Vehicle service and America’s love affair with the automobile stretches back over a century! Much like the telephone, printing press and radio — man hasn’t seen any good reason to leave the art of tinkering to professional hands. Quite the contrary, it’s been his prerogative to be knee-deep in the effort of maintaining and optimizing his vehicle. Today, as it becomes increasingly difficult for the amateur mechanic to be effective on routine repairs, the love for automotive life and culture remains larger than ever.
Types of Vehicle Service the Untrained Mechanic Can Perform
- Status reports: Check all around the vehicle inside and out, for signs of pressing wear issues or immediate damage to the automobile.
- Visual improvement / safety: Simply cleaning your vehicle (especially the windows and windshields) can have a profound effect on the safety of driving it. The driver’s ability to effectively see is key to avoiding collisions, as logic suggests.
- Maintenance scheduling: So, this does bend the lines of what we can call owner-directed car service but it is still an area where you, as the owner of a vehicle, can make a profound impact. The cost will inevitably be greater to avoid or delay necessary car service and repair, so proper appointment scheduling in advance can alleviate any potential damage that could have potentially resulted from neglect.
- Recall awareness: Most new cars, and some older ones, will be occasionally called back to the dealership for a recall. Often times, avoiding a recall bulletin is worse than avoiding an oil change. You aren’t required to take your recall notices to the dealerships, in most cases. Drivers can still bring these matters to their local mechanic’s attention and if it is something that requires specialized computers or tools, that determination can be made with you and your trusted mechanic.
- Wear item upgrades: Tires, brakes, and wiper blades are often times items that used to fall under the purview of the garage mechanic. Now, even a wiper blade can have a complicated installation schematic and might indeed require the touch of a professional. Regular wear and tear types of vehicle service also need to be completed by trained hands.
Why Professional Vehicle Service is Important
- Sensors and specialized equipment: Today’s vehicles require professional service due to the many computerized and sensor-driven components associated with a modern vehicle.
- Diagnosis with repair: While handling routine car service, your mechanic may notice something else amiss with your vehicle. An untrained person might not be aware enough to notice other issues while completing a routine task.
- Reduced long-term cost: A dollar spent today on car service work is three to five dollars saved down the road. Preventative maintenance is the cheapest way to protect the life of your car.
Despite the long-honored tradition of tinkering under the hood being baked into the national DNA, the safety and cost-effectiveness of twisting wrenches has started to hit the decline in popular American society. Fortunately, the prevalence of affordable, qualified and professional auto care professionals is on the increase. All Around Auto Care understands the importance of regular, quality car service procedures and aims to be the go-to solution for local area drivers. Taking car service tasks into one’s own hands is a long-honored tradition — and always an option — however, perhaps it is an option best left in the hands of real automotive care professionals.
