The Logan County Chronicle would like to introduce you to our “Ask a Mechanic” expert, Dave Neer.  

Dave, the owner of Solomon’s Garage, is a native of the West Liberty area.  

Graduating from West Liberty-Salem in 2000, with his high-school sweetheart Katie, the couple shared a first date at Perkins April 9, 1999. Dave reminisced on that fateful day.   

“I ordered pancakes, but I couldn't eat a bite because I was so nervous my stomach was in knots.  

“The anniversary date is easy for us to remember because my dad used to have a ‘63 Impala with the infamous 409 cu. in. V8... Think The Beach Boys: ‘She's real fine my 409!’” he said with a laugh.   

After graduation, they both moved to Indiana to attend college. Naturally, Dave studied Automotive Management at Lincoln Tech, while Katie concentrated on Civil Engineering at Purdue University. 

Dave said that he furthered his education at Ohio Technical College and graduated from the BMW STEP program as a BMW Certified Diagnostic Technician.  

“I worked at Dreyer & Reinbold BMW in Indianapolis for nine and a half years, which was the first BMW car dealership in North America.  

“Then, I took continual update classes from BMW in Chicago. After graduating from Purdue, Katie worked for about five years as a Civil Engineer before trying her hand at being a stay-at-home mom.  

“When we started having kids, we longed to be back home in Ohio to be around grandmas and grandpas.” 

So, in November of 2011, they happily moved home and opened Solomon's Garage on Jan. 1, 2012. 

“We named it after King Solomon, my favorite Bible character and the wisest man to ever live,” Dave explained.   

“Growing up in church, I found that I was not the best singer or the best preacher and was probably not going to be able to hack a living doing those things. But, I was really good at fixing cars!  

“In Ecclesiastes 9:10, Solomon says, ‘Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might,’ So, that's just what I did.” 

Since then, they outgrew their original shop and moved to their current location at 122. S. Detroit St. in West Liberty in the spring of 2016.  

The garage performs advanced diagnostics, repairs, and maintenance on all makes and models of cars and light trucks, with a focus on preventative maintenance on late-model vehicles.   

The shop is their attempt to bring Glory to God by doing honest repairs with the skills He's given them, and they hope that their business will stand out as a shining light in their community.  

Katie and Dave have been married for 23 years, and they have three beautiful children: Levi, Sadie Jane and Jacob.  Together they enjoy running the shop and being an active part of the community they grew up in.  

Go to solomonsgarage.com, for more information or to book an appointment.  

 Here are this week’s “Ask a Mechanic” Questions: 

Dave couldn't pick one subscriber question, so he answered two questions from a post on the Logan County Chronicle’s Facebook page:  

Connie Sanders asked, “Where, besides a dealer, can I get the rear differential clutch module replaced on a 2020 Chevy Trax that won't charge a fortune?” 

Dave's answer: We consider ourselves a great alternative to the dealer. We can help you with your rear differential clutch module on your 2020 Chevy Trax if you'd like. As to the fortune part, I don't know of anything in today's world that does not cost a fortune! 

Joshua Lee asked, “How does the fuel evap system work on a ninth generation Toyota Corolla?” 

Dave’s answer: Great question, Josh!  Have you ever been pouring gasoline, say gassing up your mower, and spilled some on the ground?  Did you notice how quickly it evaporates?   

I have spilled gas before and thought, "I'll go get a paper towel and wipe that up," but before I can get back with the paper towel, the puddle is gone!  

So, when you buy gas and put it into your car; it immediately starts evaporating. Your ninth-generation Corolla's ‘fuel evap system’ is designed to capture those fuel vapors inside a charcoal canister through the process of absorption. 

There, the vapors can be stored until they are drawn into your engine, through a vent valve or purge valve, and burned while you are driving down the road.  

Because of your ‘fuel evap system,’ you actually get to use all of the fuel that you purchase!  Pretty neat, huh?   

 We thank Dave for his expertise and his helpful answers. 

Look for your opportunity to ask Dave a question on our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/logancountychronicle, or e-mail us at: [email protected].