Services | Garrett's Automotive | Full Service Auto Repair Shop

From your car’s headlights to its tailpipes—we’ve got you covered on every make and model.

Garrett’s Automotive’s technicians are qualified to work on any make and model of car or truck—ranging from compact imports to commercial fleets and everything in between—as well as ATVs, motorcycles and just about anything with a small engine. You name it and, chances are, our techs can fix it!

When properly maintained, just about any vehicle can fetch you a hundred thousand or more miles with only minor hiccups. But in order to reach that goal with minimal repairs, you’ll need to at least meet the manufacturer’s guidelines, which serve as a bare minimum guide for maintenance. Add to that a few extra measures, like our BG treatment services and routine checkups, and you might go as many as 200,000 miles before your car shows any signs of letting up. Heck, we’ve maintained cars that have gone as many as 400,000 miles!

From routine maintenance to engine, brake system, electrical, suspension and drivetrain repairs, our technicians are qualified and experienced to maintain and service every area of your vehicle.

When to get your car to us as soon as possible

With proper maintenance, chances are your car will need to see us only on occasion. But in between visits, we’d like for you to give us a call or stop by if you detect any of the following:

Your “check engine” light is on
Your yearly Virginia State Inspection is getting ready to expire or has expired
You see a green fluid underneath your car
Your engine or any other part of your vehicle sounds louder than usual (either constant or intermittent)
Your car leaves oil spots where you park
You hear a consistent squealing, squeaking or grinding sound when braking, or any unusual sensations
You hear squealing noises from the engine compartment, either just after starting or while driving
Your steering wheel shimmies and/or vibrates when entering turns or in curves

Long story short: If anything about the way your vehicle sounds or operates changes, or otherwise something just doesn’t seem right, get it in here! Whatever it may be, it can’t hurt to have us look at it.

Typical services

There are plenty of buzz words and technical terms you’ll hear along the way, or read in your car’s manual, but don’t worry—our front office personnel and technicians will always be there to greet you with layman’s terms and will always take the time to ensure that you understand your vehicle’s exact needs. In the meantime, the following list of services and areas will give you an idea of what we cover, along with a few things you should know about each area.

Routine Service and Maintenance

These are the services that every owner should have performed like clockwork in order to ensure that you get the most value out of your vehicle. Your owner’s manual will give you a list of when and what you should have performed, but in most cases we’re going to advise you to do a little more than what’s suggested. (They’re there to make and sell you a new car. We’re here to keep the one you’ve got going forever!)

Oil changes
Tire rotations
Filter changes: engine air intake, cabin air filter and fuel filter
Manufacturers’ scheduled maintenance (often at or around 30,000-mile intervals), which may include:
- Spark plug changes
- Fluid changes, including: power steering, brake, transmission and coolant
- Lubrication of drive-train components (like drive shafts)

Repairs

With the above services performed on a proper schedule, chances are you won’t need us often for repairs. When you do, however, we’ve got you covered in the following areas:

Brake System Checks and Repairs

While the engine might be the first thing to mind when it comes to your car’s mechanical systems, there is one thing that’s even more important: Braking. In order to keep your car braking safely and effectively every time you hit the pedal, you’ll need to have your brake pads, rotors and other components checked and serviced routinely to ensure that they’re in proper working order. Brake services include:

Pad replacement
Resurfacing and/or replacement of rotors
Brake drum replacement
Emergency brake adjustments and repairs
Hose replacement
Master cylinder and wheel cylinder replacement
Power booster service and replacement
Anti-lock systems check and repairs

Cooling System

In order for your engine to operate properly and to last as long as possible, it’s imperative that it operate—and stay at—the right internal temperatures. And that’s where your car’s cooling system comes in. Your car’s water pump circulates coolant (which includes a mixture of water and antifreeze) through the engine, which is then passed through a cooling unit that utilizes air to dissipate heat (the radiator). This closed system is what keeps your engine’s temperature within the right range for operation. Failure of any one part can result in overheating, or, worse yet, engine failure. We’ll help you to keep the following in perfect working order:

Water pumps
Hoses
Belts
Heater core
Thermostat
Fan clutches and/or electric fans

Heating and Air Conditioning

Sometimes we fail to think about the things that keep us cool in the summer and warm in the winter, until one of those systems stops working. And nobody likes riding around in a 100-degree car, or, worse yet, driving around trying to keep the windshield clear because you have no heat or defroster. In order to keep you comfortable and safe, we perform the following services:

Complete heating system checks and repairs
Complete A/C service and repairs
Refrigerant system checks and charging
Blower motors
Heater cores
A/C and heater control systems

Engine

While what happens here might be a mystery to some, this part of your car needs no introduction. The engine is where your car converts fossil fuels (gasoline or diesel) into energy, through a process known as internal combustion. That’s a complicated term for describing how it combines fuel with air and adds a little spark to create controlled explosions, which drive the pistons in your car’s cylinders up and down. This is the original source of motion that moves your car forward. (Or backwards. You get the picture.) Keeping your engine fueled, properly lubricated (with oil), cooled and breathing right (through your car’s air filter) are just the basics for what’s required to keep you going. Beyond routine maintenance, we offer the following:

Complete engine diagnosis
Emission repairs
Oil leaks diagnosis and repairs
Fuel injection services
“Check engine” light diagnosis
Timing belt or timing chain checks and replacement
Head gasket check and replacement
Valve cover gaskets check and replacement
Valve adjustments
(And when all else fails) engine replacements and/or overhauls

Electrical Systems

If you’ve been driving for as little as a decade, then chances are you’ve noticed that today’s cars are more computerized and include more electronics than ever. For this reason, these days, from bumper to bumper, cars and trucks include a network of wires, electronics and components that are essential to every function. While these systems tend to be extremely reliable in most vehicles, when problems arise we can perform:

Computer analysis and repairs
Instrument gauges check and replacement
Battery and charging systems check
Replacement of alternators and starters
Power accessories check and replacement
Wiring checks and replacement
Lighting systems checks and bulb replacement

Exhaust Systems

As your engine burns fuel to generate energy it gives off exhaust, which ultimately passes out of your car’s tailpipe and into the atmosphere. But in between the engine and the tailpipe are countless sections of pipes, pieces and other components—each of which needs to be kept air tight and in good repair in order to keep your car’s exhaust from exiting the system and entering the cabin (where it can be not only smelly, but harmful or even fatal). In order to keep your exhaust system sealed up and working properly, we can:

Design, manufacture, repair and replace complete exhaust systems (including performance)
Perform exhaust system check for leaks (end to end)
Muffler checks and/or replacements
Install exhaust pipes
Catalytic converter checks/replacements
Replace manifold gaskets

Tires, Suspension and Drivetrain

From the steering wheel and gas pedal to the tires, there are a lot of parts that turn, compress, twist and move to propel and steer your car, as well as keep it riding along smoothly. While there are simply too many parts to list, just know that we fix them all. Here’s an idea for the basics:

Tire check, rotation, balancing, mounting and replacement
Front and four-wheel alignments
Shocks and struts replacement
Rack and pinion steering checks and repairs
CV boots and joints check/replacement
U- and ball-joint checks and replacement
Drive axle checks and repairs
Automatic and manual transmission repairs and replacement
Differential checks, fluid changes and repairs
Power steering checks and service