Kenvil & Lake Hopatcong Auto Repair

GMC Acadia, Crank But No Start.  Here we have a GMC Acadia with a crank but no start condition. No matter how long you try to crank the engine, the most you may get is a sputter if you're lucky. After running a few diagnostic tests, our technician Jay was able to prove that the SUV has spark and fuel, which leaves only one thing left to test for, compression. After compression testing the cylinders and also adding compressed air into the spark plug holes, (also known as a cylinder leak down test) he was able to confirm that the engine does not have good compression and is also leaking air into the intake and exhaust manifolds. Digging a little deeper proves the engine is out of time, this is a very common issue with these engines as the timing chain stretches and the guides wear down past the point the tensioner can keep the engine in time. Timing in an engine simply put is the synchronization of the top half of the engine (camsh ... read more

Heidi joined our team in 2020 as our Marketing Manager and Creative Director. “What doesn’t Heidi do with us?” is a way easier question to answer. She works with the team building rapport between us and our clients, managing the marketing and social media, is the editor of the Magic Hour monthly newsletter, coordinating our special events, video production and all our photography. At the birth of Magic Lube and Rubber, Heidi put to use her passion for design and decor to help the vision of MLR come to life, and we all love her for her creation! She comes with a background in sales, automotive marketing, advertising, and photography.  With Heidi’s arrival the Magic Hour newsletter began!  A Jersey Girl through and through, Heidi is a native resident of Sussex County, She got her degree in photography from the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale. Previously, she owned and operated Images by Heidi and spent many years as a sales and marketing executive for ... read more

Ryan Herbst comes to the Magic Family having decades in creating breakthroughs in business in other industries. He spent 9 years with Starbucks in the early days as a fixer- turning around unprofitable stores in a matter of months. He has also spent 8 years in the biologic industry where compliance to federal and international regulations was centerpiece, giving him unique insight into the balance between public safety and profitability. Most recently, Ryan was a Landmark Staff member for 7 years, leading the company in exceeding targets all while coaching hundred of individuals to cause their own breakthroughs in personal and professional performance goals. He has been with the Magic Team since June of 2021 in the role of "Implementer." He brings a suite of executive coaching, planning, forecasting and execution skills with him that has had us expand and open our second shop! His doggie, Fritz, is almost old enough to vote, and has a deep love of making beauti ... read more

Petro "Pete" Chang is a graduate of Wyotech and specialized in automotive and light-duty diesel. He has over 13 years of experience in the automotive field. He brings with him first-hand knowledge of the inner workings of the auto repair industry and has played a key part in the business aspects. There isn't too much Pete doesn't know about how to get things done around the shop and he is enthusiastic about each challenge that is put in front of him.   Not only is he experienced with vehicles, but he is also very in tune with customer relations and cares for both the client and their vehicles, always setting the bar at the highest level.    We are excited to have Pete and his many talents on our team and we know that our clients will benefit from his passion for everything automotive.    Pete is an avid outdoorsman. On his time off, he enjoys being out in the woods, bow hunting, out on the water with his rod and reel, o ... read more

Here's a guy you might recognize, This is Adam Winget, he's been working here with us at Automotive Magic since 2020 (his senior year in high school.) He began working with the technicians and performing quality control inspections on the vehicles, which included the "Magic Touch" wiping down the interiors and giving the windows a little shine before returning it back to the client.   Adam has always paid a lot of attention to detail and is a bit of a perfectionist. That's why he's transitioning into the marketing department here at Automotive Magic. With his creativity and eagerness to learn, we feel that this will be a great move for him. He hopes to own a business of his own in the future.  Adam loves taking photos and traveling and has just returned from a cross-country adventure with his brother and sister-in-law. He enjoys spending time with his friends and family and loves being outside and active. From hiki ... read more

2017 Ford Fusion with multiple different electronic issues, from lights and dashboard not working, radio acting weird, and many little random glitches that don't add up. Our technician was able to diagnose the issue and deemed it to be CAN bus-related. These issues are normally very difficult to diagnose or even impossible for some without proper training and experience.     These days, all modern vehicles, from conventional combustion-powered cars to the latest EVs, feature a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus. It's the electronic communication system that lets everything  be able to talk to each other including the engine, transmission, body control, and even brakes. It works the same way a computer communicates with its own parts, with 0's and 1's. Literally, multiple pulses or pauses  of electricity (0110101001) just like Morse code. Computers are ab ... read more

It happens to all of us. Yes, we all get older, but that isn’t what I’m talking about. What happens to all of us is emissions checks. Some of us do it more frequently than others… if your vehicle is new. The older your vehicle gets, the more often the state requires us to check our rides. I have to look up where to go for the emissions check. Golly, something that is required becomes so much work! What if it didn’t have to be another chore to do? What if you could get your vehicle repaired and inspected at the same place!? Oh my gosh, that would be awesome! Does such a place exist?? Yes, it does! At Automotive Magic and Magic Lube and Rubber we can do it all! When the time rolls around, and you get the letter in the mail to get your vehicle inspected, it can be easy. You’re reading this so you’re already being educated in the importance of maintenance. The stress of &ldqu ... read more

If you have ever felt uncomfortable when you have brought your car in for service, you might just be a perfect participant in our car clinics.  With vehicles today, there are so many things to consider. We understand that you want to get in your car and go and not have to worry about whether it's going to reliably get you to your destination. That’s why we’re here, it’s our job to make sure that your vehicle is running at its best performance. And, there are some things that you can do that should the occasion arise you are prepared with some very useful information. That’s exactly why we offer our car clinic. This last clinic was especially for the ladies. Many times when we sit with our customers (more often the women) we hear them express the want to know more about their vehicles and have the knowledge and know how to handle some unexpected situations. So, we created this hands-on seminar, to enlighten you and help you to be a l ... read more

Tis the season to reflect on all that we have to be thankful for and to share in the joy and the spirit of Christmas. While you are scouring the stores for that perfect gift for your loved one, please consider those who are less fortunate. A little bit goes a long way when it comes to making a child's Christmas special.  This season Automotive Magic and Magic Lube & Rubber are drop locations for the Marine Toys For Tots. 2022 marks the 75th anniversary of this amazing giving opportunity and we are so happy that we are helping build awareness and support the many children that may otherwise go without gifts this Christmas.   Toys for Tots also provides support year-round to less fortunate families experiencing challenges and exceptional circumstances, thus sending a message of hope beyond the holiday season. It is such experiences that help children become responsible citizens and caring m ... read more

For Novembers Repair of The Month, we have a 2014 Dodge Charger 3.6L Pentastar that came in with an underperforming and ticking engine. The ticking sound was caused by a seized lifter which in turn, grinds down the camshaft lobe as you can see in one picture. When this happens, the valve does not open fully which dramatically hurts fuel efficiency and engine performance. If ignored too long a large amount of metal shavings will make their way throughout the entire engines oil system causing catastrophic engine failure. Our technician was easily able to diagnose and identify the issue.  And with a fresh camshaft and all new lifter and rocker arms, this engine was back to full performance, reliability and fuel efficiency in no time! 4 While we were there the customer also agreed to freshen up the timing components, replacing the timing chains, guides, and tensioners. These are common issues with these engines stemming from lack of maintenance, poor design and location of the engi ... read more