You’ve probably heard the saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This couldn’t be more true when it comes to your vehicle.
Rather than waiting for something to break, be pro-active and schedule tune-ups on a regular basis. This will help you avoid inconvenient and expensive problems from occurring. Routine inspections often find small problems before they become big problems. This affords you peace of mind and also helps you save money!
Other benefits of an annual tune-up? Your car will give you a smoother ride, it will have higher resale value and you’ll reduce the chances of an accident occurring due to some malfunction.
What are some of the things we check during your annual tune-up?
- Your air filters. Your vehicle needs air to burn the gasoline you put in the tank. This may sound odd, but it kind of needs air to breathe, just like you do. The air drawn into your engine is cleaned by air filters, but as you drive each day, these filters become more and more clogged with dirt. The dirt reduces the flow of air through the filter, which wastes fuel, causes engine problems, and pumps more pollutants into the environment.
- Your fluids. Your vehicle depends on fluids to run. There’s transmission fluid, brake fluid, power steering fluid, coolant, and oil. Like the air filter, these fluids become dirtier and dirtier the more you drive. Changing them regularly helps your car run cooler and more smoothly, AND it adds to the lifespan of your vehicle. You’re probably most familiar with the need to change the oil. And this is probably the most critical thing to do regularly. But the others matter too.
- Your battery. In addition to gasoline, your car needs electricity to run. To make sure that this electricity is always there when you need it, it’s important to have your battery checked regularly so you’re not caught by surprise by a battery that’s reached the end of its life span.
- Your tires. A blown out tire is a serious safety hazard. At the very least, it can really ruin your day. Of course things happen; even with good tires you could drive over something that causes a puncture. But tire failure is much more likely if your tires are worn down and not fit for the road. We’ll check for excessive or uneven wear and we’ll take care of replacing your tires when it becomes time.
- Your belts. If you’re like most drivers, you don’t give a lot of thought to the belts on your engine. They’re essential to the operation of your vehicle, though, and they wear out over time. When they wear out, they can break and cause a LOT of damage. For example, if a timing belt snaps, your engine could literally be ruined in seconds. We examine the belts during a tune-up, and if there’s obvious wear or if the belts have exceeded the lifespan recommended by the manufacturer, we replace them.
- Your brakes. For obvious reasons, malfunctioning brakes put you and your passengers in serious danger. Brakes have various parts, and each of these parts needs to be checked regularly to ensure that the whole thing will work when you press the pedal. We will examine your brakes during a tune-up, checking the pads, rotors, calipers, brake lines and fluid, giving you peace of mind that your vehicle will be able to stop.
Did you know that you don’t need to have your car serviced at the dealership where you bought it in order to maintain the factory warranty? Get in touch with us today to schedule your annual tune-up.