Automotive Industry News & Information - Lake Ridge Automotive

What does “remanufactured” mean, and is it something you want? At Lake Ridge Automotive in Woodbridge, VA, we strive for great service and a job well done. Part of that is equipping you with the knowledge you need to understand what’s going on when a repair is necessary on your car, truck or SUV. “Remanufactured” is a word that you’ll encounter in the automotive world. Many people perceive that to mean “used”, but that isn’t the case - here’s what you need to know.

Without a working battery, your car will not be able to start. If you perform proper maintenance, however, an average car battery can start your car reliably for roughly four years. Your vehicle's radio and headlights, plus a slew of other important functions, are powered by an electrical current generated by your vehicle’s engine but a vital part of generating electricity is having a place to store it while it’s not being used, which is where a car battery comes into play. The battery holds electrical energy while a car is off in order to help the engine turn over and create a spark to start internal combustion. What you don't want is to have a bad battery!!

At Lake Ridge Automotive in Woodbridge, VA, we see a lot of the same mistakes that cause a transmission to fail. With our help, you can avoid a preventable transmission failure and keep your car reliably on the road.

Tires may be the only part of a vehicle that physically meets the road, but your shock absorbers are next in line. Working with the suspension springs, they absorb shocks from bumps and cracks in the road, while simultaneously controlling bounce and body roll.

While fleet trucks and vehicles tend to persist as some of the more simplistic vehicles on the road, the modernization and computerization of the automotive world has not left them untouched. These days, everything is equipped with computer systems, sensors, modules, and more. At Lake Ridge Automotive in Woodbridge, VA, our professional technicians have the knowledge, equipment, and ability necessary to provide the accurate and vital diagnostics required to keep your fleet on the road.

Routine maintenance keeps your fleet trucks safe on the road and protects you against unplanned trips to your local automotive shop! One thing a lot of people forget about is to have their coolant flushed. Lake Ridge Automotive in Woodbridge, VA will help you make sure your fleet vehicle is properly flushed every time!

Your vehicle's cooling system is one of the most important systems in your vehicle. Inside your engine, spark plugs ignite the fuel within the cylinders to produce small explosions that propel your vehicle down the road. With small explosions comes scorching temperatures that can destroy your engine if not controlled. There are two types of cooling systems - liquid-cooled and air-cooled.

The heads on your commercial or fleet diesel are one of the most integral parts of your engine. The heads are comprised of the valvetrain, exhaust ports, intake ports, and injector ports. In essence, a head’s purpose is to regulate and time the intake of fresh air, the release of exhaust, the compression of fuel and air that provides combustion, and the entry point for fuel into the cylinder. The head is where all the complex aspects of engine operation occur...without it, you just have a chunk of metal with pistons in it, and no way to make them move. Here’s what you need to know about your heads, from Lake Ridge Automotive in Woodbridge, VA.