Your Car Maintenance Resource

Give Your Manual a Flip

Vehicle maintenance is a much friendlier beast after you invest a relatively small amount of time digesting crucial information in your car owner’s manual when compared to the time you will be spending stranded in the middle of nowhere waiting for help to arrive. That thought is much worse if you just happen to be unlucky enough to have your car breakdown somewhere that is devoid of cellular signals, add the Canadian winter factor to really get the point.

 

The Signals Your Car Is Giving You

You create a driving routine through every action you take before, during and after getting into your vehicle. This routine is the foundation of your expected driving experience. Irregularities will cause that uneasy feeling that will alarm you to look for signals your car is giving. These signals may include a change in the sound of your start up, a decrease in acceleration response and increased in the force needed to engage effective braking.

 

Common Car Maintenance Items

Tires

The contact point between your vehicle and the road, tires are absolutely easy to take care of. Get a tire pressure gauge and check your pressure every month. A properly pressurized set of tires will save a lot of fuel during their life span. When the weather gets cold tire pressure will drop roughly one pound with every 10 degree decrease in temperature. There are many videos on how to check your tire treads and you should have a look at a few of those as it is a strictly visual process. If you do need a change, do not forget to ask your auto maintenance professional on rotating your tires which will help make the most use out of your money.

 

Fluids

About every month you should be popping your hood open and do a quick check on your fluid levels. Oil and coolant levels are most integral in automobile maintenance, and your manual will have the info you need to perform these simple tasks. Don’t forget your windshield wiper fluid, it is very dangerous to lose visibility when you need it most.

 

Belts and Hoses

Take a look at your engine bay once every few weeks as a habit. Make sure to notice any wear and tear in your timing belt as it can be very dangerous and damaging to lose one during a drive. Keep an eye out for those hoses that lead your fluids in and out of the engine. Over time, changes in temperature and driving conditions will wear down these lifelines. Cracks, bulge and leaks warrants a visit to your automobile maintenance professional right away.

 

Engine Oil and Filters

There should be a recommended distance and/or timeframe until your next scheduled oil change. It is standard practice for every auto maintenance service provider to go through their check list of essential items and engine oil as well as the oil filter is among them. The oil keeps your engine lubricated, reduce the friction from the moving parts while the oil filter keeps contaminants out. Get these looked at before the distance or the timeframe, some things just aren’t worth extending usage life out of and they are usually anything that helps your car’s core components running.

At Stevo Auto Clinic, we provide the following:

• Fluid Changes
• Filters (cabin, air, fuel)
• Timing &  Accessory Belts
• Spark Plugs
• Detailing Services

We can also assist in the completion of service intervals provided by the manufacturers.