Preventative Maintenance

Proven Track Record In Service and

 Customer Satisfaction

Air Filters

What You Should Do

Think about all that stuff that collects on your windshield everyday and you can imagine what your air filter is holding. That's why it should be checked every month or so. Normally, your air filter should be replaced when it's dirty, or as part of a regular tune-up. To learn how to replace an air filter, see Routine Procedures.

What Could Happen if You Don't

The air filter keeps contaminants out of your engine's air intake. If these contaminants build up, they can clog your vehicle's air intake, which could lead to poor performance. It could also reduce your gas mileage, which can increase costs for you.  

Motor Oil  

What You Should Do

Have your oil changed regularly. If you don't, your vehicle's engine isn't going to work as efficiently as it should and the life of your vehicle could be dramatically shortened.

Check your owner's manual for the recommended oil change schedule for your vehicle. Normally, it's every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. 

What Could Happen if You Don't

You won't notice a dramatic change overnight if you don't change your oil regularly or add oil when it's low ? but it very likely will catch up with you over time.

Neglecting to change your vehicle's engine oil on a regular basis can cause it to become thick and sludgy, which can prevent your engine from running properly and can lead to excessive wear on your engine parts.

This means they won't last as long and your engine could break down sooner and more frequently. It could even shorten the overall lifespan of your engine. Worse, allowing your vehicle to run low on oil ? or run out completely ? can cause your engine to seize up, which will most likely cause extensive engine damage.  

Brake Safety  With Contaminated Brake Fluid  

Six fluids that require periodic replenishment or replacement in most vehicles are the engine oil, transmission fluid, anti-freeze/coolant, windshield washer solvent and fuel. Number six, the one most often neglected, is brake fluid. You've known about topping off brake fluid, you may say, but changing it?

According to the Car Care Council, brake fluid in the typical vehicle can become contaminated in two years or less. This is because the fluid absorbs moisture, which works its way through the hydraulic system. Under heavy braking conditions, such as encountered in mountainous or hilly driving or when towing a trailer, moisture in the overheated fluid vaporizes (boiling point of water is lower than that of brake fluid) and braking efficiency is reduced.

Even under normal driving circumstances, this condition can develop if the brake fluid is seriously contaminated. Not only is the contaminated fluid vulnerable to vaporizing, it also can freeze.

Brake fluid must maintain a stable viscosity throughout its operating temperature range. If it's too thick or too thin, braking action is impaired. Beyond the vaporization hazard, moisture creates can additional problem for owners of vehicles equipped with anti-lock braking (ABS) systems. Rusted and corroded ABS components are very expensive to replace.

How does a car owner know when to have fluid changed? The Council recommends replacement every two years or 24,000 miles. It should be included with brake pad or shoe replacement, the Council emphasizes. In between, as a preventive measure, a professional brake technician should check the condition of the fluid with an accurate fluid test safety meter, which is inserted into the master cylinder reservoir to record the fluid's boiling point.

Timing Belt  

With automotive engines as with many aspects of daily life, timing is critical. One vehicle component often overlooked during routine maintenance is the engine timing belt. If it fails, the engine will stop and the car will coast to a stop. The lucky motorist will only have the inconvenience of being stranded on the side of the road until the car can be towed to a repair facility to have the timing belt replaced. On the other hand, the engine might suffer severe, if not catastrophic, damage to its internal components.

This potential disaster can be avoided easily and relatively inexpensively by replacing the timing belt within the required replacement interval.

Timing belts resemble an engine accessory serpentine belt in appearance, only they typically have square teeth on the inside surface. They usually are constructed of rubber reinforced with nylon. The timing belt transfers the rotation of the crankshaft to the camshaft. The rotating camshaft activates the valves, which provide air and fuel to the cylinders and expel combustion gases to the exhaust system.

The valves and pistons are constantly moving up and down at very high speeds. When the pistons are down, the valves are open; when the piston is at the top of its travel, the valves are closed. Some engines don't allow clearance between a valve at its lowest point and a piston at its highest. The timing belt, therefore, is the critical link to ensure that these components don't collide. If collision occurs, damage to the valves, pistons, cylinder head and cylinder walls can result. This can be an expensive repair.

Timing belts usually are protected from foreign objects by a cover, making visual inspection impossible.

Many domestic vehicles built within the last several years and the majority of imports are equipped with a timing belt. Other engines rely on a timing chain rather than a belt. Refer to your owner's manual or take your car to a repair facility if you are unsure. The owner's manual maintenance schedule is a source of timing belt replacement intervals, typically every 60,000 to 90,000 miles.

Timing belt replacement usually requires removal of the engine drive belt that operates the alternator, water pump, power steering pump and air conditioner. Consider replacing this belt, or multiple belts, when having a new timing belt installed.  

