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Maintenance Does Matter
Automobile manufacturers are using "Maintenance Free" and " Low Maintenance" as marketing tools to sell vehicles." When it comes to maintenance, all you're going to need to do is get the oil changed every 7,500 miles. Don't worry about anything else for the first 100,000 miles." More and more consumers are hearing this pitch when they purchase new cars. Is that the best for your automobile? Not necessarily.
If an owner's manual states to change the oil every 7,500 miles, there is probably a note about that figure applying to normal driving conditions. Translated, that means the majority of their driving is in sunny, 70 degrees F. weather, on the highway, in an area with few pollutants and minimal dust, dirt and sand. Unfortunately in the Atlanta area we have severe driving conditions. The temperature can vary by 30 degrees on any given day. Due to traffic and construction, we are in stop and go traffic and our car's engines are breathing dirt and exhaust fumes. During pollen season the situation is even worse. The solution: Change the oil and filter every 3,000 miles before the oil breaks down, looses viscosity and collects particles and dirt that can damage valuable and expensive moving engine parts. Remember: Oil is the lifeblood of your car's engine.
Maintenance means more than oil changes though. Here is a list of items that should be checked and/or changed regularly:
* Air filter
* A/C cabin filter
* Battery
* Belts - Timing belt & drive belts
* Brakes
* Brake fluid
* Coolant
* Exhaust system
* Hoses
* Power Steering fluid
* Tires - check pressure and wear
* Transmission fluid
Maintenance is recommended at 30,000, 60,000 and 90,000-mile intervals with intermediate maintenance due at 15,000, 45,000 and 75,000-mile intervals.
Remember: Fluids, brakes and tires are not meant to go long periods between maintenance intervals.
Do the math. A $19.95 oil change every 3,000 miles is a $665 investment for 100,000 miles. A $29.95 oil change and 30 point check is a $998 investment. What's smarter: investing less than $1,000 over seven years to keep a vehicle running like a top or plunking down a single $4,000 payment so you can get to work.
Remember: It is less expensive to keep a vehicle maintained than it is to repair a vehicle.
If you want thousands of carefree miles out of your vehicle, it is important to keep it maintained. Have your automobile serviced every 3,000 miles.
Remember: It is best to have a vehicle maintained at the same service center rather than at three or four different places during the year. |
