TIPS TO HELP EXTEND YOUR CAR’S LIFE
The average price to purchase a new car is estimated at $38,000 in the U.S. and with yearly rising prices for ownership that does not even include maintenance, there's a reason most vehicle owners tend to keep the same car for at least 11 years. The modern vehicle is already engineered to last long as long as it is maintained properly.
Components of your vehicle can be serviced to prevent major repairs which is the name of the game. At a minimum, you should follow the factory scheduled maintenance. According to Consumer Reports, the average lifespan of today’s cars is about eight years or 150,000 miles.
As a professional in vehicle maintenance, we often wonder why manufacturers make claims that transmission fluid is a lifetime fluid and boast this fact, while the factory warranty ends anywhere from 36k to 60k miles? How can you claim the guarantee at a lifetime and only cover you to 60k miles? We have seen properly maintained transmissions last over 300,000 miles for example. But if you follow what the factory scheduled maintenance says it make not even make it to 150,000 miles.
So protect your investment and get the most out of your vehicle. Here's a few tips to extend the life of your vehicle:
- Oil Changes every 5k miles
- Engine Air Filter every 15k miles
- Transmission Fluid Change every 30k miles
- Differential Fluid Change every 30k miles
- Coolant Fluid Change every 30k miles
- Brake Fluid Change every 30k miles
- Power Steering Fluid Change Every 30k miles
- Spark Plug (Platinum/Iridium) Replacement Every 100k Miles (Replace Ignition Coils Optional)
- If you have a check engine light get it repaired
- Fuel Injection/Induction Cleaning Every 60K miles
- Rotate Tires every 5k Miles
- Drive Belts every 60k Miles
- Timing Belt every 100k Miles
Keep in mind there may be other repairs or services needed as certain components wear down or get out of specification. Some examples include:
- Brakes (depends on how vehicle is driven)
- Tires (depends on how vehicle driven)
- Shocks/Struts (depends on how vehicle driven)
- Suspension Components (depends on how vehicle driven)
- Alternator (depends on how vehicle driven)
- Starter (depends on how vehicle driven)
While proper car care may seem like a hassle, it does not have to be, schedule an appointment for a free inspection and we can make sure that your car is not only safe to drive but keep your car running for many years to come.