Cars are a necessary, yet expensive part of many people?s lives. In more suburban or smaller cities, public transportation is not an option. If people want to get around, they must have their own source of transportation. Although owning your own vehicle saves on costs of public transport, the costs can quickly be absorbed with needed vehicle repairs. Repairing certain parts of a vehicle can be hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars to fix. Regular routine inspections and preventative maintenance can reduce the chance of these costly repairs.
Have your vehicle inspected at least two times a year. The exact amount that your vehicle needs to be professional inspected will depend on the type of vehicle, the maker?s recommendation, and the amount of miles on the vehicle. A vehicle repair is more likely needed on a care with over 100,000 miles on it. Older cars may require more frequent car inspections. However, minimum inspections should be at least twice a year.
Have regular oil changes. One of the most important vehicle maintenance services is that of an oil change. Clean oil is necessary for many important parts of the vehicle, including the engine and the transmission. These are two of the more expensive parts of a vehicle to fix. Oil changes ensure that your engine is running clean and that it is not getting blocked with built up amounts of oil. Regular scheduled times will also depend on the maker of your vehicle and the amount of miles that are on the vehicle.
Get regular tire alignments. The tires are another one of the more important vehicle maintenance services. Tires receive a lot of wear and tear on them. If the tires are never rotated, the same parts of each tire will be worn down. This can lead to having to change the tires more frequently, which can get expensive. When you have a tire rotation done, you are putting the most pressure on different parts of each tire. Experts recommend checking your tire alignment every 6,000 miles, or when you have your oil changed, as a lot can happen in that time.
Replace tires, when needed. Too many vehicle owners drive on worn down tires for too long. This can be dangerous and can cause costly repairs to the rest of the vehicle. Also, a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) determined that vehicles driving on tires under inflated by more than 25% are three times more likely to be involved in a crash related to tire problems than vehicles with proper inflation. Older tires that need to be replaced do not hold the air as well as newer tires do.
Change brake pads frequently. The changing of brake pads is one of the safety precaution vehicle maintenance services. The brakes are needed to stop at a moment?s notice. If the brakes wear down, the vehicle may take longer to come to a stop. This can be especially dangerous in poor weather conditions, such as high rain or wind conditions. Your auto mechanic will inform you when it is time to get new brake pads, during your bi annual car inspections.
Replace timing belts, when recommended by your car maintenance services mechanic. Most inspections and vehicle maintenance services include timing belt checks. It is important to have the timing belts changed, as soon as they are worn down. The auto repair services mechanic will check the timing belt condition each time they do the inspection.
The prompt changing of timing belts can prevent car breakdowns. Car breakdowns can be avoided by periodically checking vehicle belts and hoses and replacing them when worn. At least one belt was reported as unsatisfactory in nearly one fifty of the vehicles inspected (19%) and 17% of the vehicles required at least one new hose.
Vehicle maintenance services are an important step in preventing costly auto repairs. For many Americans, a reliable vehicle is required. If a car is neglected, the repairs on it can reach up to thousands of dollars. Following these steps can help prevent the chance of a costly repair.
