All that traveling after “Lockdown Life” is going to put some serious wear and tear on your vehicle. Make sure you’re scheduling regular routine system checks with a licensed, professional mechanic. You can get you ahead of the curve on most major issues by keeping up with these most overlooked maintenance points. Give us a call to schedule a maintenance and tune-up appointment!
Spark Plugs - The spark plugs aid in combustion of air and fuel. Although this part is one of the most durable elements of a vehicle, you really should change them every 30,000 to 90,000 miles depending on your vehicle. Check the manufacturer’s website or manual for specific timing requirements. Defective spark plugs can cause serious engine damage if not maintained properly. If they cannot generate an adequate spark, your engine will lose power and efficiency, or worse it will cease to run. If you notice your car is idling rough, you’re having trouble starting your vehicle, or you have an engine misfire, it’s high time to bring your car in for a spark plug change. Additionally, your car may have difficulty accelerating and maintaining that speed, leading to poor fuel economy. So, don’t skip this step especially if you’ve done a lot of long distance driving!
Transmission Maintenance - To avoid costly repairs, it's important to keep up with regular maintenance on your transmission. We’re going to give you a few pointers on how to maintain an automatic transmission. First, Check your transmission fluid periodically; to do this you’ll leave your engine idling, open the hood, and pull out the dipstick to check the levels much like you would for the oil. It should be a bright red fluid with a sweet scent. If it smells rotten or has a murky, dark color it’s time to bring it in. Second, make sure you’re using the right type of transmission fluid for your vehicle by looking at the owner’s manual. Third, make sure you bring your engine in for regular maintenance and cooling system services; regular transmission flushes can be performed by a professional mechanic. Avoid using your personal vehicle for towing things; weight puts an excessive strain on the transmission especially in hot weather!
Cooling System Maintenance - Preventing future problems and unwanted costly repairs is easy with routine maintenance of your Heating/Cooling system. Make sure to check your coolant levels frequently, and top-up the coolant often to ensure it won’t go low and cause anything to overheat. Check underneath your car and peek for any signs of leaking coolant or broken hoses. Your car’s coolant system should be flushed and cleaned every 30,000 miles or every 5 years, whichever comes first. A leaking or broken head gasket or faulty hoses and connections can cause major damage to the engine, and possibly cause it to overheat. Don’t delay repairs on this!
Fan Belt/Serpentine Belt repair - These belts usually last between 50,000 to 100,000 miles.
If you notice a squealing, whistling sound from under the hood while driving, it’s likely the culprit is a broken serpentine belt. The serpentine belt is a long rubber belt sometimes called a fan belt. This is a vital part that helps transfer energy to the alternator, AC Compressor, water pump, power steering pump, and your supercharger if you have one. Cracks and wear on the belt can cause the engine to overheat, the AC compressor to fail, and your power steering system to malfunction. A broken belt can decrease your power to the electrical system for your car, and you won’t be able to drive very far if it breaks. An engine will overheat in about 3 to 5 miles with a broken belt, so it is important to get it repaired at the first sign of wear before it breaks and causes further damage!
Power Steering - Power steering fluid should be checked regularly at every oil change, and the power steering filter replaced yearly. Keep your power steering fluid clean with regular flushes performed by a professional mechanic. Most issues which arise in the Power Steering system are from leaks, so regular system checks can prevent major problems by fixing them before they become catastrophic
