Your health, your family, your home, your job… they all require care and maintenance. Your vehicle does, too. For many, though, auto maintenance is low on the list of priorities. But should it be? When personal, work and family schedules mean you will be driving a lot, do you really have time for unexpected car repairs? We say “unexpected” because the majority of car repair issues and expenses could have been avoided with regular and basic auto maintenance. We put together this list of the 5 most overlooked vehicle maintenance services to help you avoid the headaches and hassles of a vehicle breakdown.
Car owners know the oil and oil filter need to be changed every “so many miles.” The number of miles depends on the type of oil you use and how you drive your vehicle. Beyond the oil and filter changes, there are 5 additional auto maintenance items that should not be ignored:
- Factory-Scheduled Maintenance – Most people think of this as the 30K, 60K, and 90K maintenance schedules for your vehicle. The actual recommended maintenance intervals can be more or less depending on the car and the manufacturer. You’ll find all the information in your owner’s manual. There are several reasons these service intervals should not be overlooked. First and foremost, manufacturers consider this maintenance so important that they won’t honor the vehicle warranty unless the scheduled maintenance has been performed. By following these service intervals, you will keep your vehicle running its best and extend its life. You don’t need to bring your vehicle to the dealership to have this service performed. The auto technicians at Luke’s Auto Service in Verona, New Jersey, can handle all your factory-scheduled maintenance. If we find something that is covered under your warranty, we will let you know so you can have it fixed for no charge at the dealer.
- Cooling System Service – This service is at the top of the list because it’s probably one of the most important services you should have done after the oil and filter change. Your vehicle’s cooling system is a critical engine component (read more about it by clicking here – link to cooling system article). Maintaining this system involves draining, flushing, and replacing the coolant/antifreeze regularly – every one to two years. When you don’t, the coolant begins to age and it cannot properly protect the components of the cooling system. Corrosion can also occur, wearing out critical engine parts. Your vehicle will also run hotter and be at risk of overheating which in turn can cause serious or permanent engine damage. When you bring your vehicle in for an oil change, we do a simple test to make sure the coolant condition is good. We also inspect the belts and hoses to let you know if any need to be replaced.
- Power Steering Service – What? I have to service my power steering? Absolutely! Like any other fluid in your vehicle, power steering fluid will become dirty and less able to protect the vehicle’s power steering system. At a minimum, check the fluid level and condition once each month. And remember, if you find that you need to add power steering fluid, there’s a problem somewhere in the system that needs to be fixed.
- Timing Belt Replacement – We know… replacing a timing belt can be expensive. But, it’s not as expensive as the costs you would incur if the timing belt breaks while you are driving. A broken timing belt will cause serious engine damage, from having to replace the engine to needing to buy a new car. Now that’s expensive! Take a look in the owner’s manual to see when the timing belt should be replaced and have it done then. If you have your vehicle regularly serviced at our auto repair shop in Verona, NJ, we can let you know when the timing belt should be replaced.
- Wheel Alignments – When you buy new tires a wheel alignment should be done. But don’t stop there. Regular wheel alignments (along with tire rotations) are important to achieve the life expectancy out of the tires. You should also have an alignment done when your tires take a blow from a pothole or curb. Wheel alignments not only help you get the full life out of your tires, but they are an important part of keeping your steering and suspension systems operating smoothly.
The simplest way to make sure you don’t overlook any of these important auto maintenance services is to join our list of loyal customers. At Luke’s Auto Service in Verona, NJ, we make sure our customers’ vehicles are safe and reliable. Schedule your next auto maintenance service today.