MAINTENANCE ? WHY BOTHER !!
May 01 '03
The Bottom Line In a world of war and upheaval take care of your car you may need it to get you the heck outa' there!
I know what your thinking , by the title this guy probably
drives a honda or toyota,right?
Well maybe, but thats not the point all cars regardless of make are going to need care no matter what you drive.Consider this, one in every five cars will breakdown and require a tow-in for repair.These repairs are not necessarily all preventable,but a great deal of them probably are.
Here's a few generally known facts: people hate to spend money on preventative maintenance,they don't like the inconvenience of scheduling it & having to face " Joe I hate the world and want to punish you for it" the auto mechanic!
Somethings to consider about you car & caring for it:
1. New cars are complicated & expensive , don't ever think that little red oil light is telling you it's time to change the oil! Manufacturers seem to have different opinions about what the mileage between oil changes should be, I've been in the automotive service industry for a very long time and have saw hundreds maybe thousands of repairs that could have been avoided.I recommend changing it every three thousand miles and never longer than five especially if all city driving.If you use a synthetic don't be over-confident, it still gets dirty,follow reasonable guidelines.
If you always seem to lose that little sticker on the windshield here's a simple way to remind yourself it's time for a change( your oil not your spouse)whenever seasons change change your oil. This may not work for everybody, but on average four times a year beats never everytime!
2.Tires are cheap insurance:
When you can see the air in the tire it's beyond worn.
I can't tell you how many times a customer has told me "I can't afford them right now ,can I make it for a couple of months?" meanwhile the poor mechanic is bandaging the slices in his hand where the wires from the steel belts gouged him! If your tires have adequate tread there are three very simple steps to get the most out of them:
1.Have the tire pressure checked often,at least once a month.The tire has max. load pressure printed on the side,if you don't mind a little stiffer ride thats my recommendation, but definitely not more than that and no more than five or six pounds less.
3.Have the alignment checked at least once a year,if you travel a lot of rough roads twice a year.There are all kinds of problems that can be avoided by this service.This is one of those services you should get recommendations about who is a specialist for alignments in your area.
Finally: Don't rely on friends or fiends of friends who'll do a repair in there garage cheap.
It's hard to turn down a deal, but this is one of those times to pass,
You know the slogan,"This is not your fathers Oldsmobile",well it's not.Even someone who has some good basic mechanical knowledge can really screw-up your car.
A common statement I have heard over and over again, my friend told me it just needed spark plugs so he changed them now it doesn't run right.My question,"so why are they telling me!" There are a lot of things that can happen in the back yard my advise, take it to the pros, at least if they screw it up they should be responsible.And please if they do, give them a chance to make it right they don't need another reason "to hate the world"
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Epinions.com ID:
mr-honesty
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Location: IN,USA
Reviews written: 3
Trusted by: 0 members
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