Automobile Maintenance

Taking Care Of Your Vehicles

Automobile maintenance is nothing like it used to be. Thankfully! In the past, your vehicle required regular replacement and adjustment of a variety of parts: spark plugs, points and condensers, carburetors, ignition wires, PCV valves, distributor caps, ignition rotors, and more.

With the exception of spark plugs, technology has replaced most of these with advanced computer controlled systems.

Nevertheless, vehicle maintenance is still vital. So what does your vehicle really need in order to maintain it? 

To simplify and clarify car maintenance questions, Let's put the general requirements of today's vehicle maintenance management into two categories:

• Tune-Ups
• Regular Vehicle Maintenance

IMPORTANT: You must always refer to your manufacturer's guidelines for your specific car or truck maintenance information.

Tune-Ups, Car Maintenance and Problems

Let's start with tune-ups. Tune-ups are a thing of the past. As mentioned above, most of today's vehicles are equipped with advanced technology, which has replaced many wearable parts. While there are still many vehicles on the road with the above parts, they are fading fast.

Today's "tune-ups" are incorporated into general automobile maintenance. In the past, they were often considered a separate maintenance service.

This is helpful. If you're wondering when you need a tune-up, just follow your manufacturer's maintenance interval. More importantly, find a service center that will actually follow your manufacturer's maintenance interval.

What makes up today's tune-up? Surprisingly, there are generally only four primary tune-up components, many of which have extended replacement time intervals or "auto extended maintenance." For example, some fuel filters last the life of the vehicle, others last 60,000-miles. Many platinum spark plugs easily last 100,000-miles.

This reduces primary tune-up components down to only two: Air Filters and Cabin Filters.

• Air Filters: Some air filters can last 60,000 miles, although most last between 15,000 to 30,000 miles.There are lifetime performance air filters, but these require maintenance.
• Cabin filters: Cabin filters filter the incoming air of dust and debris, helping to keep your interior clean and dust and pollen free.They require replacement starting around 10,000 miles. Not every vehicle is equipped with cabin filters.

Following is a break-down of today's most common tune up parts:

Tune-Ups:

1. Air Filters
2. Fuel Filters
3. Cabin Filters (also called dust filters, pollen filters or HVAC filters)
4. Spark Plugs

Maintenance Online Help & Car Maintenance Schedule

Let's move on to Regular Vehicle Maintenance. Vehicle Maintenance Management procedures vary, depending on the year, make, and model.

Again, vehicle maintenance is separated from the Tune-Up section above for clarity, not because they're separate. Below is a general break-down to five vehicle maintenance services:

General Vehicle Maintenance

1. Engine Oil and Oil Filter Service
2. Coolant/Antifreeze Flush
3. Brake System Flush
4. Transmission Fluid Service
5. Differential/Gear Box/Transfer Case Services

If we add tire maintenance - rotation, balance, replacement, and alignments - that about covers the extent of vehicle maintenance services for today's vehicles.

Then there are various maintenance inspections: brakes, front end, under-carriage, belts, hoses, and battery. Lastly, we can't forget wiper blades and miscellaneous lubrication services.

There are two more maintenance services to keep in mind outside of manfacturer recommendations. The first is fuel system cleaning maintenance. Also called fuel injector cleaning service. The second is pre road trip car maintenance....that's it!

Important Note on Tire Rotation: many manufacturer maintenance sheet guidelines neglect the importance of tire rotations, which creates confusion.

To keep it simple: rotate your tires approximately every 7,500 miles, as applicable.