Vehicle Maintenance - Expense or Investment?

I have been working the last several weeks in our service department (Warehouse Auto Repair) and have noticed a disturbing trend with customer's decisions regarding what work to get done on their vehicles. Conventional wisdom would tell you that as people hold on to their vehicles longer and try to extend their buying cycle, they would spend a little more time giving their vehicle the TLC it deserves. But no, it seems that the minimum is the maximum people are willing to do these days.

There are lots of cliches that would fit perfectly in this discussion now. "Pay now or pay more later", "Penny-wise and pound foolish", "You only get out what you put in". See, told you there were lots of cliches. But they are all true. Here are some facts to consider:

Your vehicle is likely your largest purchase next to your home and a car is a complex piece of machinery. If you fail to maintain your vehicle BEFORE it breaks down, it will cost you more down the road. Simple maintenance like rotating your tires, having your brakes checked regularly, changing your oil often, and changing the fluids in your car on a routine basis will save you tire, brake, engine and transmission repairs down the road.

The most basic service should be an oil and filter change every 3-5,000 miles. You should rotate your tires every other oil change. Every 30,000 miles you should consider replacing your major fluids like your coolant and transmission fluid, your air filter and your cabin air filter. At 50-60,000 miles change your plugs and plug wires. Beyond that, check your owner's manual for the recommended services.

If you do this, you may spend a couple of extra hundred per year, but you could be saving yourself thousands in repairs down the road. Also, if you get this work done at one shop, it will enhance your vehicle's value and potentially make you more on resale.

Give us a call at 540*213*1300 to schedule your next appointment. And when the service adviser asks if you want to rotate your tires or change your coolant, think twice before just saying no.