Service Knowledge

At DARCARS Pre-Owned Vehicle Outlet of Fairfax Virginia, we have created a list of common services performed on everyday vehicles. Many of the services included are very basic, that if done at the right intervals, will ensure that you will get the maximum life out of your vehicle. These services also help boost your vehicle's average M.P.G. which will also help you save at the pump. We service all makes and models.

Regular oil changes are necessary to ensure the proper performance of a car's engine. At DARCARS, an oil change involves installing a new engine oil filter and draining old engine oil and replacing it with fresh, clean oil, which benefits the motor in many different ways.

Cleaner Engine

Oil changes help to keep car engines clean and running smoothly. As your engine runs, microscopic wear and debris particles flake off from various internal engine parts and enter your car's oil. Regularly changing your car's oil eliminates these particles and ensures that an engine is coated and lubricated with clean, quality motor oil.

Longer Engine Life

Wear and friction are the two leading causes of engine wear and failure; regular oil changes reduce engine wear and result in a longer lasting engine.

Lower Vehicle Emissions

Clean oil also allows for your engine to run cleaner, and a cleaner running engine emits less exhaust than a dirty engine. An oil change replaces old, dirty engine oil with fresh, clean engine oil, oil that can easily absorb harmful engine particles and engine by-product emissions.

Better Gas Mileage

At DARCARS, an oil change provides quality engine oil that provides better lubrication and friction-reducing capabilities than old, dirty engine oil. Increased engine lubrication results in less engine friction, which enables an engine to run easier and smoother and leads to increased gas mileage.

Better Engine Performance

Clean engine oil allows an engine's internal parts to operate easier and smoother, enabling an engine to maximize its output. Meaning not only an increase in gas mileage, but also an increase in engine performance.

-- RECOMMENDED EVERY 3,000-5,000 miles, 6000-10000 FOR SYNTHETIC --

Engine coolant is run through your radiator through many different sized hoses and lines to cool your engine to a normal temperature. This keeps your vehicle from overheating during regular operation. If there is a build up of silt in your system, it can cause a blockage in any one of the hoses or lines. When silt and dirt get built up in the hoses, it doesn't allow for the engine to be cooled adequately, which can cause the engine to overheat. The lines that move the coolant, can also break if blocked, which will cause coolant to leak. If you continue to drive while coolant is leaking and you don't know that it's leaking, your vehicle will overheat. In turn, this can cause very costly damage to your head and engine if you continue driving. Coolant is depleted of buffering ingredients and becomes extremely corrosive, literally eating holes in cooling system components. By-products of corrosion damage, as well as rust and scale, clog the passageways that conduct the water through the radiator and choke off the flow. This may result in an overheated engine that may be damaged beyond repair.

Coolant Flush

A Coolant Flush is when the engine coolant (which may include anti-freeze, anti-corrosion, anti-boil and other fluids) is completely drained from the radiator, hoses, pump, engine block etc and the system is flushed clean with water (which may contain degreasers, cleansers, etc.).

The entire cooling system is first cleaned until all debris and worn-out coolant are completely removed from the system. Then, fresh new premium coolant is added. Conditioners are also included to prevent rust and corrosion. After that, the fresh coolant with the new additives are put into the system. The usual reason for doing this is to clear blockages from the small radiator tubes and the sludge and dirt that may have been deposited in the slower circulating areas of the engine.

Your radiator fluid or engine coolant should be changed at least once a year to prevent buildup of silt in your coolant system. We recommend that you check the pH level of the coolant every 6 months. If the pH has become corrosive, which is indicated by the pH having drifted out of the correct range, the coolant should be drained, the system flushed, and refilled with new extended life coolant IMMEDIATELY.

Your transmission is one of the hardest working parts of your vehicle, by servicing it regularly the transmission will continue to shift smoothly and effortlessly for many more years.

Transmission Fluid

  • Lubricates, cools and cleans all of the internal components of the transmission itself. It will also helps to maintain the hydraulic pressure necessary for the transmission to function. The additives in the transmission fluid are depleted over time
  • After 30,000 miles, transmission fluid begins to show its age as it turns brown in color and oxidizes due to the combination of time and heat. Deposits begin to form around the transmission's many moving parts, resulting in valves that stick and gears that slip or are sluggish and chatter as they shift.

Rather than just removing the fluid found in the bottom of the pan, the entire transmission is cleaned and replenished with the use of special equipment. The transmission and its torque converter have all of their old contaminated fluid removed while new fluid and premium conditioners are added.

We Recommended that you have your transmission serviced every 2 years or 30,000 miles for regular fluid / 4 years or 60,000 miles for world standard. If you do a lot of towing (boats, work equipment etc.) we recommend that you have your transmission serviced once a year, especially prior to summer if you do a lot of towing in the summer months.

