Your pickup truck is heavy and hard working, whether it’s a Chevy, Ford, or Dodge. If you add towing to the mix, it’s even heavier and has to work harder. Your brakes are one of the most wear and tear prone systems on your diesel pickup, but at Lake Ridge Automotive in Woodbridge, VA, we can help you keep yours in good shape.

At Lake Ridge Automotive in Woodbridge, we know that in order to keep your car in good shape, it helps to know how it works. Here’s a quick rundown of a system that’s very important, but you take for granted until there’s a problem; your brakes.  While there is a multitude of configurations and levels of complexity in automotive brake systems, they all essentially work the same way. Disregarding anti-lock brake systems and the like, this is how braking works in its simplest form.

There may come a day when you go to shift your vehicle out of “Park”, and the shifter refuses to move. Perhaps you are already experiencing this issue intermittently, or currently have a vehicle stuck in park. While this is a serious inconvenience, it doesn’t necessarily indicate a serious problem; let Lake Ridge Automotive in Woodbridge, VA put your mind at ease.

If you drive a Dodge, Chevy, or Ford diesel pickup, you know the amount of hard work your truck puts in. You may also be aware that diesels run a little dirtier than your average gas burner. At Lake Ridge Automotive in Woodbridge, VA, our goal is to keep your Duramax, Cummins, or Powerstroke truck on the road for many miles to come. A huge part of that is keeping your oil maintained.

There’s a huge percentage of vehicle on the road, right now, with the check engine light illuminated. Many of them have had it on for years, even. Frequently, a check engine light will illuminate, but pose no immediate problems, so people just get used to it and learn to live with it being on. However, Lake Ridge Automotive in Woodbridge, VA would like you to know that it’s worth having it looked into. Typically, the problem can be diagnosed by simply plugging your car into our computer; the vehicle gives us a code, and we know what the problem is immediately.

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 Lake Ridge Automotive in Woodbridge, 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 Lake Ridge Automotive in Woodbridge, VA.

If you drive a car with a manual transmission, you already know you have a clutch. But what exactly is it, and what does it do? At Lake Ridge Automotive in Woodbridge, we believe that knowing a little more about your car better prepares you to keep it maintained. Here’s what you should know about your clutch disc.

What does a flex plate do, and how do you know if yours is faulty? Your vehicle may be telling you things you may not know. Lake Ridge Automotive in Woodbridge has the answers you need.

Tires are what keeps your vehicle rolling, literally. Many people have found that shopping for tires is overwhelming because there are just so many choices. At Lake Ridge Automotive, we want to break it down for you so that it's easier to understand. There are four main categories of tires, and the right ones for you will depend on the kind of driving you do. Let's talk more about that! 

At Lake Ridge Automotive in Woodbridge, we know how irritating an issue with your car, truck, or SUV can be, even if it doesn’t immediately affect your vehicle’s performance. One such problematic issue, the excessively loud radiator cooling fan, is a common plague many automobile owners will experience.

Nobody knows your vehicle better than you; if you suspect it isn’t driving the way it used to, there’s a good chance you’re correct. The truth of the matter is there are countless reasons and remedies for such a broad subject, but Lake Ridge Automotive in Woodbridge, VA has compiled a list of a few common problems that can cause a vehicle to drive poorly.

Automotive windows are one of those things that you take for granted, until something goes wrong. One of the more irritating issues a window can develop, is dislocating from its track while attempting to roll it up or down. Why does this happen, and how do you fix it? At Lake Ridge Automotive in Woodbridge, VA, we’ve got answers to your questions and solutions to your problems.

Your drive belts are simple but integral components to the function of your car, truck, or SUV. At Lake Ridge Automotive in Woodbridge, 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.

Your drive belts are simple but integral components to the function of your car, truck, or SUV. At Lake Ridge Automotive in Woodbridge, VA, 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.

Your drive belts run everything - your AC, power steering, alternator, and water pump are all dependent on the belts that turn them. At Lake Ridge Automotive in Woodbridge, VA, our goal is to keep your truck maintained, so you’re never stuck out on the road. Drive belts are a critical part of that goal.

You know how often to change your engine oil; but what about the gear oil in your standard shift transmission? Here’s a short guide, from Lake Ridge Automotive in Woodbridge.  Unless you’re lucky enough to own a car with a transmission dipstick, inspecting the gear oil in a manual transmission is a lot more inconvenient than doing so with an automatic, or checking your engine oil. The car must be jacked up, supported, and the oil checked from underneath. As a result, you may just want to change it when the time is right. But how do you know when that time comes?

Your car, truck, or SUV is equipped with various filters that keep the air going into your engine clean, the air you breathe in the vehicle, the fuel that supplies your engine, and the oil that keeps it going. How often should you have them replaced? It depends on the filter, the vehicle, and the environment. Here’s what you need to know, from Lake Ridge Automotive in Woodbridge, VA.

At Lake Ridge Automotive in Woodbridge, 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.