FAQ - You Have Questions. We Have Answers.

Not if you plan to sell or trade your vehicle soon. An engine that uses a quart of oil every 1,000 miles is starting to show the effects of wear. The amount of oil it is using is still acceptable, but it will gradually increase as the miles add up. When it reaches the point where it’s using a quart every 500 miles or less, it’s time for an overhaul.

Oil consumption depends primarily on two things: the valve guides and piston rings. If the valve guides are worn, or if there’s too much clearance between the valve stems and guides, or if the valve guide seals are worn, cracked, missing, broken or improperly installed, the engine will suck oil down the guides and into the cylinders. The engine may still have good compression, but will use a lot of oil.

An oil consumption problem caused by worn valve guides can usually be cured by a valve job. Knurling, sleeving or replacing the guides, or boring out the guides and installing valves with oversized stems will stop the loss of oil.

Oil can also get past the rings if the rings or cylinders are badly worn or damaged, if the cylinders were not honed properly when the engine was built (or rebuilt), or if the rings were installed improperly.

When a newly-built engine is first started, the rings require a certain amount of time to “seat” or break-in. If the rings fail to seat properly, the engine will use oil. This may be the case if somebody applied the wrong finish to the cylinders, failed to clean and lubricate the cylinders properly before the engine was fired up, or didn’t use the proper break-in procedure.

If the rings and/or cylinders are at fault, the engine will have lower than normal compression readings.

In some instances, worn rod bearings, excessive bearing clearances and/or excessive oil pressure can splash too much oil on the cylinders causing oil to get past the rings.

The cure for worn rings and cylinders is to overhaul the engine block. The cylinders have to be refinished and new rings installed to regain good oil control.

We take care of most services required to maintain your vehicle’s manufacturer warranty:

• Electrical Services
• Transmissions and Engines
• Brake repair and Shocks
• Suspension and Alignments
• Cooling Systems
• Exhaust Systems
• Fuel Injection/Carburetion
• Front Wheel Drive Axles
• Air Conditioning & Heating Systems
• Lube, Oil & Filter Service
• Pre-purchase inspections

Brandy’s Automotive recommends the following vehicle service schedule:

• 30, 60 & 90 thousand miles (typical manufacturer’s recommended service intervals)
• 12 month or 12,000 mile Nationwide warranty

Until the early 1970s, consumers had no way to distinguish between incompetent and competent mechanics. In response to this need, the independent, non-profit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) was established in 1972.

ASE’s mission is to improve the quality of vehicle repair and service through the testing and certification of repair and service professionals.

At present, about 400,000 professionals hold current certifications. They work in every segment of the automotive service industry: car and truck dealerships, independent garages, fleets, service stations, franchises, and more.

Here’s how ASE certification works: Prospective candidates register for and take one or more of ASE’s 40-plus exams. The tests are grouped into specialties for automobile, medium/heavy truck, truck equipment, school bus, and collision repair technicians as well as engine machinists, alternate fuels technicians, parts specialists, auto service consultants, and collision damage estimators.

Upon passing at least one exam and after providing proof of two years of relevant work experience, the test taker becomes ASE certified. Certification, however, is not for life. To remain certified, those with ASE credentials must be retested every five years.

Paper/Pencil tests are conducted twice a year at over 750 locations around the country and are administered by ACT, known for its academic and occupational testing programs. In addition, selected tests are offered in a computer-based testing (CBT) format at 200 sites for two five-week periods each year. The exams stress knowledge of job-related skills. The tests are no cinch to pass; approximately one out of three test takers fails.

Motorists benefit from ASE certification. It is a valuable yardstick by which to measure the knowledge and skills of individual technicians as well as the commitment to quality of the repair facility employing ASE-Certified professionals.

ASE-certified professionals usually wear blue and white ASE insignia and carry credentials listing their exact areas of expertise (brakes, engine repair, etc.), while employers often display their technicians’ credentials in the customer waiting area.

Motorists should look for facilities that display the ASE Seal of Excellence® logo.