Shore Drive Shell Services

At Shore Drive Shell, we have made major investments in equipment and training that allow us to provide a wide array of services. We are great at diagnosing and repairing problems with your car, but, as cars have become more reliable, it has become important to provide preventive maintenance service. Following is a list of some of the services we provide:
(Click on any of the links to get in-depth information, click it again to close it)

• - Wheel alignment
Close
Wheel Alignment
Improperly aligned wheels can cause all sorts of problems for you and your car;  the car may pull to one side or the other, and your tires will wear prematurely and unevenly.  Lots of things can cause your car's wheels to get out of line, including plain old normal wear and tear. Anytime you get new tires, it's a good idea to get the car aligned at the same time.
For a really good explanation of what we look for and adjust during the alignment process, click here.
In order to insure that we can provide a full spectrum of services, we recently invested in a state-of-the-art wheel alignment system. It incorporates a drive-on vehicle lift capable of supporting 12,000 pounds. At the front of the lift is a computer-operated optical boom with cameras at each end. The technician mounts reflective "targets" on each wheel. The cameras look at the targets and the computer displays the current alignment status of all four wheels.
Close


• Virginia safety inspections
Close
Virginia Vehicle Safety Inspection

The state of Virginia requires motor vehicles to be inspected on an annual basis. Inspection stations and the conduct of the inspection program are closely monitored by the Virginia State Police Safety Division.
Inspectors are required to take a written test and a practical exam and meet minimum experience requirements to become certified. In addition, the facility has to be certified by the State Police. The State Police monitor us on a continuing basis to insure that we are adhering to the regulations. The inspection regulations are complex, thorough, arcane and sometimes difficult to interpret and apply. The inspection manual that documents the program can be found here. A summary of the inspection requirements is posted near our service desk. Our inspection certification was difficult to obtain and is critical to our business, so we do inspections "by the book."
Shore Drive Shell currently has four certified inspectors and two inspection bays. We don't make appointments for inspections. A typical inspection for a car usually takes about twenty minutes or so, but sometimes the bays get tied up with cars awaiting parts, etc. and there may be a wait to get your car in.
The fees for state inspections are as follows:
• Cars $16.00
• Trailers $16.00
• Motorcycles $12.00
Close


• Oil changes and chassis lubrication
Close
Oil Change Service
This is the service that makes many people feel guilty as they drive. You KNOW you are overdue to change your oil, don't you? It is important to change your oil and oil filter on a regular basis. One of the jobs that oil does is to collect nasty stuff generated during normal engine operation; It's important to get these particles and chemicals out of your engine periodically. In addition, oil "wears out" over time, losing some of its ability to lubricate and protect your engine.
Shore Drive Shell uses high-quality Shell 10W-30 and NAPA filters for the Basic and Premier services. We will be happy to substitute other grades and brands, but it may take longer to finish the job. We offer three levels of oil change service:
• Basic Oil Change - This is the service you want if you are in a hurry and just want to stop feeling guilty about your car. We put in up to 5 quarts of Shell 10W-30 and install a new in-stock oil filter. We put a sticker on your windshield that reminds you to come back in 3000 miles or three months (or whenever you get feeling really guilty again).
• Premier Oil Change - You get the basic service and we add a 16-point check that includes the following:
• AMSOIL 7500 Mile Service - LISTEN! - synthetic oil will make your engine last longer, run better, and may increase your gas mileage. Jet engines use synthetic oil. Porsches and Corvettes come from the factory with synthetic oil. My 1972 Triumph engine was rebuilt twenty years ago, runs only synthetic oil and still runs like new. Synthetic oil lubricates better than regular oil and odes not break down like regular oil, so you can leave it in the engine longer. It's not just better - it's a LOT better! This service is the same as the Premier service with the 16-point check, but includes up to five quarts of AMSOIL synthetic oil.
Close


• Manufacturers' Preventive Maintenance Services
Close
Warning: main(mfr_service.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/content/s/h/o/shoredrive2/html/our_services.php on line 38

Warning: main(mfr_service.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/content/s/h/o/shoredrive2/html/our_services.php on line 38

Warning: main(): Failed opening 'mfr_service.php' for inclusion (include_path='/home/content/s/h/o/shoredrive2/html/install/PEAR:.:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/content/s/h/o/shoredrive2/html/our_services.php on line 38
Close


