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Taking care of your car is a lot of work, especially if you drive a nice import car. The best thing you can do as a driver is make sure you’re sticking to the maintenance schedule that’s laid out in your owner’s manual. Every once in a while, you need to take your car to a professional auto repair shop to have it maintained and make sure there aren’t any problems. If you need a little help creating a maintenance schedule with an auto repair shop, here are some tips to help you out.

OIL CHANGES

The most important thing you can do on a regular basis if you want to keep your car in great shape is have your oil changed regularly. Oil is responsible for lubricating each part of your engine and making sure there isn’t too much friction, which keeps temperature low and prevents wear and tear.

Getting the right oil in your vehicle is important, so you need to make sure you’re taking your import car to a trusted mechanic. You also need to make sure you’re getting your oil filter changed every time you change your oil to keep everything clean for as long as possible. You can check your owner’s manual to figure out how often to change your oil, but most auto repair experts recommend having it changed about once every 5,000 to 7,500 miles.

TIRE ROTATION

Another thing you need to do if you want to keep your vehicle in good shape is rotate your tires. Tires play a huge role in ride quality, handling and more, so you need to make sure they’re not wearing unevenly. By rotating your tires every once in a while, you can move the spots that are wearing down quickly to a spot where they’ll wear down slower, which evens out tire wear.

You should have an auto repair expert rotate your tires about once every six months if you want to make sure they’re wearing evenly. Rotating your tires doesn’t take long, but it’s a crucial part of keeping up with auto maintenance. You should also make sure you’re taking your car to a reliable repair technician to have the pressure and tread checked regularly, but rotation is a crucial part of keeping things in good shape.

ALIGNMENT

As important as it is to rotate your tires regularly, that’s not the only thing you need to keep up with. You also need to make sure your tires are making even contact with the ground to even out wear. Aside from the fact that your tires will wear more evenly, properly aligned wheels make even contact with the ground and give you better traction, steering and braking. These safety benefits are a big reason for staying on top of alignment.

You need to have your car aligned based on how it’s misaligned, which is why you need to visit an auto repair shop for alignment. In some cases, you might just need two wheel alignment; this is often the case with trucks and SUVs that have a solid rear axle. If you’ve got a smaller vehicle or you’ve recently been in a collision, you might need four-wheel alignment to get your wheels straightened out. In any case, you should make sure you’re taking your vehicle in for alignment services once every six months to keep your tires solidly on the ground.

FLUIDS

From oil and coolant to brake fluid and transmission fluid, the liquids in your vehicle play a huge role in keeping you on the road. If your car is running low or has some other problem with a certain type of fluid, you need to get it fixed as soon as possible. This is why it’s so important to take your car to an auto repair expert every once in a while to have the fluids checked on.

You should change your oil once every 5,000 miles or so, but you can go as long as 30,000 or 40,000 miles for brake fluid. Transmission fluid should be flushed and replaced about once every 60,000 miles or so.

BRAKES

Brakes are an important part of staying safe on the Keller, TX road, so visiting an auto repair technician for regular brake inspection is important. You should have your brakes inspected every six months or so, and your brake pads and rotors replaced when your mechanic recommends it.

As far as brake fluid goes, you can generally go at least 30,000 miles without having to change it. Still, it’s important to have an auto repair expert check your brake fluid with every brake inspection to make sure there’s not a leak that’s causing a lack of brake fluid in your vehicle.

OTHER AUTO MAINTENANCE

Aside from these basics, you also need to make sure you’re changing the engine and cabin air filter in your vehicle. You should change these air filters every 15,000 to 30,000 miles.

Having your AC inspected regularly is also important when you live in Texas where it gets hot every summer. The last thing you want is to be caught without AC on a 100-degree day.

Another important thing to keep an eye on is the sound of your vehicle. If you notice any strange sounds that could indicate that there’s a problem, you need to visit an auto repair shop as soon as possible.

MAKE THE CALL

When you own a nice import car like a Volkswagen, Audi, Mercedes or Porsche, you need to make sure you’re staying on top of maintenance. The unfortunate truth is, it’s hard to spend the money it takes to keep up with auto repairs and maintenance.

If you’re in the Keller, TX, area, keeping your import car in pristine condition is as simple as visiting Import Car Center. Whether you need some light maintenance or major repairs, all you have to do is call Import Car Center at (817) 481-5665.

Call Now!