How often is it that we get to choose when we buy our next vehicle? Or, are we being forced to buy one because of expensive repairs that are needed due to unintentional neglect? People that have well maintained vehicles get to choose when they get a different vehicle and can change vehicles just to have something different, not because they have to. These people enjoy shopping for a new or newer used vehicle, without the pressure of feeling “I have to buy a vehicle today because mine is broken”.
By definition, vehicle maintenance is flushing and changing fluids along with servicing components before they have a chance to negatively affect the life of the component they are protecting or they cause wear to other components on the vehicle. In other words: change or flush the oil, antifreeze, brake fluid etc. before it is worn out and causes component wear or failure; replacing struts and shocks before suspension components fatigue and fail due to excessive movement; and replace the accessory drive belt before it breaks and causes engine overheating and damage. Keep in mind that repeatedly stretching the maintenance intervals will have a compounding effect, as components wear they begin to wear faster and faster causing you to spend more on repairs than you would on maintenance. This “stretching the maintenance” includes using the “normal” schedule if you should be using the “severe” schedule.
Your owner’s manual has “normal” and “severe” maintenance schedules, but how do you know which one to use? When you read the “fine print” in the owner’s manual it will very likely lead you to the conclusion you are in the “severe service” category. This is almost never talked about when we go to buy a vehicle because it adds to the cost of ownership. As a general rule, stop and go driving such as city driving, short distances that do not fully warm up the engine and transmission etc. to burn off contaminants in the oils, trailer towing, hot or cold weather (think winter and middle of summer) all point to severe service driving.
At Crestview Auto Service our goal is for you to have a safe reliable vehicle; to save you time and money for as long as you own it. Proper maintenance does cost money but it costs a lot less than neglecting the maintenance and having to pay for preventable repairs. Maintenance can be planned for weeks or months in advance, unlike a break down, which usually tends to ruin the day. We look forward to helping you with your vehicle maintenance.
By definition, vehicle maintenance is flushing and changing fluids along with servicing components before they have a chance to negatively affect the life of the component they are protecting or they cause wear to other components on the vehicle. In other words: change or flush the oil, antifreeze, brake fluid etc. before it is worn out and causes component wear or failure; replacing struts and shocks before suspension components fatigue and fail due to excessive movement; and replace the accessory drive belt before it breaks and causes engine overheating and damage. Keep in mind that repeatedly stretching the maintenance intervals will have a compounding effect, as components wear they begin to wear faster and faster causing you to spend more on repairs than you would on maintenance. This “stretching the maintenance” includes using the “normal” schedule if you should be using the “severe” schedule.
Your owner’s manual has “normal” and “severe” maintenance schedules, but how do you know which one to use? When you read the “fine print” in the owner’s manual it will very likely lead you to the conclusion you are in the “severe service” category. This is almost never talked about when we go to buy a vehicle because it adds to the cost of ownership. As a general rule, stop and go driving such as city driving, short distances that do not fully warm up the engine and transmission etc. to burn off contaminants in the oils, trailer towing, hot or cold weather (think winter and middle of summer) all point to severe service driving.
At Crestview Auto Service our goal is for you to have a safe reliable vehicle; to save you time and money for as long as you own it. Proper maintenance does cost money but it costs a lot less than neglecting the maintenance and having to pay for preventable repairs. Maintenance can be planned for weeks or months in advance, unlike a break down, which usually tends to ruin the day. We look forward to helping you with your vehicle maintenance.
Book online at www.crestviewautoservice.ca or call us at (306) 244-6522.
At Crestview Auto Service “We’ll Keep Your Car Young a Long Time”