Brake pads and rotors are wear items that for obvious reasons should be checked and replaced on a regular basis. Brake pads should really be called friction pads. Brake pads use a combination of force and friction to slow the vehicle down when the brakes are applied. There are also brake shoes.

Brake Pads

Brake pads can be made from many different materials. Brake pads are a component of disc brakes used in automotive and other applications. Brake pads are steel backing plates with friction material bound to the surface that faces the disk brake rotor. They are forced toward both sides of the disc brake, friction then causes the disc and attached wheel to slow and stop.

Disc Brakes/ Rotors

A disc brake is a device used for slowing or stopping the rotation of a wheel while it is in motion. A brake disc or "rotor" is usually made of cast iron, but may in some cases be made of composites such as reinforced carbon-carbon or ceramic-matrix composites. The disc brake is connected to the wheel and/or the axle. To stop the wheel, friction material in the form of brake pads (mounted on a device called a brake caliper) is forced against both sides of the disc. Friction causes the disc and attached wheel to slow or stop. Brakes convert motion to heat, and if the brakes get too hot, they become less effective, a phenomenon known as brake fade.

Drums

Some vehicles have 4 wheel disc brakes and do not have drum brakes. Some vehicles have front wheel disc brakes, and drums in the rear. Drum brakes use a wide cylinder that is open at the back, similar in appearance to a drum. When the driver steps on the brake pedal, curved shoes located inside the drum are pushed outwards, rubbing against the inside of the drum and slowing the wheel.

Disc vs. Drums

Disc brakes are generally considered superior to drum brakes for several reasons. First, they dissipate heat better. Under severe usages, such as repeated hard stops or riding the brakes down a long incline, disc brakes take longer to lose effectiveness (a condition known as brake fade). Disc brakes also perform better in wet weather, because centrifugal force tends to fling water off the brake disc and keep it dry, whereas drum brakes will collect some water on the inside surface where the brake shoes contact the drums.

When to Get Your Brakes Changed

We can perform a brake service on any make or model vehicle. Usually, the first sign of excessive brake-pad wear is a high-pitched squealing. This sound comes from a soft-metal wear indicator that rubs against the brake rotor to alert the driver that a change is needed. Other symptoms can include the vehicle pulling to one side under braking, the brakes grabbing or vibrating, and the brake pedal feeling softer to depress. A grinding sound means that replacement is overdue and the worn brake pads may be damaging the brake rotors. Always check the owner's manual for any brake-related recommendations, including pad replacement intervals. Brakes Including discs and rotors.

Why to Change the Brake Fluid

Brake fluid becomes oxidized and contaminated over time and use. Heat and moisture cause corrosion on parts and brake fluid failure. This causes a spongy brake pedal and shows up in discolored brake fluid.

The entire brake system is inspected for leaks, master cylinder corrosion, worn parts, harmful varnish build-up, broken or rusted bleeder valves, worn rotors and drums and air in the brake lines. All old brake fluid is replaced with BG Heavy Duty DOT 3 or DOT 4 Brake Fluid. The result will be a longer lasting, more efficient and safer braking system.

You should regularly inspect your brakes, looking for rust and any loose or hanging parts. If your brakes are squeaking, it most likely means you need your brake pads changed. You should have your pads changed about every 3 years or 30,000 miles. If you think your brakes are malfunctioning, DO NOT wait to service them. They require immediate attention to ensure the safety of the vehicle.

DARCARS Pre-Owned Fairfax

10620 Fairfax Blvd
Fairfax, VA 22030
Driving Directions
Service 703-385-0500
Parts 703-385-0500
Collision Center 703-385-0500
Monday 7:00AM - 6:00PM
Tuesday 7:00AM - 6:00PM
Wednesday 7:00AM - 6:00PM
Thursday 7:00AM - 6:00PM
Friday 7:00AM - 6:00PM
Saturday 7:00AM - 4:00PM
Sunday Closed
Monday 9:00AM - 9:00PM
Tuesday 9:00AM - 9:00PM
Wednesday 9:00AM - 9:00PM
Thursday 9:00AM - 9:00PM
Friday 9:00AM - 9:00PM
Saturday 9:00AM - 8:00PM
Sunday 12:00PM - 5:00PM
Monday 8:00AM - 6:00PM
Tuesday 8:00AM - 6:00PM
Wednesday 8:00AM - 6:00PM
Thursday 8:00AM - 6:00PM
Friday 8:00AM - 6:00PM
Saturday 8:00AM - 4:00PM
Sunday Closed