Top Priority Items in Car Maintenance

Car Maintenance in St. Louis, MO

Top Priority Items in Car Maintenance

Drivers know that car maintenance is important. Nonetheless, it’s tricky deciding which vehicle components should receive priority attention. While some car maintenance projects can be put off, the four items below should always receive immediate attention.

Drivers rely heavily on their brakes for safety. Accordingly, they should be among the driver’s first car maintenance concerns. It’s difficult to predict when brake pads need to be replaced.

When performing car maintenance, it’s important for the driver to look at the wear indicator on the brake pad. Usually, this is a metal tab that begins to rub against the rotor as the pad wears down. This produces a scraping sound that indicates it’s time for a car maintenance project.

Tires are also a major car maintenance concern. While most tires are rated for between 40,000 and 50,000 miles, the reality is that these numbers vary. That’s why checking tread wear is an important part of car maintenance. Running a hand along the tread can reveal whether or not the tread is wearing down to the level of the 1/16 of an inch high ridges that are found between the treads. When the treads are at the same level as these tiny ridges, new tires are in order.

A regular oil change is another vital part of car maintenance. The old rule of thumb of three months or 3,000 miles is outdated. More common guidelines for modern vehicles are 5,000 or perhaps even 10,000 miles. The best place to find data on oil change frequency is the owner’s manual.

A car’s air filter is usually checked at the time of an oil change. This is a good car maintenance practice, as a clean air filter makes the vehicle more fuel efficient and ensures that the car can operate at maximum power.

Performing regular car maintenance is the best way to keep any vehicle on the road and operating with safety and efficiency.

St. Louis Auto Service

Waterloo Service is committed to providing car maintenance information for all our customers in the Waterloo metro area.

We provide a wide variety auto services and more! Whether your engine light is on or your brakes are squeaking, we’ve got you covered.

Categories:

Car Maintenance
Waterloo Automotive is committed to ensuring effective communication and digital accessibility to all users. We are continually improving the user experience for everyone, and apply the relevant accessibility standards to achieve these goals. We welcome your feedback. Please call Waterloo Automotive (618) 939-5855 if you have any issues in accessing any area of our website.