• AC service
Close
Air Conditioning Service
Automobile air conditioning systems contain a highly volatile gas generally referred to as freon that boils at a very low temperature. It resides in your AC system as a liquid and is trying desperately to become a gas. When it does turn into a gas, it absorbs a lot of energy, making everything around it turn very cold. this evaporation process is what cools the inside of your car and your car has a device called a compressor to turn the evaporated gas back into a liquid.
All car AC systems leak freon to some degree. New from the factory, it's probably only leaking at the molecular level - almost undetectable - but over time, seals and other components wear and significant amounts of freon can be lost to the atmosphere. If the freon level gets too low, it could damage the system, so car manufacturers put in a low pressure switch that shuts down the compressor when the freon level gets down to a specified point. That explains why your AC might just suddenly quit on a hot day.
We have four major tools that we use in diagnosing and repairing AC problems:
• AC gauges - capable of measuring the freon pressure before and after it is compressed.
• AC service machine - is able to remove the freon from your car, store it, and put the correct amount of freon back in automatically.
• "Sniffer" type leak detector - a sophisticated device that can actually smell very small amounts of freon around the components of the system.
• Visual leak detection systems that use dye and ultraviolet light to make leaks visible.
So... your AC has just quit and you bring your car to us. First, we perform a visual inspection of the componenets under the hood that make the AC work.  For instance, we look to see if the belt that drives the compressor is in place. Next, we look to see if the clutch that drives the AC compressor is engaging.  If it is, we use a special set of AC gauges to see if there is freon in the system. If there is, we usually recommend re-charging the system to get the correct amount of freon back in the system. In most cases,this will make the system function for the remainder of the season, but we also inject a special leak detector dye. If your AC quits again, we can use the dye and an ultra-violet light to pinpoint the source of the leak.
The worst case scenario is a mechanical failure of one of the major components such as the compressor, evaporator or condensor. The compressor can lock up internally, causing the drive belt to squeal, and, of course, no AC. New and rebuilt compressors are readily available for most cars , but they are expensive and the amount of labor necessary to install this component varies from car to car.
Our technician is formally trained and ASE certified in AC service.
Close


• Coolant flush
Close
Coolant Service
Antifreeze has become a very confusing topic over the last few years. There is the good old green antifreeze, orange DexCool, blue in some European cars... How do you know what is right for your car? Consult the owner's manual or a reference such as our AllData system. Most antifreeze in use today is ethylene glycol based, but the additives that provide corrosion protection and lubricity vary from brand to brand. Most GM cars use DexCool long-life antifreeze which needs to be changed every five years or 150,000 miles. Other manufacturers use the "green stuff" which needs to be changed every two years or 30,000 miles. The two types should not be mixed.
The primary purpose of antifreeze would appear to be preventing your cooling system from freezing, but it is also much more effective in dissipating engine heat than plain water is. In addition, it prevents corrosion buildup which can clog radiators and heater cores, and it provides lubrication for the moving parts of the cooling system. Over time, antifreeze loses its effectiveness, becomes contaminated and acidic, and loses its ability to prevent corrosion.
Can/should you change your own antifreeze? Yes, you can, but keep in mind that antifreeze is toxic and should be handled carefully and disposed of properly. Due to the physical design of cooling systems, draining the antifreeze only removes about half of the old coolant. Systems that use a garden hose to flush the system create a LOT of diluted toxic fluid that has to be properly disposed of.
At Shore Drive Shell, we have a sophisticated fluid exchange machine that forces all of the old fluid out as it pumps in new coolant. We collect all of the old fluid and send it to a recycler. We have extensive reference material that tells us exactly what type of coolant is correct for your car. When we finish exchanging your coolant, we pressure test the cooling system at rated pressure to insure there are no leaks and the radiator cap is operating properly.
Radiator Cap? What's the big deal?
The radiator cap is much more than a cap for the cooling system... When you put the cooling under pressure, it increases the boiling point and lets you run the engine hotter and more efficiently. A typical car cooling system runs at about 16 pounds of pressure. The radiator cap is actually a valve that regulates the cooling system pressure; when the cap pressure rating is exceeded, the cap allows pressurized coolant to escape into the coolant reservoir (the translucent container where you check your coolant level). When you shut the car off and the cooling system cools off, the pressure in the system drops and the radiator cap allows coolant to be sucked back into the radiator from the reservoir. When they go bad, radiator caps usually won't hold pressure and allow antifreeze to escape prematurely into the reservoir or even into the engine compartment and onto the ground. The result is loss of coolant and eventual engine overheating. We can quickly test your radiator cap to determine if it can hold its rated pressure.
Thermostat - Another Valve
The thermostat is a temperature-controlled valve that controls the flow of coolant within the cooling system. Wax pellets within the thermostat expand and open the valve when they get hot, allowing coolant to circulate through the radiator, cooling the engine. As the engine cools, the pellets contract, closing the valve and restricting the flow of coolant. Thermostats usually fail in the closed position, causing overheating. Replacing the thermostat is usually a simple operation, but there are some cars (can you spell A-U-D-I?) that require a lot of labor to get to this device.
Water Pump
The water pump circulates the coolant through the engine, radiator and heater. The pump is usually driven by a drive belt on the front of the engine, but some are driven by the timing belt. Primary failure mode for a water pump is a coolant leak. Replacement water pumps are available both new and rebuilt. We generally recommend new pumps to insure reliability.
Radiators
The radiator is composed of dozens of tiny tubes that provide a lot of surface area to dissipate engine heat and cool the coolant. Radiators used to be very solid brass contraptions that were soldered together and built like tanks. Today's radiators, on the other hand, are made of aluminum and plastic, are light, flimsy, and have a tendency to come apart. They don't lend themselves to repair, so we usually replace them with new ones that are readily available for most cars. The heater core is another radiator, albeit a little one. It dissipates engine heat into the interior, warming you tootsies and defrosting the windshield. But they can spring leaks, too. Unfortunately, in a lot of cases they put the heater core on the assembly line and build the car around it. Replacing one may require a lot of disassembly of the dashboard.
Stop-Leak: No No No!
There are a number of products on the market that promise to stop your cooling system from leaking. In addition to commercial products, do-it-yourselfers try eggs and pepper! Sometimes they work - they idea is that the pressurized coolant tries to force the stop-leak material through the leak, stopping it up and, you hope, solving the problem. It may actually work as a short-term solution, but, long-term, it creates more problems in your cooling system. First, it will not work on a leaky water pump. Second, it may clog the tiny orifices in the heater core and radiator. Finally, it just makes a mess of the cooling system. Whne you finally break down and get the problem fixed, its very difficult to flush the sealer out of the system. Don't hope for a miracle - get that leak fixed!
Close


