Car Care Guide

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Prevention is the strongest medicine

By Trisha Hessinger, Automotive Education Specialist, BFS Retail & Commercial Operations, LLC

As they say in medicine, prevention is nine tenths of the cure and with car maintenance the same holds true. Preventative car maintenance can save you time and money in the long run. While this may sound like a simple idea, it is not a practice followed by many people. In a recent survey done by the Car Care Council, they found that 38 percent of cars had low or dirty engine oil, 54 percent had low tire pressure and 16 percent had dirty air filters. And this all costs you money.

These three items that I just mentioned should all be checked when you bring your vehicle for their oil change. Of course the key part is for you to bring in your vehicle. While it may seem like a waste of time, money and energy to them, things like a simple oil change can help save you limitless amounts of time, money and energy in the future. I cannot emphasize the importance of preventative maintenance, such as oil changes.

There are no excuses for people to not know when their car needs a visit to the service center for a checkup. Unlike a new parent, these babies do come with instruction manuals--an owner’s manual, that is. The preventative maintenance schedule listed by the vehicle’s manufacturer is the soundest guidelines for extending the life of your customer’s car. May I suggesting that you refer to your manuals often.

You can feel confident that you can save as much as $.20-25 cents a gallon on current gasoline prices by maintaining your cars on a regular basis. Driving with driving dirty oil and dirty air filters reduce the efficiency of the engine. Low tire pressures can reduce fuel economy by as much as 10% and causes premature wear. Bottom line - ignoring simple preventative maintenance costs extra cash!

The Car Care Council estimates that more than $60 billion in vehicle maintenance and repair is not performed every year; this is clear evidence that there is a lot more that people should be doing to protect their vehicles.

Working with the Firestone Tire & Service Centers, I teach a course to help our customers take action and protect their automotive investment over the course of time. (click for schedule) We strive to make consumers aware of the risks that they bring on themselves and others when they do not properly take care of their vehicles. And we are not just talking about monetary risks; low tire pressure can be dangerous and should not be ignored.

I hope that you’ll remember this the next time you look at "Old Betsy" and that it will be a reminder to bring your old car in for a check up and keep it running like new!

To learn more about automotive and tire maintenance, please visit www.MasterCareUSA.com.