Maintenance Categories
You want your car to last as long as possible. Here are some simple things you can do to preserve your vehicle's condition and possibly prevent unnecessary damage.
- Check your owner's manual for maintenance intervals specific to your vehicle
- It's also a good idea to keep up on this, both to prevent the accumilation of work needing to be done and to avoid worse problems from occuring.
- Check fluids and tire pressures regularly.
- This can help to avoid unnecessary damage.
- Take pride in the exterior and interior of your vehicle
- Doing so will prevent a decrease in value of your vehicle.
- It's simple: treat your vehicle nicely and it will do the same for you in return.
Maintenance Intervals
Below is a rough, general list of average maintenance intervals for the standard vehicle. This, of course, varies from car to car, so it is highly recomended to check your owner's manual for this information specific to your vehicle.
On-Going
- Windshield washer fluid
- Wiper blades
- Check fluid levels (Oil, antifreeze, brake, power steering…)
- Tire pressures
3 Months or 3,000 Miles
- Change engine oil and filter*
6 Months or 7,500 Miles
- Check cooling system
- Check battery
- Rotate tires
- Inspect (and replace if necessary)
- Serpentine belt(s)
- Hoses
12 Months or 15,000 Miles
- Inspect brake system
- Replace air filter
- Inspect fuel system
- Inspect suspension and steering
24 Months or 30,000 Miles
- Change brake fluid
- Replace fuel filter
- Check (and replace if necessary)
- Spark plugs
- Spark plug wires
- Distributor cap and rotor
IMPORTANT: Some vehicles (usually foreign cars with smaller engines) have a timing belt. There are two types of engines in this category: interference and non-interference. It is extremely important to service the timing belt of vehicles with interference engines (usually at 60,000 to 100,000 miles, but check your owner’s manual to be sure) or else risk severe damage to the engine.
*Automotive Electric also checks the lights, air filter, lubes door hinges, tops washer fluid reservoirs, inspects drive axle boots, suspension, steering linkage, transfer case fluid, differential fluid and manual transmission fluid (as applicable to the vehicle) with every oil change.