Automotive Industry News & Information - Jim Van Dyke's Automotive Center

Friendly people. Quality work done on all my vehicles. - Randy S.

I know firsthand that this family owned business will go out of their way to make your experience with them top rate. - Charlie W.

Quality work, a fair price and friendly people. They will not recommend services just to make a buck. If you don't need it, they won't do it. - Customer Review

I was really impressed by this place. Excellent work and very friendly. Not overpriced and honest..defenitely what you want in your auto mechanic! - Kevin D.

We have great pride in our military and veterans and honor them on Veterans Day each November 11th. Did you know how and why it is on November 11th? The reason dates back to 1918 and pays homage to the date and time the WW I cease fire went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month when a temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect. November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars” eventhough the official end of the what we refer to as "The Great War" ended with the Treaty of Versailles signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France.

Did you know that Remanufacturing is Recycling? Have you considered how your decision to make a major repair to your vehicle affects our environment? We have researched how much energy JASPER utilizes in the remanufacturing process and compared it with information from the Argonne National Lab, a research center for the U.S. Department of Energy.

By averaging the curb weight of three vehicles: a Mercedes-Benz W126, a Hummer H2, and a Toyota Prius, a determination was made on the average amount of energy required in manufacturing vehicles. Energy usage at JASPER, per drivetrain component, was figured and, on average, only 1% of the energy is consumed in remanufacturing a drivetrain component in comparison to manufacturing the entire vehicle. That is an energy savings of nearly six tons of coal or 1008 gallons of crude oil. Rather than replacing their vehicles, our customers, by purchasing JASPER remanufactured engines, transmissions, and differentials saved enough energy in 2007 to power an estimated 598,000 households, or every residence in a city the size of Washington, D.C., for an entire year!

As we celebrate Labor Day this year, we want to thank you for choosing us for your automotive and truck repair needs. We come to work each day and raise these garage doors with wrenches in hand but without your trust in our experience and hard work ethics there wouldn't be a garage here to open. We will continue to work hard to earn that trust and keep your vehicles running in peak shape because that is what we do and we thank you for making it possible!

Have you checked your brakes lately? I know you expect them to stop your car or truck when you step on that brake pedal, but when they don't work as expected it's too late and then you have an accident with damage to your vehicle but more importantly to the people inside your car and those on the road who may be in your path.

Let's avoid that issue! Test your brakes by lightly tapping them in different situations when the roads are both wet and dry. If your vehicle is pulling to one side, your brake pedal pulses up and down or the steering wheel shakes when the brakes are applied, you are very much overdue for a brake check. Getting in early will save you money as it is always easier to fix a problem before it becomes a huge issue and your brakes are gone requiring new brakes, pads, rotars, and drums.

When in doubt stop by our shop and have one of our professional automotive repair technicians take a look. Don't wait until it's too late to solve these problems and let us help you stay safe on the road! After all, that is the reason we raise these garage doors every day and open these tool boxes. We love what we do and want to ensure our drivers can stay on the roads longer with their vehicles safer and more cost efficiently.