Happy New Year!
2016 Newsletter
Taking care of your car
Taking care of your car may not be on your New Year’s Resolution list but making it a priority could save you money down the road. What are your plans for your car? Do you buy new and plan on running it to the ground, do you get tired of cars and buy a new one as soon as that hefty maintenance bill shows it’s face? Life changes cause people to get new cars; extending the family, moving to a new climate, or downsizing. So many life events can impact our choices with our cars, including how we take care of them. I know one thing I’m guilty of is not washing the exterior of my cars, I just dread that long car wash line. But I learned my lesson with my last one, the salt on the roads during the winter months cause premature rusting or speed up the process. I’m doing better this year, but maybe that’s because it hasn’t snowed too much yet. See below for more tips and Superior Specials.
#1 Most important thing your car needs is oil
Check the oil in between oil changes and/or be aware if there are oil spots under your car, it may be leaking. Remember the theory; you don’t want to go down a slide if it’s not wet. That’s how the parts in your car feel if they don’t have the right amount or clean oil.
- Follow the maintenance schedule, they created this for a reason and not following can result in more costly repairs down the road
- The maintenance schedule includes flushing fluids regularly; this can include transmission fluid, brake fluid, power steering fluid, and coolant. It is important for these fluids to be flushed and changed to ensure they do their job properly.
- Keep it clean, inside and out
- Wax it once a year to protect the paint
- Protect the inside plastics by parking in the shade or using a deflector
- Keep the tires properly inflated, this can be especially frustrating during the winter months. For every 10 degrees the temperature drops outside the tires loose 1 psi
- Also rotate the tires every 6,000-8,000 miles, this keeps them wearing evenly
To prepare yourself for vehicle maintenance costs put away money each month for car repairs so that you aren’t caught with a surprise bill. I once heard someone say that when your done making car payments continue to put that money aside for scheduled maintenance.
Remember when you have your oil changed at Superior Service Center we regularly check your maintenance schedule and let you know what maintenance will be coming up so you can prepare.