Belts And Hoses  

What You Should Do

Experts recommend checking, or having somebody check, your vehicle's hoses on a regular basis, such as with every oil change or every six months.

When you check your hoses, look for basic wear, such as cracking and discoloration, which could be signs that they are becoming weak and may eventually burst. It's important to remember that coolant hoses deteriorate from the inside out, so some wear may not be visible. To be safe, change your hoses every four years.

Belts should also be checked for signs of wear, including cracking, glazing and fraying, but they can go a little longer between changes. Experts recommend every five years or 50,000 miles.

What Could Happen if You Don't

If belts or hoses go too long without maintenance, they can wear out, which can lead to breakage for belts and leaks for hoses. A broken accessory drive belt (which operates the fan, coolant pump and alternator) can not only cause your engine to overheat, it can prevent you from driving altogether.

Just as important as checking for wear is making sure your belts are properly tightened and adjusted. A loose alternator belt can slip, preventing your alternator from charging the battery correctly, which could lead to weak starts or, more likely, no starts.

Timing belts, if neglected, can cause more damage than any other belt in your engine. This is because the timing belt is responsible for regulating the valve timing with the position of the pistons. If the belt slips or breaks, it can cause the valves to crash into the pistons, which would require extensive repairs for the cylinder head. It may even require a brand new engine altogether. Most timing belts are now made so they won't stretch, and, therefore, do not need adjustments. But they still wear out and, if not replaced in time, will eventually break.

Leaking hoses are also bad news. A leaking radiator hose can drain your radiator in no time, leaving your engine without the ability to cool itself, leading quickly to overheating. Even a pin-hole leak in a radiator hose can slowly drain your radiator.

Coolant/AntiFreeze  

What You Should Do

If you want to play it smart, check your antifreeze/coolant levels on a weekly basis, especially in extreme temperatures. Most vehicles have see-through, plastic reservoirs, clearly marked with fill lines to make it easy. Whatever you do, don't open the radiator cap when the vehicle is hot, you'll get scalded! If your radiator fluid is low, top it off in the reservoir. Be sure you use the proper radiator fluid (this should be listed in your owner's manual), mixed with the proper amount of water (read the packaging for the best mixture). It's also a good idea to have your vehicle's radiator flushed by a service professional at least every other year (this involves emptying the radiator and flushing it out with water). To learn how to flush your own radiator, see Routine Procedures.  

Battery Cables

What You Should Do

Although you can usually count on a battery to last a good three-to-five years, you should still keep an eye on it, as well as your battery cables.

Also, make sure the battery cables are fastened securely and not corroded. If you find corrosion around the battery terminals, clean the terminals and the cables thoroughly. To do this, just mix a little baking soda with water and use a toothbrush to carefully brush around the cable connectors. If corrosion is excessive, replace the cables.

What Could Happen if You Don't

Neglecting your vehicle's battery could leave you stranded. Corroded battery cables can also lead to weak starts or no starts if the corrosion is heavy enough to interrupt the electrical connection.  

Tires  

What You Should Do

Make a habit of checking the air pressure in your tires when you stop for gas. You'll need to know the proper air pressure for your tires (check your owner's manual) as well as have a tire gauge. See Routine Procedures for more information. Also, when you replace original tires, try to select replacement tires that are the same size.

Checking to be sure your tires are properly inflated can help prolong their life, especially since they tend to gradually deflate over time. When your tires are properly inflated, tread wear will be minimized and tire life extended. Proper tire inflation can also help improve your gas mileage.

But, keeping your tires inflated correctly isn't the only thing you need to do for them. You should also rotate your tires on a regular basis, approximately every 15,000 miles. Make sure to check the owner's manual for proper rotation patterns; improperly rotating your tires can damage them. And, since potholes can do some serious damage to the alignment of your wheels, regular wheel alignments are recommended as well.

What Could Happen if You Don't
Several things can go wrong if you drive on improperly inflated tires. And it's important to remember that over-inflated tires are just as dangerous as under-inflated tires.

Over-inflated tires are easier to puncture and can be easily burst by sudden impact, such as hitting a pothole. Over-inflation may also lead to improper wear on the tires, which shortens their lifespan.

On the other hand, under-inflated tires can overheat as a result of too much friction. Additionally, under-inflation reduces your gas mileage and can lead to uneven wear.

Neglecting your tires will likely mean you'll have to purchase a new set sooner than if you had maintained them. Don't forget that worn tires are more likely to blow out ? and we don't have to tell you (do we?) that this can be dangerous. Of course, a flat will likely be a hassle for you as well (tires seem to have a knack for blowing out at the least opportune time, don't they?).  

