434-973-3108 | 1067 Gasoline Alley Charlottesville, VA 22091
Engine Maintenance in Charlottesville
Engine Repairs We Can Provide
Engine maintenance is vital to keep your car or truck operating at peak performance. It also impacts the longevity of your vehicle's engine. Trust the experts at Auto Doctor to help you protect your investment. Call us at 434-973-3108 or visit our shop in Charlottesville for expert engine maintenance.
Here is a comprehensive list of the engine maintenance services we offer:
Check Engine Light
No one likes to see their car's "Check Engine" light come on. The light could mean a costly problem, like a bad catalytic converter, or it could be something minor, like a loose gas cap. At Auto Doctor, we can pull the code and diagnose the problem for you. Give us a call at 434-973-3108 or stop by the shop for our expert assistance.
Diesel
Although diesel engines don't require tune-ups and tend to last longer than gasoline engines, they do require regular maintenance. Typical maintenance tasks include:
- Changing the oil & filter
- Changing the air filter
- Changing the fuel filter
- Bleeding the fuel system
- Draining the water separators
- Refilling the urea injection system
You can count on the experts at Auto Doctor to help your diesel engine last a long time.
Fuel Injection
Fuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an engine. Since 1990, fuel injectors have completely replaced carburetors as the primary means of getting gasoline into the engine. A fuel injector atomizes the fuel by forcibly pumping it through a small nozzle (under high pressure). Failure of the fuel injection system means poor performance and ultimately destroys the engine. Make sure your vehicle's fuel injection system is maintained properly. For all your fuel injection maintenance and replacement needs, call 434-973-3108 or visit Auto Doctor today.
Ignition
An ignition system is a system for igniting (using an electric spark) a mixture of fuel and air in a gasoline engine. A properly working ignition system means a properly starting engine and high performance from your car. For all your ignition system maintenance and replacement needs, call or visit Auto Doctor today.
Ignition Wires & Cables
Ignition cables also known as spark plug wires are an important part of your car's ignition system. They transfer the spark from the ignition coil to spark plugs that ignite the mixture of fuel and air. The mixture starts the engine. Over time, ignition wires and cables get weak and break down. This makes it impossible for the spark to reach the engine cylinders. This results in the engine misfiring. The car will eventually fail to start. If it does start, it will run poorly. Common symptoms of faulty ignition cables and wires are: poor gas mileage, engine misfires, engine light is on, and engine may vibrate. If your car needs new ignition cables and wires, call or visit Auto Doctor in Charlottesville, VA 22091. Here, you will have the wires and cables changed by a top-rated mechanic.
Oil, Lube, and Filter
To keep running smoothly, your car highly relies on oil, lube, and oil filters. Oil helps in lubricating, cooling, and cleaning the internal engine components. With time, motor oil becomes contaminated. Your car needs an oil, lube, and filter change every three months (or 3,000 miles). When it is time for a lube, oil, or filter change, take your vehicle to Auto Doctor in Charlottesville, VA 22091.
Spark Plugs
A spark plug delivers electric current to the combustion chamber from the ignition system. Spark plugs that haven't been changed for a long time can cause ignition problems. At Auto Doctor, we have automotive experts who will check and replace your spark plugs. For all your spark plug repair or replacement needs, call 434-973-3108 or visit Auto Doctor today.
Spark Plug Related FAQs
How do you know when a spark plug needs to be replaced?
The most common sign a spark plug needs replacing is the feeling that the car's engine is hesitating when accelerating, but other signs may include misfiring at start up, rough idling, sluggish acceleration, declining fuel economy and engine knocking.
What else should I replace when replacing spark plugs?
If you are considering having your vehicle's spark plugs replaced, there's a high probability that your spark plug wires need changing as well. Ignition wires become brittle over time. Old ignition wires can break and cause misfires or declining fuel economy.
Serpentine Belt Related FAQs
How do I know if I need to replace my car's serpentine belt?
