10 Essential Car Maintenance Services You Should Have Performed Annually

Vehicles are machines and, like any machine, need maintenance. For most vehicles, regular maintenance starts at 5,000 miles and continues from there every 5,000 to 10,000 miles. Of course, checking your car more regularly is even better. At a minimum, you should have your car inspected every 12 months by a qualified mechanic for problems.

Tyre pressure, engine oil, and brake oil checks are examples of daily maintenance checks. Changing engine oil, filter and brake pads is performed as often as recommended by the car manufacturer. Let's look at 10 maintenance services you should have performed at least every year. Most mechanics still recommend the so-called 30-60-90 service interval, which places a car in the shop for scheduled maintenance at 30,000 miles, 60,000 miles and 90,000 miles.

Detail your car well, and any future buyer will be inclined to think that it is the stereotype of a car owned by an elderly woman who only drove it to the grocery store and church on Sundays. When you perform car maintenance at regular intervals, it keeps your trip in good working order and helps avoid costly mechanical repairs in the future. Carefully follow your car manufacturer's recommendations for scheduled vehicle service and use qualified mechanics to perform work on your car. If you're not the original owner of your car, just try not to think about it on your way home from work today, as your car's vents explode God knows what in your face. Timing Belt Cars that use a timing belt instead of a timing chain need to worry about this little maintenance.

AAA offers a list of approved auto repair centers so you can be sure you're working with Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certified technicians when servicing or repairing your car. Now that you know vehicle maintenance 101, you're on your way to ensuring your car continues to safely navigate the road for miles. If you can't see a belt, and in many cars today they're hidden under covers and other components, you can remove the cover with just a few screws or, if you're not sure about it, don't be ashamed of having someone else check you the next time you take your car to change its oil (which everyone should do modes).While it's probably not the most important thing when setting your transportation budget, routine car maintenance is necessary for the health and longevity of your vehicle. Taking care of your car by performing preventive maintenance helps ensure you have safe and reliable transportation. And of course, it's important to remember that car maintenance costs, while not always cheap, can help you avoid costly repairs in the future. For example, you can change the oil and oil filter in your car at home to reduce some of the costs associated with these routine maintenance items.

The vehicle maintenance program in your car's owner's manual will tell you what services you need and when. But do you need to pay a mechanic to service the vehicle? You can take care of a large part of the basic maintenance of the vehicle by following the tips below. Modern cars need less maintenance than ever before, thanks to greater computerization and mechanical improvements in engine design. Always follow the manufacturer's maintenance recommendations found in your vehicle's owner's manual.