Maintain Me

Hello again 93636, Lately I’ve heard a lot of radio commercials stating how the advertiser can change your vehicle’s oil and filter, preform a visual inspection and get you back on the road in less than 30 minutes. If you went to your physician for your annual checkup and physical, how confident would you be that your checkup was comprehensive and accurate if you were in and out in less than 30 minutes? An oil change and inspection should be your vehicle’s checkup time. It’s not a race! It’s an opportunity to check the state of health and condition of your vehicle and its systems also. The inspection should include a test drive, active load tests on the electrical and cooling systems as well as a comprehensive visual inspection. The inspection should be designed to prevent break downs, educate the customer, answer questions and communicate concerns and/or recommendations. At my NAPA AutoCare Center, we also look at the vehicle’s history and compare it to the manufacturer’s recommendations. We evaluate the vehicle’s current condition, future concerns and make recommendations accordingly. We also preform our inspections digitally so we can email or text a colorful detailed report with pictures of any faults or concerns we find.

In the U.S., the average vehicle is driven 15,000 miles per year. My recommendation is 4,000 mile service intervals. For the average vehicle that’s 3.75 times per year. It’s easier to remember it as “once per season.” Many manufacturers today recommend EXTENDED maintenance and service intervals for their vehicles. Here’s why. If you have ever purchased a new vehicle (I have not) you will notice the estimated vehicle maintenance and service costs for the first 100,000 miles included on the window sticker. That information is required by law. In order to decrease that estimate, many manufacturers have increased service intervals and deferred costly maintenance and services until 105,000 miles. Many have eliminated the more costly services altogether. Generally new vehicle warranties expire after three years or 36,000 miles so there is little or no risk for the manufacturer. The manufacturer’s priority is to build a vehicle that drives 100,000 miles reliably with as little maintenance cost as possible then sell you a new one. My industry’s priority is to take your vehicle from 100,000 to 300,000 reliably and save you the expense of purchasing that new vehicle. I question the wisdom of extended intervals as a long term cost savings strategy for the benefit for the consumer. I think it’s more of a short term strategy for the benefit of the manufacturers.

GM, for example, was recommending a regular service interval for some vehicles at 7,500 miles. They have since revised that (not included in the original maintenance cost estimate) to every 5,000 miles. If you are driving a GM vehicle, make sure you make that correction or you may soon be dealing with a premature timing chain failure. Some manufacturers, like BMW, extend all the way to 15,000 miles for some vehicles. With extended service intervals, many times synthetic oils and long-life oil filters are required, not to mention the inspections that were not preformed. This increases cost per service and the potential for failures.

Another cost benefit to regular 4,000 mile service intervals is the vehicle can be more accurately monitored for wear and tear so maintenance and repair costs can be better managed. Let me give you an example. If I see a vehicle every three months, I may let the brake pads wear down to 5 percent before I recommend replacement. If I only see that vehicle once a year, I’m inclined to recommend replacement at 20 percent to prevent the potential for greater damage and higher costs. Same with belts, hoses and air and fuel filters. Waiting can save money if managed properly.

Consult your vehicle’s Owner’s Manual for specific information and maintenance schedules. Follow it, except for a couple of recommendations from my experience. If you drive a Ford pickup with a Triton engine (especially the 5.4L three valve), do not wait until 100,000 miles to replace the spark plugs. Although they will perform fine, the plugs can become seized in their bores and often break coming out. If that happens you will need a special tool to extract them. Get ‘em out at 60,000. It will save you money. If they are stuck, try using penetrating oil and work them back and forth. DO NOT FORCE THEM! Take your time. Replace with Motorcraft Spark Plugs. I also recommend you service cooling systems, automatic transmissions and gears every 100,000 to 150,000. Do not accept manufacturer’s “No Service Needed” recommendations for those components. All components need service if you want them to last.

BOTTOM LINE: If your vehicle is less than eight to 10 years old, has less than 100,000 miles and driven responsibly, you shouldn’t need much in the way of maintenance or repairs besides tires, brakes, brake fluid exchange, wiper blades, oil and filters. If your vehicle is more than 10 years old or has more than 100,000 miles, preventive service and maintenance is very important. I own and drive four trucks on a regular and semiregular basis. Their mileage ranges from 186,000 to 331,000 miles. Regular service and maintenance is the key and helps avoid breakdowns while mitigating time and costs.