Getting stranded on the side of the road and waiting for a tow truck aren’t activities high on most people’s to-do lists. If only they’d known that setting aside an hour or two for regular car maintenance could have prevented the problem in the first place.
The three most common reasons for breakdowns are a dead battery, a flat tire, and an engine that’s overheated. Other common reasons for breaking down could be a problem with your alternator or clutch cables that finally succumb to repeated stress – both would be spotted by car maintenance and under-the-hood inspections.
Preventing a Flat Battery with Car Maintenance
An annual inspection of your vehicle’s electrical system would help you spot a dead or faulty battery before it became an issue for you later on. The experts say to get your battery’s charge checked every year to make sure it properly holds a charge and remains free of corrosion.
If your battery is more than three years old, the charge on your vehicle’s battery should ideally be checked every few months. When you hear the clicking sound in the abandoned parking lot and your car literally won’t start, the opportunity to nip the problem in the bud has already passed.
Regular car maintenance at All Around Auto Repair includes a full inspection of your electrical. That would clue technicians into problems with your battery like a shoddy electrical connection or battery terminal connections that have suffered because of corrosion and going too long between regular car maintenance pit stops.
While loose electrical connections and terminal corrosion are some reasons why your battery won’t start, a surprising reason has to do with how you drive your car. If you’re taking a lot of short journeys, your battery might not have enough time to charge properly. Who knew? The technicians at All Around Auto Repair!
Tire Rotations Might Mean Fewer Blowouts
Having your tires rotated every 7,000 miles is probably the single best way to ensure your wheels stay in tip-top shape. Getting your tires aligned every 20,000 miles, or when you take your vehicle in for car maintenance, is another smart habit to get into. Still, carrying a space tire, jack and your AAA card are also good ideas.
Rotating your tires – literally changing the position of your tires from, for instance, front to back and vice versa – can give you better handling, traction, and less tire wear through the years. It might even keep you within your vehicle’s tire manufacturer’s warranty: Another way that regular car maintenance saves you time, money, and hassle down the road.
Getting your tires aligned as part of regular car maintenance is another thing that can improve your car’s longevity and handling. A tire alignment involves adjusting the suspension on your vehicle and optimizing the angle at which your tires touch the pavement. Worn-out tread could be a sign that you’re overdue for a tire rotation or tire alignment.
Don’t Overheat: Stay Cool at All Around Auto Repair!
The nice thing about bringing your vehicle in for car maintenance is that the technicians at All Around Auto Repair will thoroughly inspect all of your car’s systems and find things that you might not have thought to look for. A prime example would be checking your car’s radiator for coolant.
If your car’s engine gauge indicates overheating, that could be because your water pump is damaged or you’re leaking coolant. Ironically, blasting the heat can divert hot air from your engine and cool things down, but the only way to be fully confident on the roads is with regular car maintenance.
