Why Routine Maintenance Is Cheaper Than Long-Term Neglect

When you want to keep your vehicle long-term, it’s important to remember that preventative care is the best route to go. Not only will your vehicle last longer this way, but you’ll also save more money in the end. Just like it’s more affordable to get your teeth cleaned every six months than it is to get a root canal, keeping up with your vehicle’s maintenance is cheaper than fixing something that’s been neglected for years. We’re excited to give you some tips on affordable auto service that will keep your car running smoothly and help you avoid those costly repairs.

Routine Oil Changes

It sounds obvious, but it’s often neglected. It’s easy to overlook oil change time for several reasons. First off, you may not even notice any differences in the way your engine runs when you need an oil change. For many drivers, out of sight means out of mind. This isn’t an efficient approach, though.

We recommend using your mobile device to create a reminder for your routine oil changes based on the month they’re due. In addition to setting this reminder, keep in mind that mileage can vary, and the monthly determiners may not be accurate for you. So, write down the mile marker for your next oil change as well and keep it within sight in your vehicle. When the numbers start to match up, go ahead and schedule an appointment to get your oil changed.

Pay Attention To Those Multi-Point Inspections

Most servicing centers will perform a multi-point inspection when you go in for your routine maintenance visit. You probably recognize this is that sheet with all the green, yellow, and red markers on it. But this sheet is not just some traffic-light-themed report. It tells you what parts are in the clear, what parts are close to needing repairs, and what ones have gone bad and need to be fixed quickly.

Our tip is that once that report sheet starts showing yellow, go ahead and repair it if you can afford to, or at least start budgeting to get it repaired sooner rather than later. While it may cost the same to repair that part whether it’s in the yellow or the red, letting it go until it’s red may cause other issues within the vehicle. When our bodies have one specific injury or disease, we may have multiple symptoms and are affected in more ways than just one. Vehicles work similarly. Preventative care is always the best route to go. It may not feel more affordable at the time, but in the long run, you’re saving tons of money on repairs.

Get Those Tire Rotations!

Tires are much more expensive than getting a routine tire rotation. Why does this matter, you ask? Because tire rotations prevent excessive wear and tear on your tires. When you want your tires to last, you need to get tire rotations.

But that’s not the only perk to rotating your tires. You’ll also notice that you get better fuel economy, better traction, and better handling when it comes to adverse weather conditions. You may also be able to take advantage of your tire warranty, as ignoring tire rotations often voids the warranty, just like how ignoring routine maintenance visits voids your vehicle’s warranty. If you want to save money in the long run, stop skipping those tire rotations!

Don’t Misuse Your Tires

Speaking of tires, here’s a good one. If you have summer or all-season tires, don’t try to go off-roading. Stick to paved roadways and leave the dirt, rocks, and mud for all-terrain, mud, and snow tires.

If you’re towing and hauling, make sure you’ve got tires that can take the weight. If you bought a new model with a high towing capacity, you likely won’t have to worry about this. However, when you buy used, you never know what the previous owner put on the vehicle or if they even towed anything at all. Check the tire’s load index number to make sure it matches your vehicle’s towing capacity. And as obvious as it sounds, if you want to keep your tires for a long time, don’t burn rubber.

Do Self Check-Ups In Between Visits

It definitely doesn’t hurt to keep an eye on your vehicle in between maintenance visits. There are several important factors you can check on your own. These include your engine oil levels, your battery connectivity, and even your brake system. Engine oil is relatively easy to check.

First, pop the hood and locate the engine dipstick. This will typically be located in an easy to access area near the front of the engine. Once you locate the dipstick, simply pull it out, clean it off to get a clear reading, reinsert it and pull it out again to see what level the oil is at. If it’s low, then purchase some engine oil of the correct type and fill it up using the oil cap at the top of the engine!

Batteries are important because your car can’t start without one. It’s important to make sure your battery is getting a clear connection, and this is because the engine charges your battery. So, if your battery isn’t hooked up properly or something is weakening its connection, it may die on you long before you ever need an actual new battery. You may get dirt or corrosion in there that causes a weak connection, so don’t just assume that because the battery isn’t ancient that it’ll perform perfectly.

This is a riskier one to work on yourself because of the shock risk, along with electronic damage potentials. Make sure the engine is shut off and that you disconnect the negative cable first, getting it out of the way. If you feel less confident about checking this one on your own, you can always bring your vehicle into our service center for early battery maintenance if needed.

Brakes are pretty simple to monitor. You’ll typically feel or hear a difference if they start to go rogue. When you hear squeaking, or it gets more difficult to stop your vehicle, it’s probably time for some brake maintenance. Watch for these signs and take your vehicle into the shop at the first sign of them to ensure your own safety.

Pay For Extra Warranties And Protections

We know that the upfront cost of additional warranties seems painful. However, when you finance a new vehicle, the extra protection costs don’t seem all that bad. Even new vehicles have problems that can go wrong, such as their electronic control units. When something like that goes wrong, and you don’t have coverage on it, you could be spending thousands of dollars at once just to get your vehicle running again. While not all protection plans are necessary or even recommended, getting aspects like this one covered through your dealership is a good idea if you’re looking to save money long-term.

The Bottom Line?

While there are minor steps you can take to help keep your vehicle from costing you loads of money, the main point here is to keep up with your routine maintenance. Preventative care is always better than years of neglect that turn into expensive repair bills. Take it from us and visit a service center with affordable auto service, such as here at Romeoville Toyota. We’ll give you affordable preventative care that will save you thousands of dollars in the long run.