Avoid Dreaded Car Repairs Through Routine Maintenance

If you are curious about how you can avoid major car repairs, then you’ve come to the right place. The answer is actually fairly simple and comes down to one single word: maintenance—or, in two words, preventative maintenance. Proper preventative maintenance is the key to keeping your vehicle running as smoothly as possible for as long as possible. If you’re looking for an auto repair shop near McDonough, visit the professionals at Loganville Ford to maintain your vehicle for the long haul.

As a component of the Greater Atlanta community, we are proud to offer our legendary hospitality while we provide top-notch services for your vehicle. We know how important it is to keep up with scheduled maintenance through regular oil changes, tire rotations, inspections, and more—and sometimes, these can be a bit intimidating because you don’t know where to start—so we’re here to help.

Start With Your Vehicle’s Manual

One of the easiest places to start when it comes to maintaining your vehicle is with the owner’s manual. Unless you purchased your vehicle from a friend of a friend, chances are you have your manual stowed away in your glove compartment, center console, or even the trunk. The first bit of advice is to get the manual out and read it! Imagine your owner’s manual is a football coach’s playbook; without it, you don’t know what plays to call, but with it, you are in for plenty of wins.

The owner’s manual is a wealth of knowledge specific to your vehicular make, model, and year. Most manuals will have a recommended timeline for oil changes, filter replacements, brake maintenance, and so on. Depending on the age of your vehicle, the manual will also provide you with a schedule based on your usage, which can greatly impact when specific maintenance should be performed. There will most likely be information pertaining to special circumstances as well; this could include if you live in highly humid environments, as we do here in Georgia.

If you use your vehicle a lot for towing, your manual can also play a role in when certain maintenance should be done. Living in areas where the roads are salted or there’s a lot of dirt and debris can have an impact. Maybe you drive long distances, or you don’t drive much at all; these scenarios are important and will most likely be addressed in your owner’s manual.

Multi-Point Inspections Are Your Friend

If you have gone in for an oil change (and hopefully you have because that is a genuine necessity), then chances are you’ve been given the spiel about multi-point inspections. These can often seem like a sneaky way for shops or dealerships to drum up repairs, but the truth is, these can be car-saving, and here’s why…

There are thousands of components at work inside the average vehicle, which means there are thousands of opportunities for things to go wrong. Unless you make it a habit of sliding under your vehicle or ducking your head beneath the hood, you probably have no idea what condition even a handful of these components are in. Did you know your vehicle has belts? Maybe you did, but not everybody does.

Do you know how many filters your vehicle has or how to check brake fluid? The truth of the matter is that your vehicle is a complex machine that requires someone with an intimate knowledge of how it works to determine if (and why) something isn’t working, and they do this with an inspection. If your vehicle is already up on the lift for a routine oil change (and it’s ideal for you to keep up with those), then why not have the professionals do what they do best while they’re at it?

From checking the condition of your brake pads and rotors or shoes and drums to inspecting your tire tread and lug nuts, multi-point inspections act like a “routine physical” for your vehicle and can provide an advantage in keeping it out of the junkyard. Understanding the basics of what your vehicle needs can be invaluable, and many places will perform inspections for free when you buy tires, have an oil change, or come in for a repair! There is no harm in seeing what they come up with—and if you aren’t convinced, you can always consult your owner’s manual.

So, What Will It All Say?

If you have read your manual or consulted a mechanic, then at this point, you are probably aware there are a few key maintenance procedures that most cars need on a regular basis. Oil changes are at the top of the list since oil helps keep everything lubricated and running smoothly. Not enough oil and your engine could literally go “kaboom.” The same goes for dirty oil. Basically, if you want to avoid ending up on the front page of the Henry Harold, then make sure to follow the maintenance guidelines found in your owner’s manual or suggested by your mechanic.

Next up is tires. Making sure your tires are rotated during your oil changes will help keep your tires wearing evenly, which minimizes your chances of blow-outs and can help your tires last longer. When rotating your tires, typically, the tread will be measured to make sure you have enough rubber left to keep on rolling. If the tread is too low, it can be extremely dangerous, especially when the weather fluctuates as drastically as it does here in Northern Georgia.

Brakes are another biggie in the maintenance world and are relatively easy for your mechanic to check. Friction here allows your vehicle to stop, but if your brake pads are worn down or your rotors need to be machined, then you may lose some of that grip and thus lose some effectiveness. Some vehicles—primarily heavy-duty trucks—use brake shoes and drums rather than pads and rotors, but these still require stringent monitoring and maintenance.

Beyond the main three, other important maintenance items to consider include your air filters, belts, alignment, and a variety of fluids, like coolant and even windshield wiper liquid. Checking your battery—especially when snow days hit—is also vital. From top to bottom, your vehicle is comprised of an array of essential parts, and checking them on a regular basis will help you avoid those big repair bills.

Procrastination Is Your Vehicle’s Worst Enemy

We all have busy lives; from work to school to family and friends, life can often seem like a whirlwind of excitement and, unfortunately, stress. It is not unnatural for us to procrastinate and put off certain commitments. Maybe your oil light came on, but you have been so busy you figured putting it off for a few weeks won’t hurt—but those weeks can turn into months, and those months can turn into a massive repair bill.

To avoid that bill, we must avoid procrastination and ensure we get the proper maintenance done when it needs to be done. Golfing at the Cotton Field Golf Club can wait, and so can patronizing 15th Street Pizza & Pub with the gang; you can catch up with old friends after you get your oil changed, your tires rotated, and your vital components inspected. Ensuring proper maintenance of your vehicle will ensure you get to enjoy it for years to come.