Essential Upkeep: 4 Preventative Maintenance Services You Can’t Afford To Skip
While skipping preventative maintenance might save you service fees in the short-term, it will cost you thousands of dollars more in fuel costs, premature tire replacements, major repairs, and part replacements. As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
For this reason, the price of preventative maintenance services should be thought of as an investment, not an expense. But not all services are created equal. Some are more elective, where others are essential. Take tire cleaning and detailing, for instance—both nice to have done, but nowhere near as important as some other forms of upkeep.
To help budget-conscious drivers spend wisely, today’s post highlights 4 preventative maintenance services nobody can afford to skip. Read on to learn more, or call (613) 342-3000 to speak directly with a preventative maintenance specialist near you. We would love to help you with a preventative maintenance program.
1. Tire Rotation
Even when your tires are perfectly shaped, differences in vehicle design and cargo placement force them to carry different loads. When left unchecked, this uneven weight distribution can lead to uneven tire wear, which can cost you a fortune in:
- Poor fuel efficiency
- Loss of warranty coverage
- Collision repairs resulting from loss of traction and unpredictable performance
- Premature tire wear and replacement costs
Fortunately, you can eliminate these unwanted expenses and safety concerns with a modest bi-annual investment in tire rotation service. At Brockville Oil & Tire, we recommend rotating your tires every six months or 10,000 to 13,000 kms as part of your routine preventative maintenance plan. Many drivers choose to rotate their tires as part of their seasonal changeover service to eliminate an extra trip.
2. Tire Alignment
Driving with poor tire alignment not only creates tire drag, which can reduce fuel efficiency by 10% or more; it also makes steering less predictable and causes rapid tread wear. The combined costs of poor fuel efficiency, collision repairs, and tire replacements can climb into the thousands, but they can be eliminated with a single alignment service as part of your annual preventative maintenance plan.
3. Brake Checks
Your brakes are your vehicle’s number-one safety feature, so if you have to choose a handful of preventative maintenance services, make sure brake checks are on the list! Preventative brake maintenance will save you money by detecting minor problems before they spiral into major expenses, and it could save your life, too.
As a rule of thumb, you should check your brakes whenever you rotate your tires, or about once every six months.
At Brockville Oil & Tires, we offer:
- Brake pad inspections and replacements
- Rotor inspections and servicing
- Drum maintenance
- Brake fluid flushes
- Brake line service and hydraulic fluid top-ups
- Anti-lock braking system (ABS) inspections
- Caliper inspection and service, and more
4. Fluid Checks And Top-Ups
There are six essential fluids that every car needs: engine oil, transmission oil, brake fluid, coolant, power steering fluid, and windshield wiper fluid.
Neglecting regular fluid checks and top-ups as part of your preventative maintenance plan can cause all sorts of costly issues, from visibility problems and gear slipping to catastrophic brake and engine failures.
Fortunately, fluid checks and top-ups are one of the most cost-effective forms of vehicle maintenance out there, since they cost so little to complete, while potentially saving you thousands of dollars in damages.
At Brockville Oil & Tire, we recommend checking your car’s fluids once per month to ensure they are clean, clear, and filled to the right level.
Get A Free Quote On Preventative Maintenance In Brockville
Call us now at (613) 342-3000 or fill out our online contact form to schedule your preventative maintenance service request online.