Are you getting a full preventative maintenance service done on your car at least every six months? If you aren’t chances are you could be missing some things that could cause problems now or later on. It could be something simple that causes you to get less efficient gas mileage or something serious like compromised vehicle safety. Even if you drive less than 10,000 miles per year or are using a long life synthetic motor oil, you should still be getting your car serviced at least every six months.
Why? Well just for perspective, here are some of the things we have found when performing some of our simplest preventive maintenance services.
- Objects in tires – This is a big one. We’ve removed all kinds of objects from tires: nails, pieces of metal, glass, plastic, and more. It really is an issue of safety. If your tire has been punctured by a foreign object you risk getting a flat at an inopportune time, or worse yet, a blow out. By having your tires inspected, you can reduce this risk.
- Under Car Damage – The underside of your car can be damaged by items that you roll over like curbs or roadway obstructions, pieces of wood, debris that falls from construction trucks on the roadway. Unless the car is placed up on a lift, this damage might not be noticed.
- Bent Wheels – Ever rolled over a barrier in a parking lot, a huge pothole or misjudged that curb. Sometimes these events can result in a bent rim. If it’s bad enough, it can result in you needing a new alignment or even can result in damage to your steering and suspension.
- Uneven Brake Wear – This can result from rain, snow and/or salt corroding brake caliper parts thereby causing the brake pads to wear at different rates. Spotting this early can avoid a brake emergency and expensive damage.
- Lights Out – This may seem like a minor issue, but driving around with out lights can be a serious safety issue. Chances are, if your headlights are out you’ll notice it, but you are less likely to catch a problem with brake lights or tail lights that are out. Regular servicing helps prevent this common problem.
- Oil or Coolant Leaks – Depending on where you park, and how observant you are, you may miss a coolant or oil leak. Again, with your car up on a lift, these types of leaks are very easy to spot.
- Tire Wear – Do you check the treads on your tires? Do you check for uneven wear? Again, driving on tires that are not up to par is a safety concern. Having an experienced professional mechanic inspect your tires regularly is highly recommended.
So….when was your last auto service? Has it been six months? Stop in and see us if you would like a quick check up. Our smaller service check-ups can be performed while you wait. But to ensure the best service, make an appointment a couple of days in advance.
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