Preventative Auto Maintenance

It can mean anything from a loose gas cap to major engine problems. If the light is flashing, that’s trouble; get to a shop right away. If it’s steady, or comes on and goes off intermittently, you have some time. 

Check that the gas cap is tight. Shut off the car and restart several times if necessary, to see if the light stays off, if on we can diagnose your vehicle with the latest equipment software to accurately find the solution to your problem and get you safely on the road again.

Coolant system maintenance can be one of the most neglected systems. Today's vehicles have a much smaller tolerance for the coolant to flow. It is essential to clean and flush these systems around 60,000 or in five years. 

This removes internal break-in sediments, corrosive properties and gelling of fluid. Clogging of the heater core that delivers heat into the car can become restricted and sometimes total loss of heat, which can be a very costly repair.

The engine tune-up of years ago was needed very frequently, typically around 12,000 miles or so. We recommend the changing of spark plugs and a thorough fuel injector/cylinder cleaning which in some vehicles can go as high as 80,000 miles. 

This service helps the engine run smoother and more efficiently. If you have a GDI fuel injection system, this is of greater importance needs to be done more frequently.

Back in the day, you’d pop open the hood, spin a wing nut, pull off the engine air cleaner cover and just drop in a new filter. Nowadays, you need to be careful not to damage the electronic air sensor wiring that is often built into the air cleaner housing. Cabin filters are factory installed behind the glove box in most models. These are there to filter the air we breathe in the vehicle cabin. Both these filters are very important and should be changed every year or two, depending on your driving habits.

We carry a wide selection of oil viscosity in semi and full synthetics. We recommend 3,000 – 4,000 miles with semi-synthetic or 5,000 - 6,000 with full synthetic. This job is for better engine life, and so your vehicle can be checked to catch problems and maintenance needs before failures occur. 

The longer you stretch out oil changes, the possibilities of expensive problems multiply. We have an experienced mechanic perform visual inspections at every oil change.

Dipsticks use to show if you have enough oil and automatic transmission fluid.  Now, some cars no longer have oil and transmission dipsticks, relying on sensors to notify you if there’s an issue. 

For brakes, power steering and windshield washer fluids, you would eyeball the reservoir, and for coolant, you’d pop the radiator cap and look. Hands off the radiator cap; instead, go to a separate reservoir tank lets you see the coolant is low.

Our mechanics top off all fluids during routine maintenance.

The hydraulic power steering system is one of the most neglected in a vehicle. It does need the systems to be cleaned and flushed with the proper fluid. We recommend this service at 50-60,000 miles. It helps the system work quieter, smoother and trouble-free. 

The electronic steering system in recent years has become more prevalent today than ever. These do not require maintenance.

This is another often overlooked maintenance unit. Transmission fluid is complex. It has to lubricate, retain heat, and stand high pressures. Even though there are very high-quality fluids today these fluids naturally break down over time. 

This is very detrimental to the entire transmission. We recommend fluid changes in the 50,000- to 60,000-mile area. This can greatly increase the life of the transmission.

If it looks low, it probably is. Now modern radial tires always look a bit low; their flat bottom stance gives the tire a wider footprint for better traction. 

So, don’t eyeball it; check tire pressure every season. Use the tire-pressure number printed on the door jamb to determine the right levels. Remember to check the spare tire. Most vehicles have tire pressure monitoring systems(TPMS). 

Heed the warning light when illuminated. We repair and replace these systems when needed to keep you safe on the road.