April : National Car Care Month
April is national Car Care month! This month we are going to discuss all the general maintenance your vehicle needs in order to maintain your safety and the dependability of your vehicle! We will also dive in and discuss gas mileage savers, so you are ensuring you are getting the most out of your fuel tank when you fill up for gas. With the rising gas prices, we can only be so frugal with how and when we put the miles on our vehicles. April is also a big travel month with the weather being so nice, so make sure we can get this checklist done for you so you are free to roam about the state and country!
When you think about keeping up with the maintenance on your vehicle, do you know what benefits that all entails? When our service team informs you that your vehicle is due for maintenance items by the number of miles you have accumulated, are you aware of why we recommend those?
If you have answered no to either of these questions, we are here to answer them for you! Staying current on the maintenance items on your vehicle is important for its life performance and avoiding expensive repairs down the road. As we mentioned before, we also recommend these, so we can always ensure your safety. We recommend maintenance through your vehicles accumulated mileage, most of the time. For example, at 12 months or 12k miles, we recommend an alignment service, and replace Cabin Air Filter, & Air Filter. We understand that each vehicle is different, so we really like to go based off either the time we have seen your vehicle between appointments or what your owners manual states.
April is a great month to get all of your vehicle's maintenance up to date because it is right before the super hot Spring and Summer months here in Florida. For instance, wouldn't you rather you repaired that finicky A/C system that has been giving you issues now, versus in the dead heat of the Summer? Being one step ahead can save you time and money in the long run.
We want to ensure you are caring for your vehicle properly. Some of the maintenance protocols we focus on here at American Import Auto, Inc. includes:
- Check the oil, filters, and fluids. Oil should be checked about every 3k/5k miles or sooner depending on what your owners manual says. It is important to check ALL fluids such as Brake, Washer, Transmission, Power Steering, Coolant, and Engine Oil. Filters should be inspected and replaced (when needed) at each visit. The cleanliness is key for these filters, you don't want to leave dirty, corroded filters in without replacing them.
- Check the entire Brake system each year. Our complimentary brake inspection should be done at every oil change.
- Check the tires each time your vehicle comes in. Check the tire pressures, and the wear on them, at least once a month. Checking this regularly can also help improve fuel economy! Also, have your alignment checked at least annually if you can! Tire balance and rotation is also important, let us get those wheels rotated for you and make sure the pressures are giving you the proper balance they need. You don't want to end up with a blow out like this on the road!
- Check the HVAC system in the vehicle. Heat and A/C to make sure those are working properly. Defrost is a critical care item that we want to check to ensure your safety!
- Check the battery! Make sure the cables are clean, no corrosion. Make sure the connection is good, and they are tight not loose! Check and make sure the battery isn't any more than 3 years old, test the connection!
- Inspect the hoses in the vehicle. We want to make sure there aren't any leaks, cracks, holes, or breakage that is noticeable on any of them.
- Check the belts in your vehicle. If they were to become too brittle and snap, you are looking at more costly and extensive repairs. The snap of a Serpentine Belt can cause significant Engine damage, you want to make sure this is getting replaced when it's time.
- Check the exhaust system for leaks, or damage. Exhaust leaks that are found need to be treated with extreme importance.
- Check the steering and suspension system, the Shocks, Struts, Etc. This should be checked always when doing a vehicle inspection.
- Another great tip for the best possible fuel economy is to give your engine a tune up! Tune up service we recommend with your vehicles own manufacturers scheduled maintenance. Each vehicle can be different.
- Inspect the wiper blades and the condition of them. Rainy months lie ahead from here, so you want to be prepared with wiper blades that aren't worn, cracked, leaving streaks on your windshield, etc.
- Check the lights, make sure there aren't any warnings popping up on the dash. Check the headlamps, taillights, turn signals, and license plate light. Remember, it is the law to have your headlights on and working when it is raining. Tail lights to be working to ensure your safety while braking, and turn signals to be working also to keep you safe so other drivers are aware of your intentions to turn.
We have another blog available that we wrote a while back that goes into detail as to what regular maintenance your vehicle needs. Take a look at the link below:
https://www.americanimportrepair.com/blog/what-regular-maintenance-does-my-vehicle-need
Set up an appointment with us so we can ensure your vehicle is up to date on it's regular maintenance and to make sure it passes our Car Care month checklist and criteria! We want to earn your trust and be your top rated Auto Repair Shop here in Venice, FL.
Don't forget we are a Napa Gold Certified Shop, which means your repairs and parts come with the Napa piece of mind warranty!
https://www.americanimportrepair.com/appointments
I know in a few of these car care factors we mentioned the fuel economy. With the rising gas prices we want to make sure your vehicle is performing with the best possible gas mileage that it can! Stay tuned in our next blog to go over all things fuel economy!