Automotive in Columbia

At the AAA–approved facilities, mechanics attend to vehicles with all the skill and understanding you'd expect from ASE–certified technicians. Versed in every make and model of car out there, they dive underneath hoods and reinvigorate autos with Interstate batteries and products from BG Products Inc., repairing anything that's broken and slapping down a 24-month, 24,000-mile warranty. This castle of car care doubles as a state-certified emissions-inspection facility, and their shuttle treats auto owners to free rides whenever it's not busy rescuing helpless jalopies from junkyards.

With lube and service centers spread across America, Valvoline Instant Oil Change ensures that roads from coast to coast teem with automotive vigor. Certified technicians perform a roster of services, including drive-thru oil changes that allow motorists to arrive without an appointment and remain in their car while Valvoline oils forge a truce between metal parts.

Fluent in six languages—English, Portuguese, Spanish, Farsi, Nepalese, and Swahili—Omid's Crown Auto Service's crew of car cleansers purges cars of dirt with efficient machinery and meticulous hand washing. During the five-minute Ultimate wash, double soft cloths caress car shells and foaming baths snuggle against the exterior, plucking out bonded contaminants with soapy automaton fingers. Cleaning solutions spray the undercarriage and disentangle gooey accruements, and blasters discharge soapwater that de-mucks tires and wheels. Auto aestheticians then lather a clear coat on the frame to make the veneer gleam like a new penny after receiving a straight-A report card, and a spot-free rinse eschews any residual particles clinging to the frame.

Columbia Mall Car Wash restores vehicles to pristine condition with its executive car-wash package, a multifaceted cleanse that takes a mere 20 minutes. Frisky autos can wag their tails with glee as the wash’s suds-slingers soak and hand-dry their exteriors and vacuum their carpets, floors, and seats. A clear-coat finish helps protect paint jobs from weathering, and a body-luster foam wax guards the car's shell against acid rain and even more acidic sunshine. Sealer wax helps lock in each car’s freshness and ocular appeal. Undercarriages receive a swabbing of their own to remove salt, plus an application of rust inhibitor to ward off corrosion.

The Audio Connection's award-winning team of technicians customizes mobile investments with a complete range of audio equipment, security systems, and electronics upgrades. With the installation of a Crime Stopper one-button remote starter, car owners can warm up engines from up to 1,000 feet away to avoid winter damage and warm up the tiny musicians that live in car stereos. Alternatively, smartphones and MP3 players can be integrated into dashboards, allowing for easy charging and music access. The hands-free Bluetooth kit's voice dialing and redial features keep commutes safe and respect state laws that prohibit drivers from talking on handsets or steering with their knees.

The 2009 recipient of American Honda's President's Award, O'Donnell Honda and its team of skilled service techs tends to auto interiors and exteriors.