Car Maintenance 101: How to Keep Your Vehicle in Good Working Order

Taking care of your car is essential for ensuring it runs smoothly and safely on the road. Car maintenance includes changing oil, turning tires, checking fluids, and more. Timing and serpentine belts are often overlooked by car owners, but they need to be replaced periodically. Most mechanics agree that timing belts should be replaced approximately every 60,000 miles.

Every month, or every few refuels of gas and especially before any long road trip, it's a good idea to get under the hood of your car and inspect the oil and coolant levels while the engine is cold. Low levels of either can cause engine problems if left unchecked. Consult the owner's manual to find both in your specific vehicle. The engine air filter is what regulates the air that flows into the engine and helps keep debris and particles out.

By ensuring that the air filter flows properly, you can improve fuel efficiency, reduce emissions, and help ensure engine life. This can be easily done at home, so refer to your owner's manual for instructions and how often you should change it. Maintenance keeps your vehicle running smoothly and safely on the road for a much longer distance compared to never performing maintenance. The owner's manual will indicate all the maintenance that needs to be done and when it needs to be done to get you ready. Now that you know the basics of car maintenance, you are on your way to ensuring that your car continues to safely navigate the road for miles. Carefully follow your car manufacturer's recommendations for scheduled vehicle service and use qualified mechanics to perform work on your car.

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. When you perform car maintenance at regular intervals, you keep your trip in good working order and help avoid costly mechanical repairs in the future. 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 your vehicle by following some simple tips. Taking care of your car by performing preventive maintenance helps ensure you have safe and reliable transportation. Sticking to a car maintenance program and keeping a good record of what you've done can help extend the life of your vehicle and protect it from breakdowns, costly repairs, and other unwanted surprises. Whether your car is working properly and in need of routine car maintenance or if your car is malfunctioning and needs repairs, Central Avenue Automotive can help.

With their experienced mechanics and quality parts, they will make sure your car is running smoothly so you can get back on the road quickly.