Keeping up with factory-recommended maintenance not only saves you money and preserves your vehicle’s warranty, but it also reduces the risk of breaking down on the side of the road at the most inconvenient times. You don’t have to go to the dealership for factory-recommended maintenance, you can have it done at Yocum Automotive and still keep your vehicle in warranty as long as you save your receipts.
What is factory-recommended maintenance? Your owner’s manual provides a list of maintenance tasks and their recommended intervals for your vehicle. Always check the owner’s manual, as it is different for each manufacturer – and sometimes different from model to model.
Factory-recommended maintenance includes:
Keeping the engine oil fresh and clean is good for the health of your engine, including longevity. It lubricates the moving parts, helps cool the engine, reduces wear and tear, helps prevent corrosion as well as can act as a sealant against debris. If your vehicle uses synthetic oil, the oil change interval, depending on the make and model, ranges from every 5,000 to 7,500 miles.
If your vehicle still uses standard oil, you must still change it every 3,000 miles or three months, whichever comes first.
The engine air filter keeps debris out of the engine intake, where the air and fuel mix before being dumped into the cylinders. Clean air filters ensure the air flows properly. A dirty air filter can decrease fuel efficiency and cause the engine to run poorly. Every time you bring your vehicle in for service, the tech should check the filter. They only need to replace it if it’s dirty.
The cabin air filter is usually located behind the glovebox. It removes pollen, dust and allergens from the cabin. These filters should be replaced every 25,000 to 30,000 miles.
Most cars should have the transmission flushed between 30,000 and 60,000 miles, though some manufacturers may recommend going as long as 80,000 to 100,000 miles. As you shift (or the transmission shifts for you, in the case of automatics), the clutches rub together. Every time they rub together, clutch material falls into the transmission fluid and gets carried through the transmission and valve body.
Flushing the transmission fluid removes clutch material and other debris. Clean transmission fluid also provides better lubrication and helps keep the transmission cool. While having the transmission flushed, you should also change the transmission filter, which is located in the transmission pan under the valve body.
While the tires look like they may wear evenly, they really don’t. While each tire should wear evenly, they should also wear evenly with each other. That is an impossibility due to the way you drive, how the suspension handles bumps, whether you take more left turns than right turns and many other factors.
Rotating the tires prevents one tire from wearing out faster than the others. When you have your tires rotated at Yocum Automotive, consider also having them balanced. You can usually tell the tires are out of balance if the steering wheel shakes while traveling between 55 and 75 miles per hour.
Fuel filters can last a long time, though we recommend changing them at least every 75,000 to 100,000 miles unless the manufacturer recommends a closer interval. They prevent debris from getting caught in the fuel injectors and entering the engine.