If your serpentine belt is failing, you may notice performance issues with your vehicle. The vehicle may frequently overheat. Your air conditioning or power steering may fail to work or not work properly. You may notice your vehicle battery failing to recharge if the alternator is affected by a bad serpentine belt. If you start to notice any of these issues we encourage you to bring your vehicle to Auto Doctor as soon as possible to avoid bigger problems and breakdown.
Check Engine Light FAQs
What could cause a check engine light to come on?
Come by Auto Doctor and we can diagnose the reasons for a check engine light turning on. It can range from something serious like a faulty catalytic converter or potential engine failure to something simple like a loose gas cap or the need for a simple 50K or 100K mile manufacturer maintenance check.
Is it okay to drive with the engine light on?
The short answer, "No." The longer explanation is the light may indicate a serious engine failure and continuing to use your car as if nothing is wrong could result in a very expensive repair bill. The check engine light means you should stop driving and have your car looked at as soon as possible by a professional at Auto Doctor in Charlottesville.
What is the most common problem with my check engine light?
A loose gas cap is the most common cause of a check engine light coming on. But the best method to determine why the check engine light is on is to have a professional at Auto Doctor read the diagnostic code in the car's internal OBD computer.
What does a solid check engine light mean?
A steady check engine light indicates a non-emergency issue. Come by Auto Doctor and we can help.
What does an intermittent flashing check engine light mean?
Flashing check engine lights warn of severe situations requiring immediate attention. Get your vehicle to an auto repair shop as quickly as possible or get it safely parked and call a tow truck to take it to your preferred auto repair shop.
To learn more about our Engine Maintenance services, call us at 434-973-3108 or request a quote by clicking below:
Request Quote
Discover More About Engine Repair Services At Auto Doctor in Charlottesville
Transmission Repair Services
Car & Truck Care Services
Engine Heating & Cooling Services
coupons
Alignment for $95.99
view couponMost vehicles, Light Trucks
Testimonials
Andrew Porter, 02/19/2025
They can fix your ISUZU TRUCK! The family business I work for sells furniture and our largest and most important piece of equipment is our Isuzu NPR box truck; it's our lift gate truck. I first truly appreciated that machine delivering a four-hundred pound mahogany armoire. So when it started having trouble a couple of months ago (check engine light, exhaust warnings, reduced performance) we took it where we always took it- probably the same place you take your large truck as it is well advertised, I'll call them the Can't Repair Autos Properly Shop, or CRAPS for short. So craps got the warnings turned off and gave us a diagnosis of what fix, which was around 5k. When we got the truck back there was a terrible squeal that sounded like a belt. A young craps employee told me it would "settle down" in time. It did not, and the truck broke down on its first run, oddly right in front of craps, with fluids spraying out from under the engine. Another craps employee told me a bolt had come loose... and charged me ten bucks to "replace it." Also the warnings were all back and they said they didn't have the ability to reset them. What was the point of even working on it if you are unable to do that? So I got a tip that Auto-Doctor had the necessary magic to talk to an Isuzu. They fixed it (well under 2k) diagnosed the real problem, discovered that the noise was NOT a belt that would settle down, but my compressor was going out, and topped off my DEP fluid (which was low- craps didn't even bother to fill it). My POC at Auto-Doctor was Larry and he is a great communicator although I accidently saved his number under the name Debbie so I affectionately call him Debbie in my head, though not to his face. If you've been in Cville for any time at all you'll know the place, right off Rio behind the three gas stations across from the Greenbrier neighborhood. I always wondered what the place was, like a level for a videogame I hadn't gotten access to yet. Turns out all I needed to do in order to go there was get screwed over by a greenhorn mechanic in a fancy garage. No shiny new cars fronting this place. It's a working shop in the middle of a junkyard, not a daycare garage with a dealership out front, so for the hard-work challenged you may feel anxious driving down the dirt road (called Gasoline Alley!!) that takes you passed the car corpses. Nobody is likely to greet you at the door because they are busy doing a great job for a reasonable fee so tuck your feelings in your pocket with the money you save. If you ask me it's what an auto-shop should be, surrounded by dead cars. I mean really- what can a mechanic learn from a new car lot? That's why med schools teach gross anatomy on corpses. And these guys are truly auto doctors.