The Importance of Preventive Maintenance Service
Tips for Extending Your Car’s Longevity and Improving Safety
If you’re a Fresno driver then preventive maintenance service is a must. The primary goal of this work is to protect your vehicle from problems down the line. If you stick to your ideal service schedule, you can significantly extend your car’s life span.
Creating Your Preventive Maintenance Schedule
For many types of preventive maintenance services, you’ll want to follow the service schedule provided by your auto manufacturer. Usually, drivers should get specific auto parts inspected and replaced when their vehicle’s odometer hits 30,000, 60,000, and 90,000 miles, but your exact recommendations may vary. If you notice any strange feelings, smells, sounds, and sights in your vehicle, don’t hesitate to visit a preventive maintenance shop ahead of time.
For example, oil changes are a crucial preventive maintenance service, and car manufacturers commonly tell drivers to schedule this service every 5,000-7,000 miles. While this is a handy ballpark figure, it’s still just an estimate — you’ll need to adjust it to fit your vehicle’s specific needs. Drivers who tend to take short trips, drive in extreme temperatures, or haul heavy loads are better off getting an oil change every 3,000-5,000 miles.
The Most Important Car Maintenance Tasks
Now that you’ve built a preventive maintenance schedule, let’s take a closer look at some car maintenance tasks this schedule should include:
Oil Changes
As mentioned above, it’s no exaggeration that regular oil changes are the bedrock of any successful preventive
maintenance strategy. This fluid lubricates your engine’s moving parts, keeps engine heat under control, and performs other vital tasks in your vehicle. However, motor oil gradually collects dirt and other contaminants — and when it gets dirty enough, it can no longer function properly.
In this situation, scheduling an oil change is the only way to get your car working properly again. The best Fresno auto shops offer full-service oil changes, which go beyond removing and replacing your oil with services like:
- Installing a new oil filter in your vehicle
- Inspecting your vehicle
- Lubricating your car’s chassis
- Performing a tire rotation
Tire Maintenance
Even if you invest in a set of high-quality tires, they will eventually be worn down by the friction they deal with daily. Preventive maintenance won’t mean that you’ll be able to use the same set indefinitely, but it can extend the life span of your tires.
Your tire maintenance schedule should include services like:
- Tire rotation: Depending on where a tire is located on your vehicle, it might wear slower or faster than you might expect. Tire rotation can decrease your odds of suffering from uneven tread wear.
- Wheel alignment: When your tires don’t hit the road at the right angle, your tread wear and gas mileage can take a hit. Fortunately, resolving this issue is as easy as scheduling an appointment for wheel alignment.
- Tire balancing: Tires that don’t weigh identical amounts are difficult to drive on (and can wear at uneven rates). Tire balancing aims to resolve this problem by installing small weights on any wheels that weigh less than the others.
Brake Service
It’s easy to ignore your vehicle’s brake system — when it’s working correctly, that is. But when your brakes stop working as they should, it won’t be long before you notice. Trouble with this system can lead to vibrations, strange noises, and other symptoms.
Getting your brakes checked regularly helps avoid problems with your vehicle’s brake system and allows the components in this system to last as long as possible. Even if you don’t notice any brake problems, it’s best to have your brakes inspected every 6,000 miles or six months.
Schedule a Preventive Maintenance Appointment
Other Ways To Extend Your Car’s Life Span
By prioritizing maintenance services like these, you’ll take a significant step toward maximizing your vehicle’s longevity. Along with that, you can help your car last as long as possible by:
Filling Up Regularly
Waiting to fill your gas tank might seem harmless, but this could have a surprisingly severe effect on your vehicle. In modern vehicles, the gas tank is home to the fuel pump, which counts on a consistent flow of gas for cooling and lubrication. When you’re running on empty, that pump can fill with air — and that could result in it overheating and failing. To ensure that doesn’t happen, make sure you always have at least half a tank’s worth of gas.
Replacing Your Car Air Filter
Your vehicle’s oil filter isn’t the only automotive filter you need to pay attention to. It’s also a good idea to get your air filter, which keeps debris out of the air your engine uses for combustion, replaced every so often. Get this filter inspected whenever you get an oil change, and replace it every 15,000-30,000 miles.
Avoiding Severe Driving Habits
Do you commonly drive in stop-and-go traffic, travel short distances, or ride on dirt roads? These are all forms of severe driving — that is to say, habits like these can put stress on your vehicle. Take steps to avoid these habits whenever possible (or schedule oil changes and other maintenance services more frequently to compensate).
Stop By Fresno’s Best Preventive Maintenance Shop
By now, you should fully understand what makes preventive maintenance essential, what services are included in this category, and how to schedule these tasks. Now, it’s time to take one more step by finding a reliable Fresno auto shop.
Do you need oil changes, tire maintenance, or any other form of work on your vehicle? Preventive maintenance service isn’t something you’ll need to worry about when you visit Goodguys Tire & Auto Repair, as our ASE-certified mechanics are experts in this field. If you’re due for preventive maintenance work, set up an appointment today!
