Ensuring your car is at its best
If you’re like most people that have a car, you depend on it to be at the ready when you need to go. But then, do you take care of it and follow a routine scheduled auto maintenance? What is scheduled maintenance on a car?
Every vehicle that comes off the assembly line will need routine auto maintenance to maintain its roadworthiness. The type of auto maintenance services it will need will vary from manufacturer recommendations and the model of the vehicle. Regardless of all that, it is important for the owner to keep a scheduled car maintenance services regiment.
The basic scheduled car maintenance checklist typically consists of the following:
30/60/90K Checkup and Maintenance
The 30/60/90K checkup appointment will include several areas of your car to be inspected. An ‘every 30k mile’ auto maintenance and checkup is to assure that all is working correctly and safely with a multi-point inspection.
Oil Change
This is the most common auto maintenance. For most cars is between 3,000 and 5,000 miles. Regular oil change will ensure the engine is being properly lubricated throughout the engine internally, preventing any metal on metal contact.
Tune Up
The tune up will include replacing the air filter, spark plugs, (wires if present), fuel filter, and fuel injection cleaning. These things can all affect your car’s fuel economy, and your mechanic will be able to advise you what your car needs in this area of routine auto maintenance.
Timing Belt Replacement
The auto maintenance will include inspecting the timing belt, looking for cracks or other indications it is about to break. Getting the changed before anything happened will minimize the need of extensive repairs later, or worse, a new engine.
Fluid Flush
There are several fluids within a car and part of the auto maintenance routine is to flush and change these fluids. This removes any possible contamination that could damage the engine.
Is a car service necessary?
The purpose of automotive scheduled maintenance is to keep the car in proper functioning state and prevent most unexpected brake-downs that require expensive repairs. A car will haves a longer lifespan and better performance with regular auto maintenance. The minimal cost of money and time it takes is well worth it at the end of the day.
How often should I service my car?
The year 2020 was unexpected and unpredictable, and with all that brought us, being quarantined to our homes, auto maintenance wasn’t at the forefront of our minds. However, life is returning to a normal, albeit a new normal, and we need to get back to the routines that matter. Auto maintenance needs to be one of those routines.
Most mechanics recommend scheduled car maintenance by mileage, the 30-60-90 service schedule. Meaning, you schedule your car for auto maintenance every 30,000 miles starting at the 30,000 mile mark and continue that every 30,000 miles.
However, during the times in between the 30-60-90 mile intervals, there is still auto maintenance that should be kept every 3,000 miles, starting at the 3,000 mile mark. Those interval auto maintenance checks should include:
- 3,000 miles: Battery, belts, and cables
- 6,000 miles: Transmission fluid, windshield washer fluid
- 9,000 miles: Power steering fluid, lights
- 12,000 miles: Coolant, tires
During 2020, many of us didn’t drive our cars, but every year, there are many that don’t drive anyway, quarantined or not. That is the one of the worse things you can do for you automobile. A ten minute drive once week is recommended to keep the gas and oil moving through the system, keep the tires from going flat, and more.
When should you schedule car maintenance?
It’s pretty simple reason: Auto maintenance will keep your vehicle running safely and smoothly. Yes, you have your car payment, car insurance, and registration, to pay for, those are required by the bank and the government.
Your auto maintenance is just being smart and fortunately, many of the things you don’t have to pay a mechanic to handle for you – you can do some of the basics yourself, like checking the oil, transmission fluid, and tire pressure. Use the owner’s manual that came with your car and the multitude of YouTube videos to help you with these things, and you’ll find yourself needing your mechanic less and less.
What should you do to your car every 30 000 miles?
You’ll need to follow the guidelines for every 3,000 miles, and at 30,000 miles, it is recommended that you do the following:
- Replace the air and fuel filters.
- Get the radiator professionally flushed and inspected, new coolant added.
- Inspect the condition of all belts and hoses, replace if needed.
- Have all suspension inspected.
- Test the air conditioning system and have recharged if needed.
- Have the power steering fluid professionally drained, flushed, and new fluid added.
- Check the tire tread, get new tires if needed.
Keeping your car maintained can extend its life. Need car maintenance in Venice, FL? Call Rolling Auto Service today at 941-493-6511.