| ave picked out your new car, the financing is in | | | | Tune Up |
| order, and you are ready to drive it home. You | | | | A tune up should be preformed about every |
| may think that the hard work is over, but it is | | | | 30,000 miles. This will keep your vehicle in top |
| not. Now that you are the proud owner of an | | | | running order and could prevent breakdowns. |
| automobile, there are some things you are going | | | | Tune-ups cover: |
| to have to do or have done on a regular basis. | | | | • Spark Plugs |
| This is called vehicle maintenance and it must be | | | | • Air filter |
| done routinely to keep your car in good running | | | | • Fuel filter |
| order. Some car owners prefer to do a majority | | | | • Adjustment of carburetor on older |
| of this themselves, however as technology | | | | vehicles |
| increases so does the difficulty of doing this. The | | | | • Clean/ replace fuel injectors |
| most common maintenance issues are listed | | | | • Check compression |
| below. | | | | • Check distributor cap and plug wires |
| Oil Change | | | | • All major fluids, brake, power steering, |
| The most overlooked part of vehicle maintenance | | | | oil, transmission fluid and coolant or anti-freeze |
| is the one most essential to longevity. An oil | | | | • Belts and hoses should be checked for |
| change should be performed on your vehicle | | | | wear |
| every three thousand miles. | | | | • Computer codes run for issues |
| You may have heard that industry standards | | | | • Safety items such as lights, wipers, and |
| have changed and that manufacturers are | | | | tires (air pressure and tread depth) |
| increasing the mileage between oil changes. This is | | | | These are the most common areas that should |
| true and it is not, you see the key words in the | | | | be checked when you have a tune up. Different |
| advertising are “under normal driving | | | | service locations may offer different packages |
| conditions”. Some carmakers are | | | | when it comes to this, for instance they may do |
| advertising that you can go as many as 10,000 | | | | a fluid check only. This is acceptable as long as |
| miles without an oil change. This only applies if | | | | you are aware that the other items will still need |
| your driving habits do not fall into the severe | | | | to be looked into. |
| category. | | | | A good routine of vehicle maintenance is essential |
| Severe | | | | to the longevity of your vehicle. The better you |
| 1) Repeated short distance driving | | | | are at taking care of your car the less likely it is |
| 2) Long idling periods | | | | that it will break down or suffer major mechanical |
| 3) Dusty, muddy, rough, hilly, sandy, and salty | | | | failure. |
| areas are severe driving | | | | When choosing a mechanic to perform this work, |
| 4) Extreme temperatures cold/hot and humid | | | | ask around about their reputation. The best |
| As you can see, almost all the driving conditions | | | | mechanics in town will have great feedback and |
| of most of the country are listed as severe. | | | | will likely be extremely busy. It is also important |
| Therefore, every three thousand miles is still | | | | that they be familiar with the make and model of |
| smart. | | | | car you own. A mechanic can be fantastic with |
| Be sure that you check the manufacturers | | | | Fords and not so much with Volkswagens. Do |
| recommended oil against that of your service | | | | your homework and select someone with the |
| provider. Many warranties could be invalid with the | | | | right combination of references and experience. |
| use of substandard oil. | | | | |