If I’ve said it once, then I need to say it again: It’s absolutely crucial for your car to undergo regular preventive car maintenance. Unfortunately, not everyone follows this advice, thinking that it’s a waste of money and that they can do it themselves. Even worse, they would rather take care of the car once the problem arises instead!
Little do they know that there is so much to benefit from when you keep up with regular car maintenance. But when exactly is the best time to service your vehicle and how often should you do it? Read on as I show you the best time to service your vehicle and why you should maintain it well.
Why Should I Service My Vehicle?
You’re probably wondering: Why should you bother servicing your car? Isn’t it possible to do it yourself, or to just wait until the car begins to light up or act up?
Those are the wrong ways to keep your car performing well! Here are the reasons why you should service your vehicle regularly:
- Spend Now and Save Later
Periodic maintenance and tune-ups would help prevent any serious and very costly damages in the long run. You’ll be surprised to know that damages would usually happen as you neglect your regular and scheduled maintenance from your mechanic nerang!
- Take this situation for instance:
You decided to skip an oil change, with your car’s oil getting even dirtier until the engine would wear out and fail. The cost of a whole new engine can take up to $4,000, while an oil change only costs $70 at most!
- Avoid Snowballing Effects
The reason why you’re getting your car services is to identify any developing issues before it becomes serious. Even the smallest of issues in a car would have a snowballing effect. If such issues were left alone for longer, then the larger it becomes, dragging you and your budget down further.
But if you choose to catch such issues early on during regular maintenance checks and address it immediately, then you ensure that your car stays healthy. It will then, again, cut down the costs and trips to your local repair shop.
- Increase Your Car’s Lifespan
If you skip fixing a minor issue, it can result in huge parts of your car failing. The costs will rise to the point it may make more sense to get a new car rather than spend a huge amount of money repairing it. This, of course, depends on your vehicle’s age, number of miles driven, among various factors.
This is such a waste of a car and your money, especially given the fact that cars can last for as long as 150,000 miles. To keep your car running in good condition without wasting your investment, you need it serviced.
When’s the Best Time to Service Your Vehicle?
Now that you know why you should service your vehicle, when is the best time to do it?
What makes it a bit difficult is that many specialists and consumer reports have different opinions. Some would enter the shop long before they reach the recommended mileage interacts. Others would ignore it, taking too long.
There are different factors to consider when doing so, as you want to ensure regular maintenance without overdoing it, spending too much. Look into the following:
- How many miles you’ve driven
- How well you maintain your vehicle
- The quality of the roads and surfaces you drive on
A good rule of thumb is to service your car once a year or every 12,000 miles, whichever would come first. If you are a heavy car user and drive many miles yearly, then it’s best to service it every six months, or 6,000 miles.
Besides this, you can also check the vehicle manually, thumbing through the fine print to see the recommended mileage service interval. You can get a more specific mileage interval based on your vehicle model.
Also, do not believe the 3,000-mile marker, which is actually a myth! New vehicles would include oil-life monitoring systems on instrument panels, alerting drivers when you need to change the oil and service your car. It doesn’t come at 3,000 miles, but usually between 5,000 to 10,000 miles, especially for newer vehicles.
Now, what about the best time of the year to service your car? I highly recommend that you do so every March, as waiting times would be at seasonal lows. Car shops won’t be as busy compared to other months, especially as spring and summer roll around when drivers are preparing for long road trips!
Wrapping It Up
Hopefully, this article encouraged you to keep up with your vehicle maintenance now. So don’t wait any longer and hire a good mechanic to help with your car’s health.
Do you have any questions or want to share your advice on servicing cars? Share it in the comments section below, all your thoughts are much appreciated.
