Top 3 Maintenance Services That Will Extend The Life Of Your Vehicle
We all want to keep our cars going for as long as we can, running at full capacity years down the line. The best way to make that a possibility is to set up your vehicle’s crucial maintenance services from the start, and continue to keep up with the maintenance schedule consistently. There are many tasks and services involved in this schedule — you can find your specific maintenance schedule in your car’s owners manual — but First Tire & Automotive has put together the top three services to stay up to date on to extend the life of your vehicle.
Oil Change
Oil changes are the most talked about maintenance service for a reason. Vehicles need oil changes frequently — every 3,000 to 7,500 miles, depending on the age of the car and other factors — and often receive additional services or inspections during the process. An oil change at its most basic drains old oil of the engine to replace with new, clean oil and replaces the clogged oil filter. If not replaced, the old oil, which contains contaminants picked up throughout the engine, cannot provide the lubrication or heat mitigation the engine needs, leading to damage.
Because drivers are bringing their cars in regularly for their oil changes, First Tire & Automotive takes the time to provide other scheduled maintenance services and inspections as a part of the oil change service. These include replacing the engine air filter, checking and topping off fluids such as brake fluid and coolant, and checking on your tires.
Tire Maintenance
Keeping your tires in good shape gives you better control on the road, so it’s important to keep up with tire maintenance. Some of this can be handled at home, like checking your tire’s air pressure. While many newer cars can tell you the pressure through your computer system, we recommend also checking with a pressure gauge, just to be sure. Check your owners manual to find the ideal tire pressure for your wheels. You can also inspect your tires for signs of damage, and measure the tread depth (use a ruler, the built in tread depth indicators, or the ‘penny test’).
Other tire maintenance services, including tire rotations and wheel alignment, are used to evenly spread wear across all four tires, maximizing the life of your tread, so maximizing the life of the tires. Rotation services remove the tires from the vehicle, rotate them by one spot, then put them on in their new position so they will not continue to take wear in the same place in your routine drives. A tire alignment corrects any odd angles your wheels may have taken on, pointing inward, outward, or otherwise.
Brake Services
Because your brakes are so crucial to driving safely, it’s important to stay up to date on brake maintenance. Your brake system should be inspected at least once a year, though if you tend to be rough on your brakes, keep an eye out for signs that you need to bring them in sooner. Maintenance on your brakes includes inspecting the full system, flushing and replacing brake fluid, replacing worn brake pads, and repairing any damage that is found in the inspection.
Maintenance at First Tire & Automotive
While we’ve pushed these three maintenance services to the forefront, that doesn’t mean you should forget about the rest. Check out your vehicle’s manual to see what your car needs and when, or stop by one of our five locations. We’re happy to get you set up on a maintenance schedule, give your brakes a look, or answer any questions you may have.
