Tune Ups

Maintain Your Vehicle With Regular Tune Ups

Following scheduled maintenance intervals and getting regular tune ups on your vehicle is a great way to keep it running smoothly, safely and efficiently. A properly tuned vehicle can have increased gas mileage, better performance, and improved emissions (better for the environment).

What Is A Tune Up?

Essentially, a tune up is a one over by a skilled mechanic of all of your vehicle’s important systems to be sure everything is in optimal condition.

Common items that are checked during a regular tune up are spark plugs, idle speed check and adjustment, set timing, inspect the choke, throttle linkage, spark plug wires, and distributor cap. Usually a tune up includes checking the battery as well, because this is a very important component in a vehicle’s function, with a known limited life span.

Other things that are routinely inspected during a tune up are tires, transmission and fluid, brakes, exhaust, air pressure, and belts.

Simple things like checking the fluids and air pressure in a vehicle’s tires can lead to a noticeable positive difference in fuel efficiency, meaning you’ll be spending less at the pump!

Fortunately, most newer vehicles need very little when it comes to tune ups, as long as the scheduled maintenance is being performed alongside with oil changes at normal intervals.

Vehicle Suspension Information

What Does A Suspension System Do?

The suspension is a major system found in your vehicle. It plays a vital role in stopping, steering and stability. All of the components of the suspension system absorbs all the impact and helps you maintain control when you hit bumps, obstacles or potholes, ensuring the safety and comfort of passengers. It supports the weight of the vehicle and contents, helps maintain consistent tire contact with the road, and transfers the weight of the vehicle as you round corners and turn.

The whole idea of a suspension system is to allow the vehicle body to travel over irregular surfaces undisturbed. Surely today’s vehicle suspensions enable a much more comfortable ride compared to that of the original automobiles. This is due mostly to the enhanced technology and maintenance knowledge we have today.

Suspension System Components

There are many parts to a suspension system, the important ones to the function of your vehicle being joints and pivot points. These allow a vehicle’s wheels to move up and over obstacles and to turn as you steer. As you cross over a bump or dip into a pothole, the suspension system moves in many places to accommodate these changes, resulting in a much smoother ride.

Suspension components wear out over time with prolonged use. Simply put, when they become worn out, the suspension elements don’t fit together as well as they should. This results in poor handling of the vehicle and the driver may even hear some odd noises coming from the suspension underneath the car. All of the components of your suspension system work together, so one part affects the function and quality of all the others. Having a loose joint , for example, can cause other suspension parts to wear out faster than they normally would.

Maintain Your Vehicle's Suspension

One of the suspension’s main functions is to maximize friction between the tires and the road surface. This contact between the road and tires is what affects a car’s ability to steer, brake and accelerate. A result of worn out suspension parts is uneven wear on the tires. The contact surface of new tires can actually be totally worn off in a couple of months due to poor suspension maintenance or unnoticed/neglected damage.

A trusted mechanic will be your best asset to ensure the function and safety of your suspension system. They will easily identify signs of damage or wear. Repairs can restore the correct handling to your vehicle and ensure your safety, as well.

It’s important to address small problems as quickly as possible, to avoid what could become a major and costly repair later. Remember, each component of the suspension’s structure makes up a much bigger and important system that is vital to your vehicle’s handling and safety. Keeping up with routine maintenance on your vehicle’s suspension system will help keep it driving as it should.

Scheduled Automotive Maintenance

Avoid Costly Repairs With Regular Car Maintenance

Everyone dreads the thought of a major car repair, but the bright side is that many major vehicle issues can be avoided by following the vehicle maintenance schedule recommended by your car’s manufacturer. Each vehicle has varying service intervals, but there are common guidelines to follow about what service to perform, and how often. Keeping up with these intervals will ensure that your vehicle keeps running smoothly and safely. The normal service intervals are three months, six months and one year. At these intervals there are several different routinely recommended services that are outlined below.

Auto Maintenance at 3 month Intervals

Every three months it’s a good idea to have your coolant level and mixture checked. Coolant helps regulate the temperature of your engine in all seasons. Keeping the right mixture and level of coolant can help you avoid potentially costly radiator repairs. Also at three months, the oil and brake fluid should be checked to ensure proper lubrication for moving parts. Other things commonly inspected at three months include power steering fluid and lug bolts. Topping off your washer fluid is also recommended.

Brake Inspections at 6 Months

In addition to the inspections above, every six months you should have a brake inspection done on your vehicle, as well as tire depth. The brake inspection will ensure your brakes have enough life in them for maximum stopping power and safety. A tire depth check is a simple check to see how much tread remains on your tires. Other commonly performed procedures around 6 months are cleaning the battery to ensure function and replacing your windshield wipers.

Check Major Running Systems Once a Year

Once a year you should bring your vehicle to a trusted mechanic who can perform some preventative maintenance. Common one year maintenance items include replacing the spark plugs, flushing the radiator, and replacing brake pads. Spark plugs are a fairly inexpensive way to keep the motor of your vehicle running smoothly, and like many other parts in a vehicle, they wear out over time. A radiator flush is just as it sounds- flushing out the radiator to avoid the build up of corrosion over time. Just like spark plugs, brake pads wear out over time. Your mechanic can easily check the wear on your brake pads and replace them if necessary.

Following the scheduled maintenance intervals recommended by your vehicle’s manufacturer can save you time, money, and ensure your safety. Be sure to keep up with recommended maintenance, and your vehicle will be in great shape for years to come!