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Steve’s Auto Repair and Tire: Who we are and what we do

In Alignment, Inspection, Maintenance, Tires and Wheels by Steves Auto Repair and Tire

Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire has been serving the Woodbridge area for more than 32 years.

We are located at 2603 Hanco Center Drive – off Route 1 and Neabsco Mills Road – and provide a variety of services to meet your vehicle’s needs.

Services offered at Steve’s Auto Repair

State inspections and emissions inspections are among the services we offer.

Our technicians also perform oil changes and tune ups, and take care of your check engine light if it turns on.

During oil changes, they conduct mini state inspections. We will look over your vehicle and point out anything that may be a safety issue, a maintenance issue, or a service we recommend based on its mileage.

If you notice a strange noise or your car is acting strange, we can help with that too.

Steve’s Auto Repair is also able to service vehicles that use Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS), including camera and targeted systems.

To keep you updated while your car is at the shop, our technicians perform digital inspections that provide you with photos, videos and information about repairs and recommendations.

Tires and tire services available

Steve’s Auto Repair is an authorized Goodyear Tire dealer. If you’re driving on or past Neabsco Mills Road, you may notice our big Goodyear sign.

We also sell other types of tires, including Kelly, Dunlop and Hankook. If you’re looking for new tires, our staff is happy to help you find the right fit for your vehicle and budget.

In addition to selling tires, we do mounting, balancing, tire rotations and tire repair.

Our technicians perform wheel alignments, as well.

Pick up and drop off services

There are many ways you can drop off your car for service.

“You can either drop it off in the night owl night service or you can come into the office during hours that we’re open,” Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire Owner Scott Whitling said. 

We are open between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Staff members are also available to meet you in the parking lot and collect the keys and information.

Need a ride? We also have a free shuttle service that can pick you up or drop you off.

A pick up and delivery service is available, as well. Please give us a call to arrange it.

More about Steve’s Auto Repair

Some repair shops try to hit you for everything at once, because they are concerned you won’t come back.

We want to give a good evaluation of your car, so you know what condition it’s in. We don’t care about getting the sale today, we want to take care of you and your family for many years.

Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire is a family-owned business. We support local non-profits and believe in the importance of giving back to our community.

“If you’ve been here before, we really appreciate you coming,” Whitling said. “If you haven’t been here, please give us a try.”

Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire is an authorized Goodyear tire dealer located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Automotive repair services are performed on all makes and models, including BMW and Mercedes. Services include oil changes, brakes, alignments, inspections, and computer engine diagnostics.

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Power steering fluid exchanges get rid of contaminants

In Maintenance by Steves Auto Repair and Tire

Looking to steer clear of future problems with your vehicle?

Regular power steering fluid exchanges is one way to do it.

This service was performed on a Lexus RX350 recently.

When to get a power steering fluid exchange

We recommend power steering fluid exchanges every 30,000 miles. It also depends on the type of vehicle. Certain cars require this service more often.

Other services, such as brake fluid exchanges and fuel induction services, are also recommended at 30,000 mile intervals. So, it’s a good idea to have them done around the same time.

Because power steering fluid exchanges help protect the rack and pinion, you may want to have this service performed if you have any service done on these parts.

Why you should consider this service

In addition to cleaning out contaminants, they help keep the rack and pinion lubricated and ensures that the steering remains smooth.

If you put them off or the fluid is low, you will eventually hear a whining sound. It may become difficult to steer your car, as well.

Significant pressure and high temperatures are placed on power steering systems. Over time, this can impact the fluid’s ability to keep parts lubricated and causes metal to accumulate. 

The contaminated fluid leads to seal and valve damage as well as premature wear among components, such as the power steering pump and rack and pinion.

Performing a power steering fluid exchange.

What happens during a power steering fluid exchange and products available

During a power steering fluid exchange, we pour a cleaner in the reservoir and it runs through the system, suspending the impurities. The old power steering fluid and contaminants are removed using a push and pull method, and new fluid is added.

