Auto Maintenance: Why It’s Vital For Your Car Or Truck

We’ve all been there at one time or another. One of your tires blows out, your engine overheats, the dash light indicates you’re past due for an oil change; it could be any number of things. Auto maintenance can be very easily overlooked if you live a busy life or if you aren’t familiar with your car or truck’s recommended service intervals. 

If maintained properly or even ahead of schedule, a modern vehicle can be expected to last 12 years on average, or a little over 200,000 miles. However, that estimate can be cut significantly shorter if you often forget these recommended service intervals. We’re going to give you the low-down on which maintenance is critical for keeping you on the road!  

Fluids

One of the most commonly forgotten aspects of owning a vehicle is getting the fluids checked and changed. This means oil, power steering fluid, transmission fluid, coolant, and even brake fluid. All of these are essential for keeping your vehicle running its best for as long as possible.

Oil Change

Oil is going to be the one you have changed the most. Conventional oil will need to be changed roughly every 3,000 miles, whereas synthetic blends can make it to about every 5,000 miles. It’s vital to have this done as recommended! 

The oil in your car is meant to keep your engine running smoothly. If you were to go without changing it, the oil turns into sludge from the carbon buildup that occurs as a result of combustion. Once the oil becomes unbearably thick, your engine is likely to fracture crucial parts of itself from the heat, and may result in costly repairs. 

Tires

The second most common maintenance to overlook is your tires. Most of the time, this will just be making sure the air is sufficient in each tire, but not over the max load! It also means not taking corners like a Formula 1 driver in your Accord, or F150, and not going absurdly fast either. These actions can cause a normal tire to wear down very quickly!

Tread and Rotation

The tread on each tire will wear down naturally at a different rate than the others. For this reason, you don’t always have to buy a whole new set of tires. Often enough, you can have a technician perform what’s referred to as a “tire rotation.” This entails removing the tires and reinstalling each one in place of another so that the tread on each tire can be fresh in relation to the tread on the tire it replaced. Make sense?

Spark Plugs

Your spark plugs can be thought of as a little tiny bolt of electricity. Even when you care for them properly, they will start to become eroded or gunky, and they’ll stop sparking. This makes your engine misfire, or fire out of order. Not a good thing! 

The recommended service interval for spark plugs varies wildly depending on your specific vehicle, so be sure to check the manual for your vehicle or ask your technician if they will check them for you. 

Come See Us for Your Auto Maintenance!

We know it’s not always easy to remember your vehicle’s needs, which is why we can help you remember, as well as make sure they are taken care of properly! It’s as easy as clicking the link, and making an appointment with us at Hartman Automotive, Littleton Auto Repair! 

Experience you can trust!

You’re in good hands with us!