MAINTENANCE
Maintaining your vehicle, leads to increasing its value and protecting one of your largest investments. The goal of periodic vehicle maintenance is to avoid the consequences of part and system failures, which can lead to costly repairs. By replacing worn components before they actually fail, you are preserving and restoring your vehicle's reliability. Below is a list of some of the maintenance services that we can perform on your vehicle. We also encourage you to take care of your vehicle's exterior condition. Visit our Detailing tab to learn more about our detailing services to preserve the interior of your vehicle and keep the exterior in pristine condition!
OIL CHANGE
Regular oil changes are vital to ensuring a long life for your vehicle's engine. Oil lubricates the moving parts of your engine and keeps it cool by lowering friction and carrying heat away. Oil also keeps dirt and particles from scratching parts inside your engine. Over time, heat breaks down the oil and its does not lubricate your engine properly. The longer the oil stays in the engine, the dirtier it becomes. Changing the old oil out and replacing it with new oil, flushes away any grit or dirt and helps to keep the engine lubricated and cool. The oil filter is also replaced. We perform synthetic and conventional oil changes as well as include a courtesy inspection to check for any safety concerns.
BATTERY TEST
The only way to know if your battery is fully charged or not is to measure the battery's charging state with a voltmeter. You want to make sure that your battery contains enough power to start your engine during cold weather. Oil gets thicker at low temperatures so it takes more amps to crank a cold engine when you try to start it. A good battery will accept and hold a charge, and is capable of producing its rated amperage output. A bad battery will not accept or hold a charge. A good battery can be recharged and returned to service but a bad battery needs to be replaced. Most car batteries only last between 2-3 years.
TUNE-UP
A tune-up is a term used in the automotive industry to improve the performance and efficiency of your vehicle's engine, ignition and fuel systems. This includes but is not limited to replacing spark plugs, air and cabin filters, scanning for check engine light codes, and replacing oxygen sensors and vacuum hoses. It is best to check your factory maintenance schedule for each individual vehicle, as they all vary by mileage for certain services.
SUSPENSION CHECK
The suspension supports your vehicle and affects steering, handling, braking, tire wear and ride. To prevent major catastrophic failures, we inspect the suspension system to check for any safety items that need to be addressed. We check all tires for uneven wear, cupping or tread damage, the steering linkage for play, look for leaks in power steering hoses and the steering gear, check the condition of the shocks and struts, all wheel bearings for play or roughness, ball joints for play or wear, front and rear suspension bushings, all springs for damage, leaky or damaged CV joint boots and leaks at the differential, transmission or trans-axle. Any safety concerns should b addressed immediately.
TIRE ROTATION
Tire rotation is important to extending the useful life of a set of tires. Due to driving and road conditions, some tires will wear quicker than others. The weight on the front and rear axles also differ, causing uneven tire wear. Rotating your tires helps to even out the wear pattern on your tires, making them last longer. While rotating tires, we also check for proper air pressure in each tire and ensure that the best tires are on the correct axles of your vehicle. Tire rotation is typically done in conjunction with our oil change and courtesy inspection.
FLUID CHECK
Color, smell, fluid level and other variables, such as factory recommended maintenance suggestions, all help in determining the quality of the fluids in your vehicle. We will top off all fluids and inspect your engine oil,transmission fluid, coolant/antifreeze, brake fluid and power steering fluid. All fluids help different aspects of your car to run smoothly. The idea behind periodic maintenance is to prevent costly repairs by ensuring proper items are inspected and maintained regularly.
HOSES & BELTS
Exposure to heat, vibration and contamination makes belts and hoses wear out faster than most components on your vehicle. Regular inspections are important in detecting wear, cracks and dry-rot. Many accessories in your car are powered by the engine itself, delivered by a system of pulleys and belts including the alternator, water pump, power steering pump, air conditioning compressor and radiator cooling fan. Hoses are rubber and include the radiator and heater hoses, which convey coolant to the engine and heater core, a fuel hose, that transports gasoline from the tank to the engine, and a power steering hose which connects the power steering pump to the steering gear.
WIPER BLADES
Wiper blades should be replaced roughly every six months. If you notice a difference in driving visibility, it is time to have them checked. Many elements such as the sun, oil, airborne debris and moisture can interfere with the wiper blade's contact with the windshield, causing them to squeak, chatter, skip, smear or streak reducing driving visibility. When we inspect your wiper blades, we are looking for broken frames, metal corrosion, visible cracks, tears, and missing pieces in the rubber squeegee’s edge, flexibility in the rubber,checking that the squeegee wiping edge does not have rounded edges, and tugging to ensure the wiper blade has been securely installed on the wiper arm.
COURTESY INSPECTION
Our courtesy inspection is performed with every oil change. We examine your tires, fluid levels, belts, hoses, lights, wipers, battery, suspension, safety items and more. We want to help you keep your car in tip- top shape because when you take great care of your vehicle, it will run better and last longer. Protect one of your biggest investments and keep you and your family safe with regular oil changes and courtesy inspections.