CAR CARE TIPS BLOG

If you are a first-time vehicle owner, the thought of visiting an auto shop can be intimidating. The mechanics may seem to be speaking a foreign language when they start to explain what needs to be done on your car. You may also be worried that a costly car repair will be necessary. To ease your fears, we will briefly discuss what happens when you get your car serviced.

First of all, do some homework about the various maintenance items that are recommended for your vehicle. You will find a list in your owner’s manual (it is probably in your car’s glove box) of the manufacturer’s service guidelines for your specific vehicle. It is also easy to check out descriptions online as to what certain services should include. Secondly, if you’re a new driver, take a more experienced vehicle owner along with you to the auto shop. They can help “interpret” what the mechanic may be saying and may also know some good questions to ask.

Are you needing constant tire repair so you can keep driving? Even with regular maintenance, such as alignment, balancing, and rotating, tires can only last a certain number of miles before tire repair is no longer an option. Don’t wait until you are the cause of an accident because of unsafe tires.

So how often do tires need to be replaced, you ask? Under normal driving conditions and with proper maintenance, standard tires should be able to last up to 50,000 miles. But, tire repair experts say that as a general rule, tires should be replaced about every six years, regardless of whether they have been driven 50,000 miles or 50 miles. This is also the time limit for tire warranties by the manufacturer. If your tires should reach the ten-year mark, the rubber has weakened and safety has become compromised.

Unless you constantly drive on poor roads shortening the useful life of your tires, these tire service tips will help keep your tires in good condition for as long as possible:

Many people are conscientious about being environmentally friendly, such as using “green” household products, recycling, and buying hybrid vehicles which run on battery power or electricity. This means that they are not only helping to save our earth’s resources, but they are also saving their own resources—their hard-earned dollars!

But regardless of the kind of vehicle you drive, every vehicle owner can save money and natural resources. The answer is simple—keep up with the basic automotive service recommended for their vehicle. For example, your car will keep running smoothly, use less gas, emit less toxic fumes into the atmosphere, and save the rubber on your tires, enabling you to keep your vehicle for as long as possible. Even though you will be paying for seemingly minor automotive services periodically, such as oil changes, tire rotations, transmission flushes, etc., your vehicle will run cleaner for longer, and you can avoid the cost of a major automotive repair due to neglect.