We talk a lot about routine maintenance on this blog, but what does that actually mean? Are there some things that you should do for routine maintenance regularly? If so, how often? Does it depend on the kind of car that you have? All of these questions are important, and we’re setting out to address them today in this blog post.

Here’s What You Need To Know About Routine Maintenance.

• Oil changes: an oil change is one of the most important things that you can do. During a routine maintenance check, the garage that you bring your car to should completely change the oil in your car. How often should this be done? It is recommended that the oil and oil filter are replaced every 3,000 to 7,000 miles. If your car tells you when to replace oil automatically, this is a good indication. It’s also not a good idea to ignore the oil light if it turns on.
• Fluid check: a thorough check of the transmission fluids, coolant, windshield washer, and steering fluids is also important. Fluid checks should also be done every 3,000 to 7,000 miles. Fluid replacement and checks are also part of routine maintenance.
• Battery: most people don’t think about a car’s battery until the “check battery” light turns on. But it’s actually a good idea to ask a mechanic to look at your car’s battery every 30,000 miles.
• Spark plugs: spark plugs should be changed every 40,000 miles. Again, this is something that most people don’t think about, but it’s also a necessary step towards keeping your car running in good condition.
• Cleaning: is a thorough interior and exterior cleaning part of routine maintenance? We believe that it is. Cleaning the salt and other stains from inside of your car after the winter months will keep your car looking better for a longer period of time. Likewise, cleaning the outside of your car will help to prevent things like rust. It’s also a good idea to wax your car when you can to keep it looking like new, and to keep your car in good overall shape. So, yes, cleaning is part of routine maintenance.
• Brakes: your car’s brakes are something that you do not want to take a chance with. If you don’t maintain any other aspect of your car, make sure that your brakes are inspected regularly. If your brakes start to screech or squeal before its time for an inspection, bring them into the shop anyway. Brakes can fail and this can be fatal.

When To Bring Your Car In

It’s a good idea to bring your car into Fort Collins Foreign Auto Service for a routine maintenance inspection twice per year. If you look at your car’s manual, you will see guidelines for when things need to be inspected, but twice per year is a good rule of thumb. When you bring your car into us, we can also tell you what other parts on your car might need to be looked at in a few months. Cars tend to need a lot of upkeep no matter what kind of car you drive, and foreign cars tend to need more upkeep than domestic cars – but we can take care of both foreign and domestic brands at our shop.

Is your car in need of some routine maintenance? Are you hearing noises or wondering what some of those lights are for? Give us a call today to get your car into the shop and inspected by one of our qualified mechanics. Make sure that your car is safe to drive by routinely inspecting and maintaining the car that you drive!