Your vehicle’s engine is technically considered the heart of the thing you need to count on that gets you to work, school and or maybe for you parents out there from A to B with your most precious cargo aka children. If your car’s engine isn’t working properly, you can count on not going anywhere anytime with the quickness. Time for a little preventative maintenance 101.
None the less, you can count on that proper engine maintenance will absolutely ensure that your engine lasts the long haul without any costly major repairs included, hopefully. Nobody wants their vehicle to overheat while taking the kids to swim class or cutting off on the highway when heading out of town on a family vacation. When an engine is not running properly it turns into a safety issue, for you and for any and all of your passengers.
There is a lot of different parts that make up your vehicle’s engine assembly. All of these components combined work in unison to create and then distribute the energy produced by your engine throughout your vehicle. Over at top shop Last Chance Auto Repair aka best automotive repair shop in Plainfield, we offer, suggest and educate our customers anything and everything about regular engine maintenance. We are here to help you prevent future problems, which in the long run will save you money.
4 Engine Preventative Maintenance Tips
1. Keep Your Engine Clean: Your engine works hard to take care of you anytime and anywhere needed. In all actuality without your car how are you going to get around? Since your vehicle takes care of you should’t you take care of your vehicle? Little did you know but keeping your engine clean of dust, grime, dirt, rat poo, squirrel nests and this and that is part of preventative maintenance.
Eventually over time just like our car mechanics you can count on restricted filters needing to be replaced. Why you wonder? Leaves, dirt and insects to say the least will find their way into your vehicle one way or another. Did you know that contaminants can build up on your engine and act as an insulator that traps heat which in return will make it difficult for your engine to cool down properly.
When searching for an auto repair shop near me, regardless of the repair shop, most will likely recommend a periodic engine de-greaser to clean with care everything within your vehicle’s engine compartment. An air tool or vacuum may also be recommended to remove any dirt & debris from under hood. In the long run a clean engine can be a happy engine under the right circumstances.
2. Replace Spark Plugs Accordingly: Dirty, caked with carbon, old & crusty spark plugs plain & simple won’t be sparking the way they were designed to. Not only all that but when the air & fuel mixture doesn’t burn properly it will dirty up your engine’s combustion chamber. Hence the reason for our spark plug replacement service where we typically try to change them as preventative maintenance. Don’t break it and or pay an expensive repair that could have been prevented, maintain it. Spark plugs should be replaced according to your maintenance schedule for a reason. This is such a simple, cost effective job in most cases, but it can be a game changer when it comes to improving the overall performance of your engine.
3. Lubricate As Manufacture Recommends: Oil aka lubrication is the life blood of any car engine. There is so many moving parts that constantly need oil in order to move, for friction purposes and to cool the parts to the point that they work the way they were engineered to function. in an engine, that it’s crucial to have proper lubrication always. Without properly functioning oil the friction created by the parts rubbing and grinding will 100% cause damage. When metal wears due to friction it doesn’t magically grow back on it’s own. This will result in the need for replacing parts and or maybe your entire engine.
The ones that suffer the most due to not changing your engine oil properly include: your crankshaft, piston rings, cylinder walls and bearings. When oil is changed properly these engine parts will in most cases stay lubricated in return will avoid the unwanted damaging friction. Your engine isn’t the only part of your car that requires a lubricate. Other components that require this life blood include: transmission, differential, transfer case, power steering system, suspension system, etc. This is also a good time for your mechanic to check seals in certain parts of the engine to be sure that everything is fitting together the way that it should be for a smooth ride.
4. Keep Up On Oil Changes: Your engine oil is like the life blood of your vehicle. Hence the reason we discussed in #3 and now #4 is going to re-emphasis the importance. Such a simple procedure none the less but still one of the most neglected services we see at our auto shop. Keeping up on your oil changes will make a difference in the life of your engine all while helping your vehicle preform the way it was intended to. When you don’t change your oil properly you will start to notice a down grade in your engine performance which in return will also effect your fuel economy.
Over time, your engine oil will breakdown and loose its lubricating effectiveness. Your engine oil should be checked and changed once every 6 months or 3000 miles or so when conventional oil is used. 7-12 months or 5000-7500 miles when semi or full synthetic oil is used, give or take a bit depending on the year, make, model of vehicle and oil requirements. Need an oil change near me? Call Last Chance Auto Repair now for a 100% FREE oil check and or to schedule your next oil change!
Have any questions or want to make an appointment? For more information on engine maintenance, preventative maintenance, or about any of our other auto services, contact us today, we’re always here for you.
