1982-2007
Monday - Friday 8AM to 6PM 
Listen to Big George every Tuesday on WJOB am 1230 at 5pm on "The Preachers Great Radio Experiment". George will take all your automotive questions, and provide you with sound advice to help you with your problem.
Two New Ways To Keep Your Car In Top Shape
We are excited to announce two new ways we are working to keep your vehicles in top working order.
First is a new service, the "Peace of Mind Vehicle Inspection". While we have always given your vehicles a quick look when it was in our shop, the "Peace of Mind Vehicle Inspection" is a much more comprehensive check that covers all of the major systems of your vehicle. A regular thorough vehicle inspection is the best prevention for unexpected vehicle breakdowns. While there may be unforeseen failures, especially in electronics which typically cannot be predicted, our inspection will help detect preventable failures in mechanical and safety systems. Normally a $41 service, Unlimited Service Automotive is now offering the inspection FREE of charge. Click here to view a copy of our inspection report.
Second is the new Unlimited Service Automotive credit card. We have partnered with GE Money to offer all qualifying customers up to 12 months interest free financing. In addition the card offers other features such as roadside assistance, gas purchases at Exxon Mobil and the ability to use the card at all Car Care One/GE Money service centers nationwide. Now you can keep you and your family safe on the road while budgeting your repairs interest free for up to 12 months.
Stop in today to get your FREE inspection and apply for your Unlimited Service Automotive credit card.
Big George Can Help!
Welcome to the Unlimited Service website, designed with you the driver in mind. Here you will find many things automotive, described in terms that you the person behind the wheel will understand. Read a little about us and our extensive hi-tech operation, as well as the modern equipment we employ. You will learn about our 25 year history in quality automotive repair, as well as a peek into the future.
From our Email Big George section we will take actual Emails from you regarding nagging or supposedly unrepairable problems with your vehicle. Our team boasts about 75 years of experience, as well as certificates from the latest schools and training sessions. However when the question stumps us (rarely), we are members of an Internet Automotive Think-Tank of approximately 40,000 techs world wide, that we can tap into.
With our high-speed information system, and access to factory bulletins and recalls, we will devote one section to Common Problems of your vehicles. These are simply those conditions common to certain makes and models, as well as the repair needed. Remember, a bulletin is something the manufacturer knows about, while a recall is something they will pay for. Some bulletins become recalls when enough people get together and form a class action lawsuit.
Email me your problems and we will check our database of over 100,000 repairs for uncommon problems to come up with a solution.
What Should You Expect from Us?
We want to earn your trust and will provide:
- A written quote.
- Return of your replaced parts.
- A written guarantee.
Common Questions
Question: What does a check engine light mean?
Dear concerned car owner,
Everyday I meet people with their check engine light illuminated, and afraid that something is about to happen to their car. They have been to one of the "cheapo" auto parts chains to have their computer scanned for free, bought some parts, and either can't install them themselves, or they did and it didn't solve a thing. Quite frankly a monkey can scan and retrieve the failure codes in your computer, with some small hand held device that will diagnose nothing! It takes a certified technician to take that code and run the necessary tests to pin point the problem. For example, a code for an oxygen sensor can be as simple as a vacuum hose leaking, or even watery fuel. An evaporative emissions code may be as simple as a loose or poor fitting gas cap.
An even greater number of people are driving around with that light illuminated, and because their car runs okay, don't bother to have it checked. One of two things always brings them in for diagnosis. The dreaded state emissions test, or a sudden drop in MPG. If that light is on, your car may run fine, but how will you know if something more serious happens later? The light is already illuminated! When that light comes on there are two things you should do:
- Make sure the gas cap is secure.
- Call your technician.
Question: Can I use alternative fuels in my vehicle?
I'm sure you have all heard about the benefits and of course the lesser expense of using fuels made from such products as corn or animal fats etc. Well I believe it is time to enlighten you the fuel-buying consumer about a few of the shortcomings that don't always make the TV commercials. These fuels, while being somewhat cheaper per gallon, may have some adverse on your vehicle as well as the environment. Additionally they may end up costing you more in dollars per mile then conventional gasoline.
Ethanol, or E85 blends, the fuels made with a corn additive, is not as cheap to produce as we were originally led to believe. Also, they burn less efficiently then 85 octane gasoline, so they actually gets less MPG, giving the driver a savings of what? Secondly economists predict that should our country become dependant on this "corn" fuel, the results could be catastrophic to the farming industry. The majority of our farmers will want to grow only corn, because that's where the money is. The largest problem with these corn added fuels is that not all vehicles are made to accommodate the different exhaust produced by your engine, so as a result the computer that runs your car starts to act crazy. The very least that can happen is the "Check Engine" light will illuminate and cause you to seek some expensive diagnosis. If your vehicle is not a "FLEX FUEL" vehicle, you have to burn good old "Arab Gold" (Gasoline).
The fuels that are being experimented with animal fats and various oils, have some set backs of their own. These are manufactured for use in Diesel engine vehicles they also don't burn as efficiently as regular diesel fuel, causing extra usage. Since they are still fairly new, no one knows what the long-term effects of their combustion properties on the "hard" parts of the engine. Time will tell of course. Further, and this is a personal reflection, where will all these fats and various oils come from in the quantities that are required by the American public?
Big George's New MPG Program
My 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee with a V8 is a gas-guzzler. Always has been, but in the last two years it has gotten really bad. I use this car for work, so it has a ton of miles (130,000 ish). I have a dashboard computer that tells me my mileage, and I keep it myself on my expense account. I was amazed at how accurate that dash really was. It said I was getting 10.3 mpg, while my calculations were more like 10.8. When Unlimited Service told me I was a perfect candidate for their program because of the miles I put on a weekly basis, and the rising price of gas, it was a no-brainer for me. Two weeks have passed, and three tankfuls, with the worst being 13.4, and the best at 13.7. I might keep this Jeep a while longer now, because I'm not sure what the new ones get. This program isn't a miracle worker, but it makes it just a little easier on the wallet every week. I got it for free, but knowing what it can do, I'd pay for it.
Robert Middleton Jr., Lansing, Illinois.
Testimonial
My son was away at college in Indiana when the dreaded call came. Dad, the car is broke down. I put it in gear and it won't go. What should I do? I called my regular service garage, Unlimited Service, and talked to Big George. George said it sounded like transmission trouble of some sort, and asked for my son's phone number so he could dig a bit deeper. Long story short, it was decidedly transmission malfunction, and the best way to proceed was to find a local facility and get an estimate. College towns can be a hard place for a student to get a fair estimate (or so I know now) but we found what we thought was a reputable facility. The next day I got a call from the garage telling me that the transmission was shot and I would be looking at about $3,200 to rebuild it. I was livid. That car didn't have 70,000 miles on it yet! I rented a uhaul car dolly and went on the weekend and brought it home. Monday afternoon George called me to tell me that he didn't find the transmission burned up or even that dirty inside. He had run pressure tests and wanted to put in a new torque converter at a cost of about $900. Thursday I took the day off to take my son back his car.
Stan Pamedis, Lansing, Illinois.