Preventative Maintenance
Getting regular car checkups can help prevent expensive breakdowns and repairs. Tate Boys provides car maintenance service at all of its locations. We provide maintenance service at key milestones (30k, 60k, etc.) and any time you feel that an inspection is needed.
Tate Boys’ ASE-certified technicians can perform all of your scheduled car maintenance at standards that meet or exceed your manufacturer’s recommendations. In fact, it is against the law for a dealer to deny warranty coverage due to maintenance or repairs performed by someone else.
Vehicles are a major investment for the average American family. It is how we travel to and from work, pick up our kids, and get away sometimes for that family vacation. Unfortunately, car maintenance service is not always a high priority for some people. The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) performed a study on maintenance habits and discovered that more than 50% of consumers are neglectful of routine maintenance. Worse, young people (who tend to drive more), are the least likely to keep up with their vehicle manufacturer’s service schedules.
What Is Preventative Maintenance?
Keeping up with preventative maintenance is something that every vehicle owner should put on their to-do list. Having your vehicle regularly serviced by a team of professional technicians can help prevent minor issues from becoming major expenses down the road. major issues from occurring down the road.
Preventative maintenance can involve many different services, from regular oil changes and tire rotations, to fluid flushes and the replacement of filters, belts, and hoses. At Tate Boys, we offer a full range of preventative maintenance services to help keep your car or truck running smoothly as long as possible.
Some services included as part of our Preventative Maintenance are:
Oil Changes
Most likely, one of the first forms of preventative maintenance that comes to mind is regular oil changes and oil filter replacements. These are critical to keeping your vehicle running as it should. As your engine runs, it builds up sludge and dirt collects in the oil. This build up will affect your engine’s performance and efficiency, and may even cause your engine to seize if left unaddressed.
Your oil should be changed and your oil filter should be replaced at regular intervals in order to remove the built-up sludge and dirt and to keep your engine clean and running well. Depending on what oil you use in your engine, the mileage between oil changes will vary slightly. Our technicians will be glad to recommend an oil change schedule that’s right for your vehicle and your driving habits.
Tire Rotation
Rotating your tires can keep wear and tear on your tires even to help get the most out of your tires. As the front tires are typically bearing much more weight than the rear tires, they need to be rotated in position to help them to last longer and avoid a sudden flat tire or having to buy a new tire before you should have to. Properly maintained tires also help prevent accidents and keep you safer on the road.
Belt and Hose Replacement
Replacing belts and hoses before they fail is a crucial, yet sometimes ignored, form of preventative maintenance that can be very helpful in preventing major issues with your vehicle. Belts and hoses are typically made of rubber and help play an essential role in the function of the engine. They help in absorbing the vibration of the running engine and vehicle as it travels. While absorbing this vibration, the belts and hoses will either wear out or dry out eventually. When a belt or hose breaks, it can be catastrophic for your engine and be a much more expensive repair for your vehicle. In order to help prevent a breakdown like this, every vehicle owner should have their belts and hoses checked periodically and replaced if necessary.
Fluid Flushes
There are a number of fluids that help keep your vehicle running optimally. Just as simply running your engine will cause sludge and debris build up in your oil, the other fluids will begin to have dirt and debris build up as they flow through the different systems in your vehicle. This can cause the systems in your vehicle to begin to run at suboptimal performance and could lead to some major issues.
Periodic fluid flushes for your vehicle will help keep everything properly cooled, lubricated, and running smoothly. When your vehicle has the fluids flushed and replaced with fresh fluids, it will keep the build up from damaging the operations of your vehicle.
Spark Plug Replacement
Your spark plugs are relatively small, but significant parts of the engine. The spark plugs form an arc of electricity between them to ignite the air and fuel mixture which creates the combustion that powers an engine. These parts of the engine constantly conduct electricity between them and need to be replaced from time-to-time.
As electricity courses between the spark plugs in a correctly operating engine, the spark plugs need to keep the electric arc consistent. If your spark plugs are starting to be burned out from constant use, this can cause an inconsistent electrical current between them and can cause engine performance to suffer and place your engine’s exhaust clearance system under additional stress.
Filter Replacement
Keeping the air quality within your engine and passenger cabin is very important to keep your vehicle running well. As you drive, dirt and debris can get into the air in your engine and cabin. This dirt will eventually build up and cause your engine to run less efficiently or break down. The air filter in your engine helps to maintain the air quality and prevents dirt and debris from causing issues with your engine. Depending on your vehicle, the air filter in your engine should be replaced every 12,000 to 15,000 miles.
In addition to the air filter for your engine, the air filter for the cabin should also be replaced every now and then. Though not as often as the air filter in the engine, the air filter for the cabin should be replaced about every 30,000 miles. This air filter will help keep up the air quality of the interior of the vehicle by blocking out pollutants, dirt, smoke, and other allergens. By keeping out these pollutants, the air quality in the interior of the vehicle will be much healthier for passengers and help keep them safe from their harmful effects.
Battery Checks
Making sure that the battery in your vehicle is property charged and working is a top priority for keeping up with the preventative maintenance of your vehicle. A reliable battery gets your vehicle started and is essential for the operation of a vehicle. When a battery starts to go bad, it can cause the engine to fail ignition or inconsistently start. Maintaining the battery for your vehicle involves having it tested for current and cleaning the conductors as needed. The preventative maintenance on a battery will help keep you from being stranded without a starting vehicle.
Windshield Wiper Replacement
Keeping your windshield wipers fresh can vastly improve visibility while driving in the rain or snow. As windshield wipers are used, the rubber squeegee portion of the wiper wears down over time. This will cause the wipers to be ineffective at clearing the windshield of snow or rain and leaves you with poor visibility. Ineffective windshield wipers will start to leave streaks on the windshield and could prove to be a danger if they are not replaced once they get to this level of wear. Make sure you replace your windshield wipers regularly to help you see clearly in wet driving conditions.
Leave Preventative Maintenance to the Pros
Preventative maintenance is needed for your vehicle to perform well and to help prevent major issues, so it is crucial to have the work on your vehicle done correctly. Our team of ASE-certified technicians have the skills, credentials, and the expertise to help you maintain your vehicle and prevent major mechanical issues. Let us handle the preventative maintenance on your vehicle and keep you on the road. Check out one of our many locations to have your vehicle serviced by our crew of professional vehicle mechanics.
Feel free to contact us with any questions about your service or to get a quote on your preventative maintenance or vehicle repair.