There are a few products BG makes for this service.

BG Quick Clean, the cleaner our technicians use, gets rid of deposits that collect.

Power steering systems are protected against heat and wear with BG Power Clean, which contains antioxidants and seal conditioners.

BG Universal Synthetic Power Steering Fluid is able to provide even better protection during high and low temperatures. When it’s hot, the fluid doesn’t become thin. In the cold, it won’t thicken.

For vehicles that have hydraulic or electric power steering, there’s BG Full Synthetic Electric Power Steering Fluid.

Signs that the power steering fluid needs to be changed

The technician determined that the Lexus RX350 needed a power steering fluid exchange when he noticed the fluid was dark while inspecting the vehicle. The power steering fluid becomes dark when contaminants build up and oxidation occurs.

It may be time to change out the fluid if steering becomes more difficult or the power steering pump sounds louder.

Components will eventually fail, as well.

Power steering fluid exchanges are one maintenance option Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire offers. We also conduct brake fluid exchanges, transmission fluid exchanges and induction services.

Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire is an authorized Goodyear tire dealer located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Automotive repair services are performed on all makes and models, including BMW and Mercedes. Services include oil changes, brakes, alignments, inspections, and computer engine diagnostics.

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Nissan Frontier oil change and maintenance

In Maintenance by Steves Auto Repair and Tire

If you’re looking for a local auto repair shop to take care of your Nissan Frontier or if you’re lucky enough to have one of the older Nissan pickups, there are many ways that you can keep your vehicle running for a long time.

These are a few services we recommend to help maintain it.

Nissan Frontier oil change

Obviously, when you’re looking to perform a Nissan Frontier oil change you want to change the oil filter with a good quality oil filter. 

Steve’s Auto Repair uses synthetic oil in all of our oil changes. Using the correct weight of oil is very important.

We do carry BG products such as MOA, CF5, and 44K. Two of them are fuel additives, and they actually help keep the injectors, top of the Pistons, and the intake valves clean. 

A lot of carbon can build up in today’s vehicles, especially those using cheap gas and traveling in stop and go traffic.

BG MOA is an oil additive you may use with regular oil and synthetic oil. It helps keep things lubed up and addresses lifter noise that you might get with older vehicles.

During an oil change, we rotate the tires, check your brakes, check your cabin air filters, and basically do a mini state inspection.

Dirty Nissan cabin air filter.

Changing the cabin air filter

A lot of times, the cabin air filters get really dirty with leaves and pollen. 

It’s a good idea to have them replaced at least once a year. How often you change a cabin air filter depends on a few factors, like the type of vehicle and how much you drive.

I prefer to replace mine after pollen season. 

When changing it, our technicians can also spray BG Frigi Fresh in the air intake system. This disinfectant kills bacteria, mold and viruses.

Nissan maintenance.

You should make sure to clean any leaves and pine needles that collect on the cowling area, as well. Debris in the cowling area, which is the bottom of the windshield, may clog the cabin air filter. 

Nissan battery.

Checking the battery

The next thing is the battery and making sure to test it. Extremely cold or hot temperatures often kill a weak battery.

On the Nissan Frontier, you can actually still check the water on most of the batteries, and you either use distilled water or a special battery water. 

Using anti-corrosion pads is another maintenance tip we recommend. Batteries are known to leak a little bit of acid. Not only does it corrode the battery terminal, it can also eat up the battery tray and the battery.

Now is a good time to check to make sure everything’s working correctly, including your lights and windshield wipers, and even clean the windows. A lot of people will clean the outside but forget to do the inside. So, when it’s sunny, it could be hard to see.

These are just a few ways to maintain your Nissan so that you are able to continue enjoying it for years to come. 

Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire is an authorized Goodyear tire dealer located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Automotive repair services are performed on all makes and models, including BMW and Mercedes. Services include oil changes, brakes, alignments, inspections, and computer engine diagnostics.

