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While your owner's manual provides recommended maintenance and timeframes, it just provides all of the information upfront without telling you which ones are most important or most frequently needing maintenance. Everyone knows oil needs changed, but that's just the start.
These will be the items that you use every day and have a constant impact on driving. Larger problems tend to not be maintenance issues but rather one-time breaks or errors. That being said, improper maintenance on a vehicle can get you to catastrophic failure much faster.
What To Maintain First
While most important to new drivers learning the ropes, any level of driver can benefit from a reminder session.
Replaceable Parts
Wear and tear on vehicles is the largest expense, with some components being subject to more abuse than others. Wiper blades are one of the easier parts you can see need replaced as rain is smeared instead of wiped away. Replacing these every six months or so can improve safety in hazardous weather.
Old spark plugs and batteries can struggle to deliver power to your vehicle and cause misfires in your engine which can damage it over time. Spark plugs tend to survive up to 75,000 miles with batteries lasting for years if stored correctly and regularly charged.
The last frequent replacement is the air filter. This catches contaminants and debris in the air to keep it out of your engine, slowly becoming clogged by the mess over time. 15,000-20,000 miles is the recommended window to replace them within with checks occurring every oil change.
What Just Needs to Be Checked On
Hoses and belts are the muscles that help move the rigid metal skeleton that is your engine. Squealing and burning smells can point to worn or ill-fitting hoses and belts as they thin out over time and wither away.
Brake pads and rotors offer safety and need to be checked regularly, especially if you notice any difference in your stopping power or skips and lurches when using the brakes.
If you have experienced any of these or need any other vehicle maintenance, stop on by our auto repair shop today for professional advice and maintenance.