in making sure you have the best vehicle possible, whether you’re driving across town or traveling long distance.

While keeping your car, truck, or SUV looking nice is important, there are other reasons to keep the exterior of your vehicle in good shape. From Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA, here are some tips for keeping your car looking good, and how that keeps it reliably on the road.

The hydraulic system in your transmission is responsible for telling the mechanical components what to do, and when to do it. In order to better understand how your transmission works, it’s important to understand the mechanical components of it.

It is often the last thing you check and statistically, most people ignore their tires, yet tires are undoubtedly a critical safety component on a vehicle. Here at Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA, we know where the rubber meets the road affects traction, handling, steering, stability, and braking. Because of this, sudden tire failure can have serious consequences, especially if it occurs when operating at high speeds. We thought it important to share the real facts about tires for our area drivers.

Vehicle maintenance can be expensive. However, when it comes to owning a car, truck, or SUV, the only thing more expensive than maintaining one is doing no maintenance at all. Here’s why, from Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA.

Since the first automobiles, there have been radiators. Every liquid-cooled engine on the road has, and has always needed, a radiator; without it, the engine would overheat in no time, causing catastrophic engine failure. While the efficiency of radiators, the materials they’re made out of, and the shape and size of them have changed over time, radiators haven’t actually changed much over the last century or so. At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service we know that even though radiators generally last a long time, they do occasionally fail. When your radiator is malfunctioning you can trust our technicians to repair yours and get you back on the road. 

There’s a good chance you don’t know much about pistons or engine building, which is why you rely on the technicians at Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA when your vehicle has a problem. However, there’s some practical information regarding modern engine design that helps you better care for your vehicle, and keep it going strong. Here are some important aspects of modern piston design, and what it means for you.

Everyone from mechanics, to your uncle that works on cars, has at some point given you advice concerning engine oil. The fact of the matter is that while we are familiar with words like “synthetic” and “oil weight,” many people don’t know exactly what the terminology means, or why common knowledge about oil exists in the form that it does. At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA, we keep things clear and simple. The more you know about your vehicle, the better equipped you are to keep it maintained, and we know a thing or two about vehicles. We have compiled a short list of common myths for you, most of which you’ve heard, but maybe never second guessed.