As a car owner, you should know basic repair and maintenance to avoid going to a repair shop whenever minor issues like a dead battery or worn-out spark plugs arise. That said however, DIY tune-ups can only do so much to keep your vehicle in good condition. Soon, you will need to take it to a service center your car dealer in Albuquerque, NM recommends. But the question is: when should you take your car in for professional service?
Serviced as a whole or by part
With the current gas prices, many motorists skip any plans to visit a mechanic. They either don’t schedule maintenance or only pop into a repair shop when there’s a problem they cannot fix themselves. They don’t realize that this practice costs them more than they would have to spend on routine service. Additionally, it’s easier to include scheduled maintenance in your budget even when servicing fees are high because you will have time to save for it several months prior to the date.
You can have your car serviced either as a whole or by part. Some mechanics advise you to take your vehicle to a service center for detailed maintenance every 30,000 miles. Others will recommend a more comprehensive process, which involves checking car parts individually according to their useful life. For instance, you can have only the belts and cables checked on your first visit as these parts usually wear out faster than the rest.
While servicing parts separately may take longer and is possibly costlier, it makes more sense, considering that car parts wear out at different rates. However, scheduling maintenance every 30,000 miles isn’t wrong either. After all, the service will cover the entire vehicle, and your dealership in Albuquerque, NM will find out which parts need fine-tuning. It might even save you a few hundred bucks since you get to maximize the parts they say deteriorate quickly before replacing them.
How long do car parts usually last?
Knowing how long each essential component of your vehicle should last–and not just your vehicle’s overall useful life–helps you work out the most efficient maintenance plan. That’s because you can anticipate what and when potential issues will appear. You can also determine the cause and if it’s a problem that you can fix yourself.
For example, all the fluids and filters become useless and may even harm your vehicle when you reach the 30,000-mile mark. So before your engine or radiator starts overheating, you should have your coolant, motor oil, and filters changed. Meanwhile, spark plugs and brakes last longer–between 40,000 and 60,000 miles–which means you can think about replacing them much later.
On the other hand, the battery is good for up to five years but will start acting up without warning after that. Around that time, expect your tires to run out of tread as well. Unfortunately, it means you have to replace all of them. A simple rotation won’t do anymore. Check your manufacturer’s manual for information on when and where to get new parts to ensure all your replacements will give you the same mileage and durability as the original parts.
Being a responsible car owner
It pays to be knowledgeable because it prepares you for the worst. In fact, with proper and timely maintenance, you can avoid costly situations such as needing your car towed or nearly having an accident because an unmaintained car part snaps or stops functioning. Check out the Fiesta Volkswagen dealer in Albuquerque, NM, for more helpful tips.
