Car Repair to Keep You Running

It is pretty awesome owning a vehicle. The ability to get to and from one place to another without having to rely upon public transportation or walking or riding a bicycle is pretty convenient. When it is cold there is no need to stand in the elements and wait for a bus that is terminally late. You don’t have to worry about getting to work sweaty or tired and needing to change clothes. You can skip worrying about getting to work or school on time because of impediments and the best part of all is you don’t have to wake up early because you are going to be driving yourself. These benefits are all fantastic but it is a real bummer when something goes wrong and you are forced to go back to finding alternative modes of transportation. That is why no matter how new it is or how few miles you drive preventative car repair is essential to keeping you behind the wheel.

The first and most important thing to do is to get frequent oil changes. Manufacturers and oil change shops are not in on a huge conspiracy. It really is necessary to get an oil change every three thousand miles or three months. While this is not a hard and fast rule some people think that because they do not drive very often or very far they don’t have to have it done as often. In fact the opposite of this is true. Most damage to an engine is caused when it starts up cold or when only a short distance is travelled. That is why if you drive a long ways frequently you may actually need to do it less often. Essentially driving patterns will dictate this and a qualified mechanic can tell you what the best schedule is for your needs.

Another very important preventative car repair is the replacement of the brakes. It sort of goes without saying but having brakes that are in good working order is an important part of driving. Going places in a car is great but stopping when you get there is equally important. So in order to be sure that your automobile will stop when you get there have the braes replaced about every 10,000 miles to make sure they are working well. Also whenever the oil gets changed have them check the pads for wear so you can gauge when it will need to be done. The mileage is a good rule but if you hear squeaking or grinding that means the time is now. You want to be sure to replace the pads when they need or else the rotors will start to wear and that is an incredibly expensive repair in comparison.

Having car repair done regularly, even when nothing specific is wrong, is the best way to be sure that first thing in the morning when you hop in it will start up and whisk you away to your destination. If you neglect these basic preventative car repair steps be sure you keep some change on hand for the bus because you will need it.