Expert Preventative Maintenance Services for European Vehicles

Preventative Maintenance Services for European Vehicles

Preventative maintenance is the key to the long-term health and safety of your European Vehicle. The right type of preventative maintenance protects the investment you made in your vehicle and lowers the overall cost of ownership by minimizing future repairs. Precision-engineered European vehicles require more than just simple oil changes to maintain efficient, trouble free running. Below are some examples of the preventative maintenance services we offer:

Cooling System Service

A failure in the cooling system is the number one cause of roadside breakdowns. Failure to cool the engine can be catastrophic and literally require the vehicle to be scrapped or at the very least require extensive major component replacement. Likewise, failure of the cooling system to protect the engine from freezing cold temperatures can produce similar results. Efficient engine cooling has a direct impact on the useable life and long-term maintenance costs of the vehicle. Poor quality fluids and the breakdown of chemicals subjected to extremes of temperature, lead to a build up of deposits, corrosion and can clog the flow of important systems. In the Chicago climate, we commonly see vehicles where the coolant freeze protection only goes as low as zero F. Given the low windchill values in Chicago, it is vitally important to make sure your engine and cooling system is well protected for the winter.

With a Cooling System Service, you'll experience:

Cooler operating temperatures
Improved fuel efficiency
Longer life from components such as water pump
Extended operating life for radiators
Peace-of-mind in traffic jams on a 100 degree day!
Peace-of-mind on a negative 20 degree day!

Fuel System Service

The fuel system in your European vehicle consists of many precise components that rely on being clean to function as efficiently as possible. Today's environmentally efficient fuels, whilst containing cleaning agents, do not burn as efficiently as they used to. The very nature of burning carbon based fuels, such as gasoline, results in the build-up of deposits in areas such as injectors, inlet chambers, and valves. Depending on your driving style and the type of roads you drive, these deposits can build up in as short as 3000 miles. Gasoline in Europe has a significantly higher octane rating than here in the USA. While the octane measurement is calculated sightly differently, the results are a general lower grade of gas in the US. We have seen many examples of vehicles that will not idle, idle rough or lack performance because of carbon build-up through use of cheap gas. Some have resulted in significant engine work to resolve the problem. Always use premium gas and run a Fuel System Service once a year.

With a Fuel System Service, you'll experience:

Improved Engine Performance
Better Fuel Efficiency
Restored Power
Improved Emissions
Lower Long Term Engine Repair Costs

Engine Oil System Service

Even with regular oil changes, sludge and deposits build up within the flow channels of the engine oil system. The slowing of the oil flow can cause reduced power and performance and over time lead to increased operating temperatures. Once the deposits build enough, the flow of oil maybe significantly reduced and can cause components such as valves, piston rings or bearings to fail prematurely - expensive repair work. In addition, many European engines reply on good oil pressure to assist in the variation of valve timing. A lack of oil flow causes the car to misfire and indicate cam timing faults. This is common in some Audi and BMW vehicles. In the case of Audi, poor oil flow can result in the need to replace cylinder heads. Make sure you change your oil every 7K miles and run an Engine Oil Flush Every 20K miles.

With an Engine Cleaning Service, you'll experience:

Improved power and performance
Improved fuel efficiency
Better protection in extreme conditions
Increased engine operating life
Lower cost of ownership

Brake System Service

When you first drive a new car the brake pedal feels strong and the car feels like it will stop instantly. Over time, the pedal feel becomes spongier and less responsive. Components in the brake system are subjected to corrosive fluids and substantial pressure. As the fluid and rubber hoses break down, contaminates affective the feel and effectiveness of the braking system. In a manual transimission vehicle, the clutch system also shares the same fluid as the braking system. Therefore, dirty fluid can also affect the wear on the clutch. We recommend you flush your brake and clutch (if appropriate) fluid every 3 years or 30K miles. If you plan to head to the track then your brake fluid must be flushed within a few weeks prior to your track day.

With a Brake System Service, you'll experience:

Improved pedal feel
Improved brake efficiency
More stopping power
Better protection in extreme conditions
Improved operating lifecycle of components
Lower cost of ownership

Auto Transmission Service

Are you stuck in traffic in everyday? Does your regular driving include lots of stop and go at lights or on the freeway? Stop and go driving is likely the biggest cause of early transmission failure. The stop and go nature of driving builds excessive heat in the transmission and causes the fluids to break down. This leads to the build up of deposits that in turn decrease the flow of fluid, lessen the cooling and increase the wear rate. Removing the old fluid and replacing the filter can help to prevent early transmission failure. A word of caution: not all European transmissions can be flushed. And we do not recommend flushing a transmission if the mileage exceeds 100K or if the transmission is experiencing gear change difficulties. Changing the fluid in the transmission rarely solves pre-exisiting problems and can be more problematic.

With an Automatic Transmission Service, you'll experience: