Our Services

Air Conditioning Services

South Jeff Auto Inc. is a certified NAPA AutoCare Center; we are able to provide the benefits of an established national entity while maintaining the personal touch of a family-owned business. We understand that your vehicle is a major investment, and that is why we care for each customer’s vehicle as if it were our own.

Your vehicle’s air conditioning unit has six major components:

The refrigerant carries heat. In modern cars, refrigerant is a substance called R-134a. Older cars’ refrigerant is called r-12 freon, which is more expensive and difficult to find than R-134a.

The compressor circulates and compresses refrigerant within the vehicle’s cooling system. Your vehicle’s condenser changes the refrigerant from gas to liquid and expels heat from the car.

The expansion valve (sometimes called the orifice tube) is a nozzle that simultaneously drops the pressure of the refrigerant liquid, meter its flow and atomize it. Your vehicle’s evaporator transfers heat to the refrigerant from the air blown across it, cooling your car.

The receiver or dryer filters your vehicle’s refrigerant and oil, removing moisture and other contaminants from them.

When you start your vehicle’s air conditioning system, the compressor works by putting the refrigerant under pressure, sending it to the condensing coils, which are generally in front of your vehicle’s radiator. The condenser expels hot air to outside the car, cooling the air within the vehicle. When this happens, the refrigerant is cooled, and it changes from a gas to a liquid, which then passes through the expansion valve and to the evaporator.

Once the evaporator receives the liquid-state refrigerant, it loses pressure and cools the remaining liquid. The vehicle’s blower moves air across the evaporator and into the vehicle’s interior. If you keep your air conditioning unit turned on, the refrigerant goes through this cycle continuously.

If any of these components is damaged, it can turn your cool car into a furnace during the summer months. Your vehicle’s air conditioning issue could be as simple as topping off refrigerant to replacing a valve. When your air conditioning unit is not working as it should, bring your vehicle to South Jeff Auto Inc.. One of our trained air conditioning specialists will inspect your car’s air conditioner, all lines, the evaporator and the compressor for leaks and wear.

Brakes Service

Brakes are pretty much the most important safety device on your car. If you’ve ever partially lost your brakes in the past, you’ll agree that it’s not something you want to experience again. Inspecting your brakes twice a year for wear and damage can protect you and your passengers. Additionally, it will also help save you money by catching any damage before it becomes too costly.

Brake System Components That Can Fail

The master cylinder, the heart of the vehicle’s braking system, holds the brake fluid when it is not being delivered to the brakes through the brake lines. If brake fluid leaks because the master cylinder is worn or brake lines are plugged or broken, the fluid cannot be delivered, and the brake pads will become ruined. The brake fluid itself can become dirty or contaminated as it draws rust-causing moisture and picks up other debris, or it can break down from excess heat. Clean brake fluid is either clear or slightly yellow, while dirty brake fluid may be brown or even black. Old and dirty brake fluid can damage ABS brake systems internally. The brake lines connect to the master cylinder through a combination valve, which combines a metering and proportioning valve. It regulates the pressure on the front and rear wheels to make sure both sets of brakes are applied simultaneously. A malfunctioning combination valve may cause the wheels to lock up. Brake pads and shoes can be made of ceramic, metal or organic materials, while the disc rotors and drums they press against are made of metal. Because the pads and shoes create friction to stop the car, they gradually wear down over time and may wear away completely, letting the metal of the calipers and cylinders they are attached to grind against the rotors and drums and damage them. Some pads have a metal strip attached that sounds a warning whistle when the pad becomes too worn, but this strip sounds only when the car is in motion and the brakes are not applied.

Computer Diagnostics

When your vehicle’s check engine light shows up, it can be alarming. With a variety of components in your engine, many different things can cause the check engine light to go off. However, it is difficult to determine what exactly is going on with your vehicle simply by looking at a light.

Mechanics often use computer programs to diagnose problems in vehicles not easily identified with the naked eye. Computer diagnoses are usually the most efficient and least expensive way to diagnose a vehicle’s problem, especially in today’s microprocessor-controlled cars and trucks. Here at South Jeff Auto Inc., we have the latest technology and are able to diagnose problems quickly. Once we diagnose your vehicle’s problem, we will provide you with a fair repair quote.

When your check engine light shows up or your car simply isn’t running as it should, bring it to South Jeff Auto Inc.. Our expert team can quickly and accurately diagnose what is going on with your vehicle. Once we have diagnosed the problem, we’ll give you a fair estimate (both monetarily and temporally) for repairs. Come by our shop today!

Exhaust Systems

If you live in a larger city, you may be subject to emissions testing. If you fail your emissions test, you may need to get your exhaust system repaired or replaced. The team at South Jeff Auto Inc. can diagnose and repair your exhaust system and help you pass your emissions test.

While your exhaust system helps reduce noise output from your vehicle, it also significantly reduces harmful emissions from being released into the air. When your muffler and exhaust system functions properly, it significantly reduces your vehicle’s harmful impact on the environment. It also significantly improves the functionality of your vehicle.

Your vehicle’s exhaust system involves several components. The exhaust manifolds right behind the engine collect exhaust gases and connect to cylinder heads. Gases collected by your vehicle’s exhaust manifolds are analyzed by oxygen sensors and refined by catalytic converters before being muffled by the mufflers. By the time these gases reach the muffler, the emissions system has made your car run smoother, quieter and cleaner.

If any of the components of your vehicle’s exhaust system fail, your gas mileage and quality of air around you can be affected. The expert team at South Jeff Auto Inc. can inspect and repair your entire exhaust system to ensure your vehicle is running cleanly.

Oil Change

Engine Oil

Engine oil is what lubricates a car’s engine, allowing it to run smoothly and last longer. Car owners must maintain a car’s engine by changing the oil and using the oil appropriate for their cars make and model. Every car comes with a “check oil” light and an oil filter under the hood. These components allow car owners to monitor their oil levels and add oil as needed without having to hire a mechanic.

Changing the Oil

An important part of routine car maintenance is changing the oil regularly. The necessary frequency of oil changes has become a point of contention among experts. The Engine Oil Bible maintains that engine oil can’t be changed often enough, but Nordic Group insists that, with the advent of detergent oils and multi-weight oils, some vehicles can go as far as 6,000 miles before needing an oil change. The best course of action is to check the owner’s manual and follow manufacturer’s recommendations.

Preventative Maintenance

The best way to prevent long-term and costly problems with your vehicle is to keep up with its preventative maintenance schedule. One major key to successfully making sure you are doing all you need to do is to read your vehicle’s owner’s manual. Regardless of your vehicle’s make or model, its owner’s manual will contain a maintenance schedule. Every make and model is different, and standby beliefs such as “You have to change your oil every 3,000 miles,” may not apply to your car.

The maintenance schedule within your owner’s manual is provided by the people who understand your vehicle the best—the company that built it. The manufacturer provides suggestions for how often you need to change your oil, filters, driving belts, timing belts and more.

While some preventative maintenance—such as topping off fluids—can be performed by the vehicle’s owner, other, more complicated procedures should be done by experts like the team at South Jeff Auto Inc.. Our team can keep your vehicle in top shape by performing the following maintenance:

By following your vehicle’s owner’s manual and having your vehicle inspected and maintained regularly, you can greatly reduce problems and save money in the long run. Let the expert team at South Jeff Auto Inc. help your vehicle stay in good condition.