Tim Duke of Duke Automotive

Our dealership Duke Automotive is owned by Tim Duke, a third generation Duke family dealer here in Augusta. Tim is married to his college sweetheart Lisa and they have 2 children- Tyler a senior at lakeside high, and their daughter Payton a 7th grader at Stallings Island Middle. Tim grew up in the family business formerly known as Duke Buick, Inc., which was owned by Tim’s grandfather, the late Bill Duke. Tim Duke and his family are members of warren Baptist church, the fellowship of Christian athletes, and proud supporters of the make a wish foundation, Augusta area junior golf association, Augusta Christian schools, lakeside high/ middle school athletics, Westside High School athletics, Stallings Island Middle School, Greenbrier high/ middle school athletics. Tim Duke is also an elected board member of the Georgia independent automotive dealers association (GIADA), and a member of the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association (NIADA). The Duke family is a name you know and have trusted for over 50 years.

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On reality shows like Monster Garage and Motor City Motors, we’ve seen a GMC Suburban turn into a pothole filler and a PT Cruiser transform into a wood chipper. And these just scratch the surface of the miracles that mechanics can perform.

Every day, mechanics perform tasks that keeps the world’s engines running, literally, from changing oil and air filters to reading diagnostic reports and repairing engine defects. Without their expertise, most of us wouldn’t be able to make it to work everyday. And with the current emphasis on hybrid technology, auto mechanics are going to checking our fluids and fixing our engines well into the future. If you love cars, love working with your hands, and hate the idea of being chained to a desk all day, an automotive career may be one to consider.

Some mechanics get their start by taking automotive classes in high schools, while others attend two-year associate degree programs sponsored by car dealers and manufacturers. If you’re thinking about going back to school to become a mechanic, remember that the best programs are those recognized by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). (ASE also certifies mechanics after two years of experience in a given area, plus completing a test.) While you’re in school, you’ll learn basic automotive service, how the engine works, the different electrical systems, how to suspension and steering systems function, heating and air conditioning systems, and much more.  Read more...

If you are running a small to medium sized dealership you probably have been searching for an affordable, quality web design firm to launch your website. You may have been searching for a while, may even signed a contract with a design company only to find out you are not their priority when it comes to deadlines. The obvious solution is to look for automotive specific web template services, there are few big names to choose from, but they are not cheap to come by. There are few things you should be aware of before venturing into any commitment for your website. For one, your website is your virtual office, if is not done correctly it will be ineffective and sometimes down right embarrassing. You should consider a website only after your business name registration process has been completed. If you are located anywhere in North America, you should purchase the .com and .ca extensions yourself with a reputable domain registration company. Don’t just believe the latest TV ads, look around and read clients’ testimonials on how easy and simple to use the domain register. The reason behind why you should always own your domain name is simple. If you leave this up to the design firm, the ownership of your business name is with them. And if you ever decide to leave that company things can get complicated very quickly.  Read more...

In your vehicle, the automotive air conditioning compressor has the simple task of moving gas between the condenser and the evaporator. However, it is often considered to be the heart of the system and if this belt-driven piece of equipment fails to do its job, the entire system quits functioning as designed.

The automotive air conditioning compressor is typically attached to the engine of your vehicle and is belt driven. One of the primary causes of a failed automotive air conditioning compressor is a loose or broken belt as a loose belt may not operate the compressor properly causing lowered pressure in the system and the gas is not transferred to the system’s other components efficiently. Similar to the air conditioner in your home or office, the vehicle’s system has three main components, the automotive air conditioning compressor, a condenser and an evaporator.

The vehicles closed system contains Freon gas and the automotive air conditioning compressor pressurizes the gas, which converts it to hot, high-pressure gas and forces it into the condenser, which looks similar to the radiator in your car, to dissipate the heat condensing the hot, pressurized gas into a liquid. As it is forced through an expansion valve it evaporates into cold, low-pressure Freon gas.

Air Exchanged Inside The Vehicle

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Cars and trucks are guys’ best toys. A guy that has a car or truck feels that it is his most priced possession. All the guys out there demand attention and respect for their toys (cars).

If you possess a can; you can force people to respect you and your machine with fierce and sporty automotive decals. Auto decals can turn your ordinary, monotonous car into a stupendous, breath-taking eye-catching machine. A good pretentious vinyl automobile decal compels admiring looks when you drive down the road in style. You will earn respect.

Custom Automobile decals or auto stickers help you remodel your car as you like it. You will find a great collection of vinyl stickers, letterings and logos out there in the market. You can use any auto stickers on the car that suits your personality. You can individualize any part of the car, be it the window, bumper or the side panel.

The custom window graphics are the best among all the vinyl automobile decals. The custom window decals are seeing through decals, which ensure the most wanted privacy to you. On the other hand, the advanced micro perforated custom decals filters out the UV radiations and helps protect your interiors from fading.

An incredible number of automotive decal themes are available in the market. You name it, you will have it. Some of the most popular decal themes are flames, basketball, horses, police, baseball, cowboys, and ghosts. Car decals are the best and economic way of remodeling your car; they are cheaper than the body kits, which empty your pockets.  Read more...