Regular oil and filter changes are required to keep the “blood” of your engine in top lubricating condition. With today’s oil change intervals becoming further apart, it is critical that the oil and filter be changed on time to make sure that it can handle all the stresses placed on it when you drive. Especially driving around Ann Arbor! Not only does oil lubricate your engine, it keeps the engine interior clean, keeps moisture from corroding parts, and removes heat from critical areas in the engine.

Over time the oil’s ability to do its job decreases, resulting in increased engine wear, sludge build up and other nasty things. Another item to consider is that though engines are designed not to, some oil can be used and burned in even a perfectly running engine. With oil change intervals being over 7,500 miles apart, this burning of oil can use up some of the oil making what is left work even harder. Worse case scenario the oil level can get so low that your engine willstarve for oil causing internal damage.

Lakewood Auto Service knows how critical it is to have the oil changed in your vehicle especially as you drive around Ann Arbor. So, we go above and beyond what other shops in Ann Arbor do to get you back in time and mileage. We calculate your actual miles driven a day and based on the recommended type of oil your vehicle needs, print a sticker that is placed on your windshield to tell you when it is time to return. We also set a “soft appointment” for your next oil change and send you a reminder via text or an appointment reminder inserted in your smart phone calendar with a couple of finger taps. When you confirm that you are coming in for the oil change by texting us the letter “C”, we will be sure that we AT Lakewood Auto Service have everything needed to get your vehicle in and out fast as possible. If you rather have your oil changed more often than the manufacturers’ recommendations because it’s your “baby”, we at Lakewood Auto Service will make that happen. All you need to do is ask. Remember, Lakewood Auto Service is your service destination in Ann Arbor for complete automotive service.

We recommend that if you start to experience any shaking or noises when applying the brakes, or a different feel in the brake pedal that you contact us immediately. If the brake warning, traction or ABS light goes on call us. If needed we will arrange to have your vehicle towed to our shop for the safety of everyone in Ann Arbor and your family.

When checking the brakes for proper operation, we will road test the vehicle first then do an inspection of the brakes at each wheel of your vehicle. The brakes will be disassembled and inspected part by part to assure that we find any issues that need to be addressed. Anything that is noted to be worn or damaged will be measured and documented.

Once we give you the estimate on repairs and/or replacement of the brakes, we can assure you that safety and proper operation are our priority. The parts that will be used for the repairs will meet or exceed the OEM standards and requirements guaranteeing proper operation all through the life of the brakes.

After we receive your authorization, the technician will clean and lubricate all the hardware as needed. If resurfacing of the rotors or drums is required, we will use state of the art equipment to make sure that everything is good to a thousands of an inch. During assembly, care will be taken to again inspect the hardware for any defects or issues. Once assembled and the wheels reinstalled, we will road test your vehicle to verify that the brakes are seated and operating exactly as they should. Only when we are confident that all is operating as it should, we then will return the vehicle to you.

There is an incredible amount of technology in each of today’s tires especially when compared to the original solid rubber tires that were used on early vehicles. Belts of fiberglass, metal and other materials are weaved into the foundation of the tire. Then these and other structural elements are then basically pressure baked into a thick layer of rubber and synthetic materials. All this technology leads to a tire that can give you good traction in all weather conditions, a smooth ride, and last for thousands of miles if you just do a few basic items on a regular basis. We at Lakewood Auto Service located in Ann Arbor are here to help you get the maximum life out of your tires by performing these basic services whenever you visit our shop.

Lakewood Auto Service knows tires are expensive, so we help you get the most mileage and life for your money from the tires that we sell. During each visit your vehicle has with us we will visibly inspect, check and adjust tire pressures to the manufacture’s specifications. Maintaining correct tire pressure is one of the most basic requirements for maintaining your tires. Tire pressures will normally fluctuate with the seasons that we have in Ann Arbor.

The front tires on many vehicles do more “work” than the back tires due to steering, acceleration and braking. So, they wear more than the rear tires. Lakewood Auto Service will recommend and rotate your tires as we see needed to spread the wear evenly over all four tires. Additionally, we use some of the best equipment to mount and balance your tires initially and will recommend and perform a four-wheel alignment as needed so to get maximum life out of your tire investment.

Technology also provides digital inspections that give drivers like you a window into why a shop is recommending a repair or service on your vehicle. In the past, shops used paper inspection sheets that consisted of check marks on color swatches and illegible writing that supposedly told you the condition of the different systems on your vehicle. Making any sense of what was listed on these sheets was many times near impossible. You had to depend on the word of the advisor to understand what the numbers meant when it came to tires and brakes.

Digital vehicle inspections, sometimes referred to as DVIs, change this. When one of Lakewood Auto Service techs performs this crucial inspection on your car or truck, he or she will use a digital tablet to make notes of findings and measurements. Even better, the technician will take multiple pictures, and even video, to give you the same point of view that they have. You will see what they see so that you can better understand the importance of what is being discussed. The tech even has the ability to draw on the pictures so that you can see exactly what they want to share with you.

Lakewood Auto Service uses digital inspections from BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY so that you can make informed decisions on the repairs and services needed for your vehicle. Currently we are one of the few shops in Ann Arbor that offers these inspections. Using these inspections, Lakewood Auto Service wants to be sure that you fully understand what the condition of your car or truck is. Better yet, you can keep copies of these inspections for reference and comparison to future inspections. You can build a history of the repairs and maintenance you have performed on your vehicle building more value in your car or truck when it comes time to sell it.

Once the inspection is completed by the technician. Your service advisor will edit it and put together estimates on any work that they are recommending. The advisor will then text the inspection right to your smart phone where you can, with a couple of taps, see pictures, video and clear descriptions of what was found and what needs to be done. (If you wish, Lakewood Auto Service can either email or print the inspection out for you if you wish.) You can be on the phone with the advisor while looking over your inspection and discuss the necessary items to take care of while having a complete idea of why.

Vehicle alignment is not just for getting the best wear and life out of your tires. It also helps keep your vehicle stable and predictable as you drive the roads of our area during all types of driving situations. Additionally, alignment affects your steering wheel position as well as how quickly it returns to straight after each turn. Adding to the ease and safety of driving.

In the past, most shops just looked at the front wheel alignment and made the required adjustments. But your vehicle has four wheels and the alignment of each one will affect the others and how the vehicle handles. Though the rear wheels are locked in the same position, they have a large effect on how the vehicle goes down the road. For that reason, it is best to get a four-wheel alignment every time you need one.

During every four-wheel alignment Lakewood Auto Service does, we check all four tires for wear or damage and adjust the tire pressure as needed. Then the suspension and steering are checked for any damage or looseness prior to alignment. Bent or loose parts will change the alignment of the vehicle and/or make it impossible to adjust it to specification.

With every alignment Lakewood Auto Service does, we measure all the alignment angles on all four wheels. If applicable, we make adjustments to the rear suspension first the we do the same for the front end. All adjustments are affected by all the wheel angles, so we constantly measure each angle as we adjust. On some vehicles, adjustments can only be made by installing shims or other parts. We will inform you of any additional costs before we do the work on vehicles that require these parts.

Lakewood Auto Service knows that the check engine light is one of the most misunderstood warning lamps on all vehicles since about 1996! Worse yet, you may find that some businesses in Ann Arbor will plug into your vehicle, see what codes it is displaying and sell you parts that may not fix your vehicle based on those codes adding to the confusion about the check engine light.

As mentioned before, the check engine light is an indicator that lets you know that something is not quite right. When the tech gets a code, that code just tells the tech what sensor or system is not working correctly. So, if a code for an oxygen sensor is generated, it is telling the tech that the sensor is not operating properly, or the sensor is sending a signal that that is out of specification. It is not necessarily telling you that the sensor has actually failed. At this point a Lakewood Auto Service technician will look up and perform a number of tests and readings to eliminate other possible causes for the code. When the testing is completed properly, the tech will have identified the actual failure which may not be the sensor at all.

In this case, if the cause is not the sensor, and the oxygen sensor is replaced, after a few miles of driving the check engine light will go on again and the same code will appear because the actual issue has not been fixed. This is why replacing parts just because the code points to them usually does not fix the issue.

Lakewood Auto Service is one of the top shops in Ann Arbor because our technicians will read the vehicle codes and use them to look for TSBs or other issues that your vehicle may have commonly. Next, our technician will perform a series of “pinpoint tests” as directed by the manufacturer of your ride. These tests may be electrical, or engine mechanical based on the pinpoint tests that are given. Once the cause of the check engine light is determined, we will contact you with an estimate of what it will take to repair your vehicle.

Upon authorization from you, we will repair or replace the part in question and rerun our code testing procedure after a road test to confirm that the diagnosis was correct, and that the replacement of the part fixed the issue. Note, occasionally there maybe more diagnosis required after the replacement of the initial part due to another failure in the system that the first may have overshadowed.

Engine Air Filter: Your engine needs lots of clean air to make it run. Of course, the engine draws this air from the atmosphere all around us. As a resident of Ann Arbor, you know that there are different types of materials that float in the air such as pollen and dust. The engine air filter needs to remove these debris from the air before it gets into the engine where they will cause accelerated wear to occur, shortening the engine’s life.

Over time the engine air filter will become clogged with these debris resulting in a reduced air flow into the engine. If allowed to go long enough, this reduction in air flow will cut power and fuel economy for your vehicle. At Lakewood Auto Service we will inspect and replace the filter when it is needed in addition to cleaning out any other materials that we may find in the air filter housing.

Cabin Air Filter: Many vehicles today are equipped with a cabin air filter that helps remove pollen and other debris from the air that you AC and heater system bring into your car. Being that these air filters remove pollen from the air you are breathing, you are less likely to be distracted by allergies when you drive making you a safer driver.

Cabin air filters are sometimes hard to get at so other shops may not check them. We at Lakewood Auto Service want you to be comfortable and safe so we will check it during our inspections and let you know if it is time to replace it. If not changed when needed, these filters can limit the function of your AC, heat and defrosting of your vehicle resulting in discomfort or unsafe driving.

Fuel Filter: Though many gas stations do their best to be sure the fuel you buy is as clean as can be, it is possible that some debris can get into the fuel. These debris can affect how your fuel injectors function causing loss of power, rough idle, and other issues since the injectors have very small ports that can clog easily.

The fuel filter is generally located under your vehicle, so during our digital inspection we will be sure to check it and recommend the replace of the filter when it is due. Because the fuel system can be under pressure, we at Lakewood Auto Service do not recommend drivers to change the filters themselves. Lakewood Auto Service will depressurize the fuel system and use the proper tools to remove and replace the fuel filter when needed.

Hybrid/Electric Car Battery Filter: The drive battery in a hybrid or electric vehicle is one of the most expensive components of these vehicles. Heat is one of the worst enemies of these batteries so many hybrid and electric cars have a blower system and/or even an AC system built in to help keep the battery from getting too hot. An air filter is used to protect these systems from dirt and dust build up that will reduce the efficiency of these cooling components. Lakewood Auto Service in Ann Arbor will inspect and recommend these filters when they are needed helping keep you drive battery cool.

Brake Fluid: While stopping your vehicle, brakes generate great amount of heat. Because of this brake fluid cannot have any moisture or water in it. Problem is brake fluid likes water. So over time brake fluid will become contaminated enough with water to start affecting your ability to stop.

During each digital courtesy inspection, we perform at Lakewood Auto Service, we will not only check the brake fluid level. We will also check it for contamination. Our inspections will show the condition of your brake fluid during each visit. When it is time, we will recommend the flushing and replacement of the brake fluid, so you can continue to stop safely. Because we will checking the fluid during each visit, you can be better prepared for when it is time to replace it.

Transmission: The fluid in a transmission does not get the abuse that the engine oil does, but on many vehicles, it does need to be changed at an interval. Automatic transmissions driven around Ann Arbor are constantly shifting up and down and over time this will break the fluid down requiring change. During our digital inspections, Lakewood Auto Service will check and adjust your transmission fluid as needed. We will also recommend that it be changed when the time and mileage arrive. Note: Some automatic transmission vehicles today do not have a dipstick and require a specific process to check the fluid. During our digital inspection we will look over the transmission and if we see leakage that may affect the fluid level, we will bring it to your attention.

When the time comes for the fluid to be changed, we may offer a transmission flush to not only exchange the fluid but to also rinse out any possible contaminants that may exist.

Coolant/Anti-Freeze: Can be very confusing and is often forgotten. It comes in many different colors and types; some manufactures say it is “lifetime” and others say it needs to be replaced every five years or so. Let Lakewood Auto Service take the guessing out of what kind and what requirements your vehicle has for coolant. During each digital inspection we will check the coolant level and condition making sure that during the summers and winters here at Ann Arbor that the coolant cools and doesn’t freeze or boil over.

Regular inspection of the cooling system will help prevent breakdowns and leaks. When it comes time to replace the coolant, Lakewood Auto Service will flush out the system and put in the manufacturer required fluid.

Transfer Case/Differential: Four-wheel drive vehicles and trucks can benefit from having the fluids in the transfer case and or differential monitored and changed. Many times, the intervals for changing these fluids is years and many miles apart unless the vehicle is used in extreme circumstances such as construction or immersion in water. Another factor that will contribute to the servicing of these units is leakage. During the Lakewood Auto Service digital courtesy inspection we will check and note any leakage that needs to be addressed. When time for service arrives, we will be sure to bring it to your attention for consideration.

Power Steering: With the average age of vehicles on the road today being over 11 years, we suggest the changing the power steering fluid in your vehicle as per the OEM requirements. We will check and monitor the fluid over the life of your vehicle and bring it to your attention if and when the fluid needs to be address due to leakage or normal use.