Spark Plugs  

What You Should Do

Even though many of today's vehicles are equipped with superior platinum spark plugs that don't need to be changed as often as the copper plugs, that doesn't mean they don't need to be checked. If the plugs are corroded, the plug gaps are too great, or your vehicle has gone 30,000 miles on the same set, replace them. The gap is the distance the spark travels and can be measured with a gap gauge (you can find these at most auto parts stores). To learn more about checking and changing spark plugs, see Routine Procedures.

What Could Happen if You Don't

When spark plugs become worn or fouled, or the gap distance is off, they can experience what the Car Care Council (a non-profit organization dedicated to educating motorists about the benefits of proper vehicle maintenance) calls "ignition bankruptcy," meaning there will be no spark at the plugs and you'll have trouble starting or your engine will run roughly. And, having them checked regularly can help. 

Emissions  

What You Should Do

Checking your vehicle's emission system may be a job for a professional, especially if you drive a newer car. For instance, in the "old days," the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve, an emission control device, was an easy item for any do-it-yourselfer to check and replace, but newer vehicles have computerized emission control systems, which can be tricky in terms of maintenance and repairs. When in doubt, have a certified technician check out your entire emission system, including the PCV valve, catalytic converter, the exhaust gas re-circulation (EGR) valve, exhaust manifold and the air pump. This should be done every 6,000 miles or six months.

System components that you can keep an eye on yourself include the tailpipe and muffler. These should be checked regularly to ensure they're firmly attached and free of corrosion, breakage and holes.

What Could Happen if You Don't

If any of your emission components (PCV valve, catalytic converter, EGR valve, muffler, tailpipe, exhaust manifold or air pump) are in bad shape, your car could be difficult to start, could run roughly or could be excessively noisy. It could also be contributing to air pollution problems.

Because newer vehicles have computerized emission systems, it's probably a good idea to have them checked by our professional technicians.
However, you can easily check your tailpipe and muffler for signs of corrosion.  

Transmission Fluid  

What You Should Do

Although many vehicles with automatic transmissions can go as far as 100,000 miles before having the transmission fluid changed, it's still good to keep an eye on it. Over time, a transmission can receive a good amount of abuse.

Maintaining your transmission fluid can help improve the cooling efficiency in the transmission. When you take your car in for its regular oil change or when you change the oil, all fluid levels should be checked as well.

Consult your owner's manual for directions on how to check your transmission fluid. Fluid can be added if needed, but it's important not to overfill the reservoir. While it is possible ? in newer cars ? to go 100,000 miles between transmission fluid changes, it's recommended that you change your transmission fluid every two years or 25,000 miles.

What Could Happen if You Don't

The transmission fluid is responsible for acting as a transmission lubricant and coolant. Neglecting it can cause problems with shifting and can even lead to  

Shocks  

What You Should Do

Shock absorbers usually wear out gradually, but there are many factors that can affect the rate and severity of wear. A general rule of thumb is to check your shocks if your vehicle has about 25,000 miles on it. After that, they should be checked every 6,000 miles. Check for signs of seepage on shock absorbers (oil dripping out of the shock) and test them by bouncing the vehicle up and down. The vehicle should stop bouncing when you step away.

What Could Happen if You Don't

If you let your shocks become worn, you could be bouncing, swaying and rocking all over the road. Worn shocks can lead to excessive bouncing when you drive over dips or rough roads, which can accelerate the wear on your tires, not to mention your stomach. Worn shocks can also cause excessive rocking when you stop and can cause your vehicle to sway whenever you make lane changes.

It's also important to note that when your shocks leak, they won't be able to provide as much resistance, causing your vehicle to bounce. This could also mean problems when you apply your brakes. That's because worn shocks tend to cause your vehicle to "drift" when you brake firmly.  

Brakes  

What You Should Do

When it comes to brake maintenance, don't wait until you feel your brake pedal pulsate (unless you have antilock brakes, in which case a pulsating brake pedal would be normal in heavy braking situations), hear that high-pitched squealing (caused by the warning bar and indicating your brake pads are just about gone), or hear a harsh scraping noise, before you check them out.

Most experts agree that your brakes should be checked about every 15,000 to 20,000 miles, though this can vary depending how you drive. Brakes can be tricky ? let us professionals make the assessment. 

Be sure you also remember to check your brake fluid. The brake fluid should be monitored monthly, and fluid added as necessary. Make sure to check your owner's manual for the proper fluid.

What Could Happen if You Don't

It's important to be sure you're on top of the situation when it comes to brakes, because neglecting them could lead to serious problems. In fact, the Car Care Council reports that brake failure is the leading mechanical cause of highway accidents. If you wait until you hear strange noises coming from your brake system, you may already be causing damage to your brake drums, pads or rotors. This could mean extensive repair costs or, potentially, serious injury should your vehicle's brakes fail in an emergency situation.