Meet Sandy.
Sandy is a 10-year-old Jeep. This old girl is tough as nails.
Sandy has forded streams in Indiana, struggled her way through mud pits in Tennessee, and took a leisurely cruise up to Alaska in the wintertime to “see what all the fuss is about.”
But now she’s sitting in your freshly shoveled driveway in suburbia…and she’s not responding as you turn the ignition key.
Beck’s Auto Center, a local auto repair shop in Lafayette, IN, is here to help prevent your vehicle from ending up like Sandy on a cold winter morning.
Your Unstoppable Machine
It doesn’t matter what brand of vehicle you buy, how much horsepower you have, or if you splurged on the off-road package. Car trouble is an inevitable part of every vehicle owner’s life.
What can we do to make it better?
Here’s the good news. While you’ll never be able to have an entirely trouble-free motoring experience, there are things you can do to lessen the severity and frequency of car problems.
Vehicle Decay
You can probably recite this part from memory: routine maintenance is the best way to keep your vehicle on the road for longer. It may sound like a tired cliché, but just like any other aspect of life, nothing preserves health and vitality like keeping up with a maintenance schedule.
In the same way that brushing your teeth prevents tooth decay, taking your vehicle in to the shop prevents vehicle decay!
We don’t know how many vehicles have come through our shop for serious repairs as a result of neglecting to properly maintain them.
Keep Up With Regular Maintenance
Trust us when we say, it’s cheaper to fix a leaky radiator hose when you bring it in for an inspection than it is to pay for towing, have the same repair…and possibly deal with further damage to your engine or cooling system.
A typical routine maintenance schedule looks like this:
Every 3,000 to 7,000 Miles
- Change oil and oil filter
- Check coolant levels (transmission, coolant, power steering fluid, windshield washer fluid)
- Inspect wipers, tires and exterior lights
Every 15,000 to 30,000 Miles
- Replace air filters and power steering fluid
- Check the battery and brake pads
- Inspect coolant, radiator hoses, HVAC system and all suspension components
Every 35,000 to 50,000 Miles
- Replace spark plugs and spark plug wires
- Inspect the ignition system and suspension
Every 60,000 Miles
- Replace brake pads, brake fluid, radiator hoses and timing belt
- Change coolant and power steering fluid
Is There an App for That?
Do you need help keeping on top of regular maintenance?
Well, you’re in luck.
There are tons of resources at your disposal to help you keep track of things like fuel economy, service intervals, and to keep a log of your repair history. A lot of newer cars have these types of tools built in, but if you’ve got an older car or one that doesn’t have these functions, there are plenty of options to keep track of these things on your phone or tablet.
Check out these options for both iOS and Android.
- Road Trip (iOS)
- Car Maintenance Reminder (Android)
- AutoCare (iOS/Android)
- Car Minder Plus (iOS)
- aCar (Android)
Take Sandy to the Doctor
Yep, you heard it. While you can never entirely eliminate car trouble, getting a regular auto checkup is a great way to decrease the likelihood of car troubles, and at the very least, reduce the severity of car repairs.
Check out our auto diagnostic packages to have your vehicle looked over from head to toe to make sure your vehicle is in tip-top condition to take on the snow and ice this winter!
Your Trusty Auto Repair Shop in Lafayette, IN
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about keeping your vehicle in prime fighting condition for the best service to your family’s needs.
If you’re looking for some auto maintenance in Lafayette, contact Beck’s Auto Center at (765) 447-9459.