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Taking care of your car is a lot of work, so you shouldn’t feel bad if you’re missing a few of the maintenance tasks you should be doing. Fortunately, you can find comprehensive auto maintenance lists online if you want to make sure your Keller, TX, auto repair shop is doing all the right stuff. Still, there are a few things that a lot of car owners forget to do when it comes to maintenance. If you want to make sure your vehicle is ready for everything the road has to throw at it, here are some auto maintenance tasks you can’t forget.
TIRE ROTATION
Of all the tasks that are important in keeping your vehicle in good shape for a long time, tire rotation might be the one people forget the most. You need to have your tires rotated every 7,500 miles or so to make sure they aren’t wearing down too quickly in some spots. What that means is that you should be going to an auto repair shop to have your tires rotated about once every 6 months.
The tough part about having your tires rotated is that there’s no way to prevent it from being necessary. Your tires are always going to wear more quickly in certain spots due to weight distribution and driving habits, so the only way to make sure you get the full lifespan out of all 4 tires is to have them rotated regularly.
WIPER BLADES
Some maintenance is designed to keep your engine running smoothly or prevent catastrophic problems, but some things are simply a matter of keeping you safe. If you’re taking your vehicle to a Keller, TX, auto repair shop on a regular basis, you need to make sure you’re having your wiper blades replaced every 6 to 12 months.
The good news about wiper blades is that they’re easy to replace and don’t cost a lot of money, so this isn’t a tough job to keep up with. One thing you do need to remember is that wiper blades come in all sorts of different styles and qualities, so it’s important to pick the right one. An auto repair expert can help you choose quality wiper blades that will stand up to the test of time and keep your windshield free of rain so you can drive with confidence in any weather.
BATTERY INSPECTIONS
For most people, a car battery is one of those things you simply replace once it dies. If you go to start your car one day and it doesn’t start even with the help of a jump, that’s the signal that you need a new battery. If you want to avoid the inconvenience of being stranded or being left without a vehicle when your battery has problems, you should be going to an auto repair shop for a battery inspection at least once a year.
A battery inspection doesn’t just tell you if your battery is providing enough power, it also tests the battery’s ability to hold a charge. If your battery can’t hold a charge, your car is going to fail to start every time you turn it off and go into the grocery store, which is a huge headache you don’t want to deal with.
FLUIDS
Everybody knows about changing their oil, but that doesn’t mean drivers do a good job of keeping an eye on other fluids. Every once in a while, you should take your car, truck or SUV to an auto repair shop and have them check your fluid levels to make sure everything is in order. A lack of fluid can cause major problems with important parts like brakes.
Leaks are an especially important reason to keep an eye on fluid levels. If you have an auto repair expert check your fluids and one is abnormally low, there’s a good chance that means you’ve got a leak. You aren’t simply going to run out of oil over the course of 6 months or a year; in fact, you shouldn’t lose much oil at all during that time period.
The big thing to remember with fluids is that they play an important role in keeping other parts of your vehicle working. Oil keeps everything lubricated while coolant helps regulate the temperature inside your engine. Having an auto repair shop check on your fluid levels every once in a while can prevent serious problems that lead to costly repairs.
BRAKES
You might think everybody knows about wear indicators, brake noises and the importance of replacing brakes on time. However, that’s simply not the case. If you’re like most drivers, chances are you haven’t had a brake inspection done in a while and it’s been even longer since you had your brakes replaced. While this generally doesn’t lead to major problems with your vehicle, it’s a huge risk to your safety.
According to most auto repair experts, you should have a brake job done about once every 50,000 miles if you want to make sure your vehicle has enough stopping power. This means having the brakes inspected, having a fluid exchange done and having crucial parts like the pads and rotors replaced. The good news is, a brake job will cost you a lot less than an accident caused by not having brakes will cost you.
MAINTENANCE MADE EASY
You’ve got your work cut out for you when it comes to making sure your car lasts a long time, especially if you’ve got an imported car. The good news is, finding the right mechanic makes it all so much easier.
If you’re in the Keller, TX, area, Import Car Center is the premier choice when it comes to auto repair and maintenance. Since we can work on just about any imported car, too, you can even count on us for the toughest jobs. If you need to catch up on a little bit of auto maintenance, give Import Car Center a call at (817) 481-5665.