Service Protection Advisors Automotive Vehicle Maintenance Tips

Automotive Vehicle Maintenance

	Service Protection Advisors Automotive Vehicle Maintenance Tips Welcome to Service Protection Advisors Automotive Vehicle Maintenance Tips section. This part of our website will be regularly updated with practical tips and advice on how to keep your car well-maintained so it runs safely, operates at its best performance and lasts many years and many thousands of miles longer! There are six main areas of car maintenance that are typically where most people let things go and fall behind in maintaining their cars. These are listed in the survey below and we will discuss some of them in detail in this article and the rest of them and more in future articles in this section of our website. A recent survey by the Car Care Council found: 38% of cars had low or dirty engine oil 54% had low tire pressure 28% had inadequate cooling system protection 19% needed new engine belts 16% had dirty air filters 10% had low or contaminated brake fluid Important Note: Always look for and use only ASE certified mechanics whenever you have your car serviced or worked on.
	Check Your Fluids! The most important thing you can do to help maintain and even add years to the life of your car, is to make sure all the fluids in your car are clean and filled to the proper levels.
	Engine Oil Every fluid in your car is vitally important, but one of most important fluids in your entire car is your engine's oil. Your engine oil is literally the life's blood of your engine. Without it, your motor will seize up and completely stop working, or it will throw a rod or ruin a camshaft and not be drivable. In either case, you will have a dead, two-ton useless piece of metal until the motor is rebuilt or replaced. Engine oil really is that important to your car. There are a few easy to follow guidelines for properly maintaining your engine's oil. Change your oil every 3,000 miles A simple rule of thumb that is very easy, but extremely important to follow, is to make sure you have your car's engine oil and oil filter changed every 3,000 miles. This one practice alone will easily add tens and can even add hundreds of thousands of miles to the life of your engine. Many fleet vehicles that are regularly maintained and have this done on a strict, regular basis, often get 300,000 to 500,000 miles on an engine. Engine oil lubricates all the interior moving parts of your engine. Over time the oil will build up contaminants from heat and the combustion process, and oil's viscosity naturally breaks down from heat over a certain period of use. All this is what turns engine oil from a thin, clear golden color when you put it in, to a thick, dark black mess when it is dirty. When it is dirty, your oil causes friction on all the moving parts inside your engine and wears them down, causing metal to wear off and further contaminate the oil and wear down other moving parts of the engine. Eventually it will wear out bearings and a rod will go, or it will wear other parts or bearings and your motor will be ruined. Think of it like this, dirty oil is like having sandpaper running through your engine, attacking and wearing down all the moving parts. Check your oil frequently Another practice which is just as important, is to check your oil level often. A good habit to get into is to check your oil every other time you get gas. Once you see the low oil light come on, it may already be too late, especially if you are on an Interstate highway with many miles to go to the next exit. Running low on oil can very quickly cause an engine to seize up.
	Engine Coolant Anti-freeze The next vital fluid in your car is your engine coolant anti-freeze. Coolant anti-freeze serves three purposes: it regulates the temperature of your engine to keep it at the proper temperature, it acts as as anti-freeze in sub-freezing temperatures and it has additives that keep your cooling system clean and working smoothly and also inhibit rust from forming. Your engine coolant should checked on a regular basis (when you check your oil and tire pressure) and should always be kept at the proper levels. Make sure to just check the level in the overflow bottle when your engine is hot, but never if you see it is bubbling! Only check the coolant in the radiator itself when the engine is cold. Never check the coolant in the radiator when the engine is hot! Serious burning and injury can occur. Note: If your engine ever overheats extremely badly, after you have resolved the problem and your coolant is refilled, you should also change your engine oil and filter every 1,000 miles for the next 3,000 miles. This is because when an engine overheats, the oil inside is burnt and destroyed by the overheating and some will have actually been dried and caked onto different parts and areas inside the engine. Changing the oil filter will remove the burnt oil and contaminants, and the repeated changes will remove the burnt, caked oil as it flakes off the interior of the motor.
	Transmission Fluid The next fluid to check on a regular basis (every other time you check your oil, coolant and tire pressure) is your transmission fluid. Transmissions are generally a low-maintenance component of your car and don't cause many problems. However, what can commonly occur is a line will develop a leak that will go unnoticed, this can cause serious damage to the transmission if it is operated with a low fluid level. When you check your transmission fluid check it in park with the engine running and the emergency brake on. Transmission Servicing To keep your transmission operating at its peak and extend its life, it's a good idea to have it serviced every 75,000 miles. This service should include a complete inspection of the transmission as well as a fluid and filter change along with a band adjustment on cars that require that. If you maintain your fluid level and service every 75,00 miles, your transmission should last you the lifetime of your car.
	Brake Fluid The final and also another very vital fluid to check is your brake fluid. Checking your brake fluid is easy and should be done at least once a month. The reservoir is easily found and the proper fluid level is clearly marked. If your brake fluid is slightly low, fill it up to the proper level then check it again soon afterwards. If it is low again, you should have your brake system checked by a mechanic. If it is seriously low, fill it up then have it checked by a mechanic, as this may indicate a leak. Brake fluid should be a clear, golden color, if your fluid is dark or black, it indicates it is old or the brake system has been contaminated and you should probably have it serviced by a mechanic.
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