CAR CARE TIPS BLOG

Do you remember the last time you had your car serviced? Hopefully, your answer is “yes!” Some drivers think that as long as their car is running, everything is ok. However, damage could be taking place in the engine, transmission, or suspension due to lack of maintenance.

Keeping up with regular vehicle maintenance is vital because it checks the overall health of your car. For example, if your suspension is wearing out, your mechanic can alert you to a potential problem so you can replace the appropriate parts. It can also uncover hidden engine damage that doesn't necessarily impact your ability to drive the car. Or, if you drive with little or no oil for an extended period of time, you can severely damage the head gasket or the pistons. This type of repair can cost a small fortune. Not a great trade-off when regular oil changes could have solved the problem for just a few bucks. Also, a breakdown on the highway can have devastating consequences, especially if a critical part of the braking steering or suspension is involved. Regular vehicle maintenance can identify potentially dangerous wear on the steering and braking components in your car.

There are four major benefits of keeping up with preventative vehicle maintenance:

If you own a car, it can become at risk for theft, whether it’s in your driveway or in a parking lot. Be smart and make your car a less appealing target and more of a challenge to break into so that potential thieves will keep moving on. Your auto shop will be happy to provide you with more information to help protect your car.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau has four recommendations to help avoid potential theft problems:

Are you noticing problems with your car alignment as you're driving down the road? Are you wondering if your tires, suspension and steering systems are being affected? How do you know if you need a wheel alignment? Car alignment problems can develop over time, but it’s more likely to be caused by a specific incident.

What does misalignment mean, you may ask? Simply stated, it means that the tires are not pointing in the same direction as the steering wheel. This can shorten the life of your tires by thousands of miles and compromise crucial steering and suspension parts. Car alignment issues aren’t always obvious right away and they tend to get worse over time.

There are some noticeable signs that could indicate a misalignment: