Car servicing is a very important necessity if you wish to prolong the use of your car. The next time you’re behind the wheel of your car, look in the rear-view mirror. They’re gaining on you.
Yes, that fellow driver might have pulled up a little too close to your rear bumper. But that’s not the only way motorists are vying for the finish line: They’re keeping their cars longer than ever, for 11.4 years, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Many industry experts say an unstable economy is motivating car owners to hold onto their cars longer than at any other time in U.S. history. While this may be true, there’s no doubt that car owners also have tucked a few tips and trips under their (seat)belt to avoid hefty car service bills that only 10 years ago sent them straight to a dealership to buy another car.
What’s the difference between a tip and a trick? Think of tips as proactive steps you can take – and start taking today – to take better care of your car. Think of tricks as pointers that car service experts like those at All Around Auto Repair can impart from years of experience of working on cars of every make and from every manufacturer.
Consider:
All-around Car Servicing Smart Tips
Remain vigilant about regular car service. Consult your owner’s manual; most manufacturers recommend a regular maintenance schedule for everything from transmission and brake fluids to tire inflation. Regular car service also can bring to light small problems before they balloon into bigger ones – and those hefty car service bills you wish to avoid.
Get regular oil and filter changes. Clean oil helps your car run more smoothly and efficiently by protecting your engine from potential damage and even complete failure – a hefty car service bill if there ever was one.
Attend to the cooling system once a year by having the cooling system flushed and the coolant changed. A simple 50-50 mix of coolant and distilled water will help prevent corrosion and thwart harmful deposits from building on a crucial system that many Californians depend on year-round.
All-around Smart Tricks
- Don’t ignore your “check engine” light even if it remains illuminated constantly (as opposed to flashing irregularly). Yes, sometimes a fluke triggers the light to turn on. But many other times, it signals a serious problem that will only get worse – and cost you more money to repair – if you ignore it. All Around Auto Repair can conduct a car service diagnostic test to determine the source of the underlying problem.
- Avoid depleting your battery by engaging in such activities as listening to the radio, running the heater and recharging cell phones and computers without the engine running. It could take weeks of normal city driving to restore the battery, during which time the uncharged parts languish, too. Most car batteries can tolerate only about a dozen of these so-called “deep depletion cycles” before they conk out entirely.
- Tune your ear to unusual noises – taking pains to turn off the radio and listen to your car in all modes of operation, from the time it’s idle to as you accelerate and shift gears. Knocking, banging, whining, grinding and other noises are a literal cry for car service – and a sure sign of a problem that won’t simply “go away” on its own.
For regular car service you can trust and depend on, turn to All Around Auto Repair. Owner Dale Johnson is one of those truly rare business people: someone who takes the time to get know all of his customers (and their cars), and wants them to get to know him.
