Kenvil & Lake Hopatcong Auto Repair

Spring training is when our favorite teams suit up and get their game on. Practice, as they say, makes perfect. We believe the same is true here at Automotive Magic. The Magic isn’t something that is gifted and then taken for granted. It’s earned, learned, nurtured, and matured. That is why we invest our time and financial resources into our team. The automotive industry is ever-changing and evolving, staying on top of the technology is critical to our success and providing the best possible care for your vehicle.  The ASE training is one avenue of source our techs use to learn and grow. The ASE certification is a level of excellence obtained through a series of classes, specific to repair and service consultants. We’ve supported our team members to take part in conferences where the seminars are intense and full of valuable information which we can use to better our services and actions for you.  This year is no different. Some of our team attended the ATI ... read more

Check out this beautiful 1967 Chevrolet Camaro we recently got in! This camaro has a 454 big block in it that has been destroked to a 427 with high compression. The owner also had a 5 speed manual transmission swapped in as well as a ton of other modifications such as modern brakes and adjustable suspension components needed to handle the massive power plant.  Cars such as this one are commonly known as “resto-mods”, in which the car is restored to look and seem original but is modified to have more modern features.    This client came in with a concern for an oil leak, specifically from the rear main crankshaft seal. The owner also noted non-functioning HVAC. Doing the rear main seal requires the transmission to be removed because this seal is located between the engine and the transmission behind the flywheel. Normally on this kind of job we would also recommend changing the fluid and bearings that are a part of the assembly. However, we found something i ... read more

When I walked into MY auto repair shop on April 1st, 2003, I was thinking, “This has got to be a joke!”. I had been working on cars for years already. Starting with my dad in the driveway, then moving on to chain shops. But I was sick of busting my butt, providing top-quality repairs faster than anyone else, only to be underappreciated by shop managers. Don’t get me wrong, my customers always appreciated me and my work, you are the reason I struck out on my own. I was burned out by people around me not caring as much as I did. The culture was, “sell everything you can, whether the customer needs it or not.” That stuff just doesn’t work! So, I built the Automotive Magic brand around a different philosophy – serving people while just happening to work on cars. Humble Auto Repair Beginnings April Fool’s Day in 2003, I had two bays, two lifts, two telephones and one me. I did it all. It was in that first year that I learned that serving peo ... read more

Here we have a 2012 Ford E-350 Super Duty with a 6.8L V10 that was having multiple cylinders misfiring. After checking for the basics, air fuel and spark all were working as they should. Checking compression showed the engine was having issues in the cylinder sealing d.epartment. Our technician Pete then performed a cylinder leak down test compressing the cylinder with air while the valves are closed. In doing this he was able to determine the cylinder was leaking past the intake and exhaust valves. This is from “burnt valves”, a condition that causes pitting at the valve “seat” where the valve seals the cylinder. Burnt valves happen for many reasons but no matter the reason, the cylinder heads needed to come off and they received a full rebuild from our favorite machine shop.   Before getting the heads back we also decarbonized the pistons and rings to make the bottom end fresh and sealed. The customer took our advice while we were there doing the timing ... read more

Here in the Northeast, we are pretty savvy when it comes to driving in extreme weather conditions. Although we just experienced the mildest January and February we’ve seen in a long time,it’s predicted that as with all good things, this must come to an end. I guess it kinda serves us right for getting all psyched for spring when clearly we have weeks and weeks of winter to go. Don’t think poorly of the weather man, he's just trying to get it right. However, I could do without the endless memes and snowflake icons popping up all over the place.  Prior to the heatwave we had in January, we took some time to put together a list of things every motorists in NJ should keep in your vehicle in case of an emergency. It should go without saying, but if you don’t have a good ice scraper or brush in your car, they should be number one and two on your list. After that it’s some common sense items and then a few that we feel are necessities. If you are aware ... read more

If you feel like you’ve been burned by an auto repair shop in the past, you’re in good company.  Some surveys suggest that as many as 3 out of 4 people feel like they have been overcharged for auto repairs or worry about being overcharged for services they may not even need.  As with most things in life, knowledge is power, so the more you know the less likely you are to be targeted for overcharging.  Here’s a helpful guide to answer the question: how do you know if an auto shop is legit? Signs That an Auto Shop is Legit Honest, forthright auto shop owners and technicians tend to exhibit similar actions, accolades, and business practices. They include: Ethical Auto Repair Shops Will Provide Written Estimates Shops need time to properly inspect your car in order to provide a written estimate so steer clear of shops that resist quoting you an estimate. Trustworthy Shops Will Have the Receipts to Prove Dedication to Their Craft Trustworthy auto repai ... read more

Here we have a 2013 Nissan NV2500 V8 that has suffered what we call “catastrophic failure”. Upon inspection, our tech Jay found that multiple connecting rods blew a hole clear through the oil pan sending shrapnel and oil all over the road, and cracking a couple of the pistons. The connecting rod links the crankshaft and the piston together, and takes the abuse of every single explosion the combustion chamber brings. These rods push the crankshaft and cause it to spin, which spins everything else in the motor as well. Now, this is not a normal issue that we run into every day, but unfortunately, we have seen it many times in the past. This kind of failure happens due to a lack of lubrication. Without proper lubrication, there is more friction which causes things to wear faster or fail. A couple of reasons why you might run into lubrication problems could be from old oil that has lost its viscosity, water in the oil, a bad oil pump, clogged oil ports, oil burning, or not eno ... read more

Recently while being a passenger with a much younger driver it came to my attention that new drivers don’t know about the dangers of tailgating. And I’m not talking about a 17-year-old who just got their license either (the written test for those drivers might at least still be fresh in their mind) I’m referring to twenty-somethings who have been at this driving thing for some time now and should now be safe and reliable drivers. However as I held on for dear life, jammed my foot to the brake pedal that wasn’t there, made the sign of the cross while praying that this was not the end, and even closed my eyes on a few close calls, I had to speak up. I get that I’m “old” in the eyes of the company I was in, but I really felt uncomfortable being shotgun for this ride. I felt even worse for the backseat passengers. So, after yet another near miss and me holding my breath I calmly asked the driver ... read more

Do you ever find yourself having to fill up your tires with air every once and a while? You think you may have a leak, so you take it somewhere to have it checked out and what do you know, you are told that your tire is fine. But how could that be? It was obviously low and losing pressure somewhere.  Most people are unaware that tires are almost constantly losing pressure. The compound and structure that make up a tire is actually filled with tons of microscopic pores, similar to your skin. This causes the air to leak out of the tire at an extremely slow rate, even if you don’t have any puncture in the rubber. One way to battle this slow leak is with Nitrogen. Nitrogen molecules are bigger than Oxygen molecules, so they have more trouble leaking through the tiny pores.  Another benefit of using Nitrogen is that temperature does not affect it like it affects regular air.. If you live in an area where there are drastic temperature changes, you may notice that your tires ... read more

One thing that we know for certain is that tires for your car or truck are expensive. The higher quality and longer lasting they are the price naturally increases. The bummer is that we can’t drive without tires and we shouldn’t drive with tires that are in poor condition, for safety reasons alone you should always make your tires a priority no matter where you live.   Here in the northeast, we have weather conditions that cause damage to the road surfaces, and ultimately can cause damage to your tires and your car in general. Getting a routine alignment check at Magic Lube and Rubber is a service that we offer to all of our customers. When your car is in alignment it ensures that your tires are in contact with the road surface evenly and can actually extend the life of your tires.  When your vehicle is in proper alignment you can avoid premature tire wear and detect if your steering and suspension are not at their proper settings.  ... read more