Your vehicle's belts and hoses are essential to the cooling, air conditioning and charging systems, and the engine. Don’t take these routine replacement intervals for granted because they can break down and leave you stranded.

What is the purpose and importance of your belts and hoses? The timing belt keeps the crankshaft and camshaft mechanically synchronized to maintain engine timing. Whether serpentine, V-belt, or fan belt (the belts on the outside of the engine), they all transmit power from the front of the engine to accessories that need to be driven, such as the air conditioning, the charging system, and fans. Radiator and heater hoses carry coolant to and from the engine, radiator, and heater core.

Whether you drive a BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Porsche (some exclusions apply), Subaru, or other performance automobiles, your car has a cooling system. With winter right around the corner, at Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service we want to make sure your cooling system is ready for the cold.

Coolant leaks can be a pain - they’re elusive and have a lot of damage potential. Fortunately, at Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA, our technicians know exactly how to diagnose and repair a coolant leak, no matter where it is. Knowing more about where these coolant leaks appear and why they're a problem will help you to recognize a problem and get it repaired before it does further damage.

Coolant is vital to your engine. Without the right type, amount, and proper circulation of coolant, your engine won’t last long. How do you know when it’s time to check it or replace it? Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA has the answers.

At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA, we understand how frustrating it is when your vehicle makes mysterious noises that it shouldn’t be making. Here’s a rundown on suspension bushings, to help you figure out what that sound is you keep hearing.

Diagnostics are an important aspect of modern vehicle maintenance and repair. Your car or SUV is equipped with an array of computers and sensors which monitor your engine activity, and flag anything that isn’t operating as it should. At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, we are experts in performance and luxury automobile repair - and when diagnosing the problem is sometimes the most difficult part of the process, an expert is what you need. For cars like Audi, Porsche, BMW, VW, MINI, and Subaru, selecting the right shop is key to correctly diagnosing and correcting any sort of malfunction.

It doesn't matter if you are driving a car or truck, jeep or SUV, a diesel 4x4 or a classic when those dash warning lights go off the first thing you do is think "how bad is it?" and "how much will it cost me?" followed quickly by "when was my last service visit?"!!  Driving your vehicle longer safely is all about getting it serviced based on what your vehicle manual recommends and these warning lights are alerting you to a situation that requires your attention. 

While not all warning lights are a sign that disaster is imminent, no warning indicator light should ever be ignored!

Your brake master cylinder is an integral part of your brake system. When one fails, some odd symptoms may arise, and it may be difficult to diagnose. Here’s some information to help you decide if yours has gone bad. At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA we want you to know what to look out for so that you can be safely on the road.

Every car, truck, van, and SUV on the road today has headlights. However, you've probably noticed an increase in different types of headlights in more recent years - gone are the days where every vehicle on the road had the same bulb. Here is some information on headlights, from Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA.

If you’re ever in a situation where you must remove the battery from your vehicle, it’s important to know what you’re doing. It seems pretty straight forward, and it is. However, there are some important things to remember when disconnecting the battery in your car, truck, or SUV. Here are some tips on disconnecting a car battery, from Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA.

At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA, our goal is to keep your car, truck, or SUV reliable and in great shape. To us, it’s important that we’re paying attention to both your needs and the needs of your vehicle. When it comes to oxygen sensors, sometimes it seems a bit nebulous on what they actually do and why they’re important; we’re here to clear things up for you.

Flat tires are a huge inconvenience. The only thing worse than having a flat on your way home from work is having to wait on a tow truck to come to get you. Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA wants to give you some tips on how to change your own tire so that you can keep money in your pocket and get your car back on the road.

When you get in your car, truck, SUV, or minivan to drive and the A/C does not work what could be wrong? Here at Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service, we have some simple answers to help you understand how your vehicle A/C system works. The first question we are asked is "Why isn't my air conditioner blowing cold air?" Let's talk about what could be happening. 

If you’ve owned a vehicle long, particularly one with a few miles on it, you have probably encountered a peculiar smell that grabbed your attention. Scents that you encounter while driving (emanating from your vehicle, not the horse farm down the road) are indicators of your vehicle's health and often the first warning that something may be wrong. Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian has assembled this list to prepare for you for the next time you smell something odd, so you’ll know what’s going on next time you notice a funny smell.

While some keys or key fobs can only be obtained from dealerships, most cars can be programmed to accept a new key or key fob without expensive dealer intervention. At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, we often provide such services, at a fraction of the cost.

At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA, it’s important to us that your car, truck, or SUV is ready for any condition. Coolant flushes are an important part of getting your vehicle ready for winter - here’s why.

At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA, it’s important to us that your car, truck, or SUV is ready for any condition. Coolant flushes are an important part of getting your vehicle ready for winter - here’s why.

Your brakes have a lot to do with how your car drives. Brakes are a frequently neglected item on a lot of people’s checklist, and many drivers on the road have subpar brakes and don’t even know it. A car that brakes well and brakes correctly are just as important as acceleration, handling, or any other aspect of a vehicle’s drivability. A car with brake issues has the potential to be a far more enjoyable ride when fixed.

Obviously, your brakes are essential. However, it’s easy to neglect or ignore brake issues, and even miss them altogether; as long as the car, truck, or SUV still stops, many people don’t see the need to have their brakes serviced. From Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, here are some common brake issues, and why you should fix them.

At Stuart Rolfe Muffler & Auto Service in Midlotian, VA, transmission maintenance and repair is our specialty. Here’s some information on your transmission pump - what it does, and how to know if yours needs to be replaced.