• Automatic transmission service (flush and filter)
• "Check engine" light - diagnostics
  Close

  That Pesky "Check Engine" Light

  On some cars, it says "Service Engine Soon." Whatever it says, that mysterious little light is telling you that something has gone wrong with your car. On my 1972 Triumph the flow of gas to the engine is controlled by the size of a hole in the carburetor - simple, but not very efficient. On a modern car, numerous sensors tell a very sophisticated computer how the engine is doing and vary the flow of fuel accordingly. Very efficient and amazingly reliable, but sometimes things do go wrong and that light comes on to say that something is not going according to plan.

  The primary monitored function are those related to emissions - variations in engine performance that decrease performance, increase pollution and may, if ignored, damage the catalytic converter. The computer processes dozens of signals from the engine, transmission, and emission control systems - so how does a car owner tell what the light means? Well, short of buying your own scanner, you don't. When something does go wrong, an error code is generated and stored in the computer. Using a tool called a scanner, you can access the computer memory and read the stored error code(s). These codes don't say "Part X is bad," but they provide clues to help unravel what's gone wrong.

  Their are two types of errors - transient failures and hard failures. A notorious transient problem is caused by not putting the gas cap on properly. To the computer, this looks like a leak in the emission control system and the light comes on. Tighten up the gas cap and, after a few trips, in most cases the light will go out. However, if a sensor goes bad, or there is a real leak due to a broken component, the light stays on until the problem is fixed.

  We have sophisticated scanners that will not only read the error codes, but also monitor the output of sensors so we can tell exactly how the engine is performing. In some cases the scanner leads us directly to the bad component; in other cases it just provide clues that help us diagnose the problem.

  So, the light comes on, you check the gas cap. If it's tight, come see us and we will connect the scanner and provide a diagnosis. Let's say we find a problem that is not critical and you decide to just live with that pesky light being on... Well then how do you know if a new problem crops up? This is a good time to get into what's really going on with that light.

  Modern cars are amazing. They are incredibly fuel efficient, powerful, and reliable. This is the result of evolution of computer control systems that put exactly the right amount of gas into the engine for the conditions at hand. Prior to 1996, each manufacturer had their own computer systems speaking their own language, requiring technicians to have a closet full of cables and programs to analyze problems. As of 1996, all manufacturers were required to comply with a standard called "On-Board Diagnostics Level 2" abbreviated OBD-II. Now there is a standard plug that puts out a standard set of data about the operation of the car. So what is this system looking for to keep that light from coming on? Let's go deeper...

