At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA, we know that over the past decade, depending on what type of car, truck, or SUV you drive, it may seem like oil changes have gotten more expensive, and there are more options from synthetic to standard 10w/30 oil.  What kind is best for your vehicle and is the higher price worth the cost? 

You’ve known someone at some point that has a seemingly impossible amount of keys, keychains, and other accessories hanging from their key ring. You might even be guilty of that yourself. At [BUSINESS_ NAME] in Midlotian, VA, we’ve seen our fair share of these loaded down car keys, and also the damage it can cause. Here’s what you need to know.

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.

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.

At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA, we’ve witnessed our fair share of burnt out and broken clutches. While clutch failure is an inevitability, there are a variety of ways to make sure yours lasts as long as possible.

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;

Fluid levels, tire condition, dashboard lights, and a variety of other items typically are briefly explored whenever you bring your vehicle in for maintenance here at Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA, where we are 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 it's 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.

Travelling can be difficult, and traveling can be fun. The difference usually comes down to how much preparation you do in advance, and how many unplanned obstacles you meet along the way. A great way to avoid setbacks, mishaps, and stressful situations is to make sure your car, truck, or SUV is ready to hit the road. Here are some important points to check before travelling, from Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA.

Manual transmissions require far less maintenance than automatics. However, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t need a fluid check from time to time. Here’s what you should know about checking and adding fluid to your manual transmission, from Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA.

At some point or another, it’ll happen to you. You leave your headlights on, your battery finally fails, or for some other reason, you don’t have enough juice to start your car. Don’t call a tow truck just yet, though...Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian has the info you need to properly jump-start your car.

In the realm of performance engines, valve adjustments are an essential part of keeping your car running its best. When you add customization to the mix, valve timing becomes even more critical, and it’s important the technician adjusting them really knows their stuff. At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA, we’ve got you covered.

If you drive a performance or luxury vehicle, you know that your precision engineered equipment demands precision tuning. At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA, we specialize in high-end imports and performance vehicles and keep them up to par.

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.

Gauges are your first, and often only, line of defense in catching a major problem before it’s too late. At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, we know that sometimes a faulty gauge is overlooked when the truck is still running fine and there’s a busy day ahead. However, gauges are extremely important, and are typically easy to repair.

A huge part of what the hydraulic system in your transmission does is tell the mechanical components what to do and when to do it. Even if you don't understand how that works, our technicians at Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA have trained with the best to make sure they understand all the ins and outs of your system. We want you to understand what we're talking about when we talk to you about your vehicle so we'll break down some aspects of your hydraulic system.