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What is a tune up now?

In Maintenance by Steves Auto Repair and Tire

A tune up used to involve replacing parts, such as spark plugs, spark plug wires, and the distributor cap and rotor.

Mechanics would change the air filter and fuel filter, replace points in the condenser – if the car was old enough – and even perform an oil change, depending on the time frame.

It could also consist of adjusting the distributor to change the timing, cleaning the throttle plate and the choke on the carburetor, and making air fuel adjustments, including setting the base idol.

Through the years, as vehicles have become more advanced with fuel injections and computers, what is considered a tune up has changed.

Tune up services offered today

Changing the spark plugs is one service that continues to be offered. However, the mileage between spark plugs has gone from 30,000 miles to between 60,000 and 105,000 miles in most vehicles today.

This increase is due to the ignition systems being Coil on Plug (COP) and the materials that the spark plugs are made out of, such as iridium and platinum, lasting much longer.

Of course there’s still air filters, but a lot of the time the fuel filters are integral with the fuel pumps in the gas tanks, depending on the vehicle. 

One service that helps greatly with today’s vehicles is cleaning the throttle body and doing a fuel induction service. The way the PCV systems are made, more carbon gets built up in the intake and the valves than it used to.

While you’re driving, computers take care of a lot of adjustments you used to have to make. However, it’s more important than ever to maintain your vehicle or to do the tune up at the interval, even if your vehicle is running just fine. Computers will try to compensate for a problem that an automotive technician could catch during the regular tune up.

Using the right spark plugs

It is also very important to use the correct type of spark plugs for your car or truck.  While a cheaper spark plug may technically allow your vehicle to run, you could be asking for the check engine to turn on for weird issues and possible damage to your engine.

The way vehicles are designed nowadays, it could be very difficult to get to the spark plugs. You used to be able to work on them in your driveway, but today it could take four or five hours to reach them, depending on what you have to take off to get to them.

SHOP TIP: Because some spark plugs are very hard to get to, when you go in for a tune up, ask to see your spark plugs. Unfortunately, when working with other shops, we have seen that the front three have been changed but not the three in the back.

Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire is an authorized Goodyear tire dealer located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Automotive repair services are performed on all makes and models, including BMW and Mercedes. Services include oil changes, brakes, alignments, inspections, and computer engine diagnostics.

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Why you should come to Steve’s Auto Repair for an oil change

In Maintenance by Steves Auto Repair and Tire

What’s the value of coming to Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire for an oil change, rather than other places?

Yes, you can get your oil changed pretty much anywhere. However, when you choose to have this service performed at Steve’s Auto Repair, you don’t just drive away with an oil change.

What’s included in our oil change

In addition to changing the oil and oil filter, our technicians look over your vehicle through a mini state inspection. They pull the wheels and rotate the tires, as well – which you would normally be charged an additional $20 for elsewhere.

With our digital inspections, which we can email or text to you, you can see recommendations we have for you without having to wait around at the shop. The digital inspection also gives you an update on various parts, such as the condition of your car’s air filter or how worn the brake pads are.  

Last year, we began using full synthetic oil for all vehicles, except for the few cars that require regular oil. With this switch, you no longer need to worry about the up sale of oil. 

As people start returning to work, they will be driving more. Synthetic oil allows you to travel 5,000 miles between oil changes and is better for the internal components of the engine.

For more information about why oil changes are needed, check out this article we shared.

Here is what we do during an oil change:

  • Change the oil
  • Change the oil filter
  • Check the filters
  • Perform a digital inspection
  • Rotate tires *
  • Check brakes
  • Check tire pressure
  • Test battery *
  • Check accessible fluids

Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire is an authorized Goodyear tire dealer located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Automotive repair services are performed on all makes and models, including BMW and Mercedes. Services include oil changes, brakes, alignments, inspections, and computer engine diagnostics.