  In a car engine, air and fuel are mixed and burned in the cylinders to produce power. To operate efficiently the ratio of air to gas must be correct - about 14.5 to 1. Think about the wild variations in operating conditions that your engine encounters: icy mornings just starting up - blazing hot summer days, varying grades of gas, sea-level to mountaintop. So you have to measure engine temperature, air temperature, the amount of air flowing into the engine (and how dense it is). Then somebody discovered that if you put a little bit of the burned air-fuel gases back into the intake, it will drastically reduce emissions, so now you have to monitor an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system, too. If this is all starting to sound kind of complicated, you're right, but this is a just scratching the surface. Ideally, all of this results in really great engine performance and a set of signals that we can look at to help pinpoint problems.

  When everything is going right, the engine operates in "closed loop" mode. An ingenious device called an oxygen sensor "sniffs" the exhaust to see if there is unburned gasoline there. If there is, it tells the computer to squirt less gas through the fuel injectors. If it sniffs a lean mixture (not enough gas), it calls for more gas. Great system, but what if the oxygen sensor quits working - do you walk home? Probably not. All cars these days are required to have a "limp home" or "open-loop" mode. In open-loop mode the computer reverts to a set of parameters stored in the computer that let you keep going. Performance and fuel mileage won't be great, and you will be creating more emissions than normal, but you keep going. So, if the light is on you are probably in open-loop and limping along.

  Close
  
  
• Tire Rotation
Close
Tire Rotation
Even when properly maintained, cars tend to wear tires unevenly. Because the front tires steer the car, they are subjected to forces that are different from the rear. To get the maximum life from your set of four tires, it's important to periodically rotate the tires from front to rear. Proper alignment, rotation and attention to tire pressure will help insure maximum tire longevity. We are required to remove at least two wheels from your car during annual inspection, so we offer a special on rotation with your inspection. We also offer a pecial price on rotation with other lift services such as oil changes.
Some notes on tire pressure
Low tire pressure is very hard on tires - it causes them to wear unevenly and increases their operating temperatures, sometimes dangerously, causing premature structural breakdown. It also adversely affects handling and braking, so it's important to keep tires inflated to the car manufacturer's specified pressure for the type of driving you do. How do you know what that pressure is? Well, you DON'T use the pressure that's molded on the sidewall of the tire - that's the tire manufacturer's maximum recommended pressure for the tire. Car manufacturers put the proper pressure on a sticker inside the driver door frame, or inside the gas door, or in the owner's manual.
Close


• Major and minor engine and drivetrain repair
• Brakes
  Close

  Brake Services

  The brakes do a tough job. They stop your car by converting all of the energy of motion into heat... and lots of it! They do this by employing friction - the brake pads or shoes press against the spinning brake rotor or drum when you step on the pedal, and, if all goes well, your car stops.

  Most cars today have disk brakes on the front. The front brakes do most of the work when you stop because the weight of the car tends to shift forward. iIn a typical panic stop you see the car's hood go down and the rear end lifts up. As a result, the front brake pads tend to wear out before the rear brakes do.

  For a more detailed explanation, check out the How Stuff Works website.

  During state inspections, we remove a front and a rear wheel and examine the brakes closely. The friction linings on most brake pads are about 1/2 inch thick when they are new. Heat and friction wear away the lining over time - but how much time? Most cars need new brake pads at 40 to 60 thousand miles, but this can vary widely based on the way the car is driven, the weight of the vehicle and a myriad of other factors.

  To pass state inspection the brake pads only need to have 1/16th of an inch of lining - about the thickness of a quarter. The lining material is bonded to a metal backing plate and rubs on the spinning iron rotor to stop the car. When the lining is gone, the metal backing plate rubs on the rotor, usually damaging it. The metal rubbing on metal does not provide good friction, so the brakes are no longer effective.

  What else can go wrong?

  As I said earlier, tremendous heat is generated during normal braking, and this heat is absorbed and dissipated over time by the brake system components. The heat can cause the iron brake rotor to become glazed, small cracks in the rotor surface develop, and the rotor may warp. The end result is reduced brake effectiveness and, in the case of warping, you may feel the brakes "pulse" as you stop.

  The quality of repair parts for brakes varies widely. Many repair shops offer "brake jobs" at very low prices, but you need to ask what grade components they are using. Brake pad friction linings come in a mind-boggling array of compositions and, to a large degree, you get what you pay for. Cheap pads wear quickly, make a brake-dust mess on your wheels, and may squeal at stop lights. WE know what types of components were originally installed on your car and we will use a similar quality when we repair your brakes.

  Brake repair is not a place to look for a bargain. You want the job done right with high quality components. That's what we do.

  Close
  
  
  
  • Pads (basic, ceramic, kevlar...)
  • Rotors
  • Fluid flush - an often-neglected service
• Tire repairs
  • Quick plugs - no cheap string plugs
  • internal patches and plugs
• New and used tires at competitive prices
• Light welding
• Sandblasting
• Detailing
• Minor body work