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Some harsh truths, but your car needs love too!
1. That check engine light means something. Your car is not running to the best of its ability. It may be something simple or it may be complex, but the scanner that the local parts store run for you WILL NOT tell you what is wrong with it. You need an actual diagnostic to help you out.
You don't know how many times we hear "xxxxx told me I need a compressor" and then they come in wanting that quote. We go over our spiel of why xxxxx's scan tool isn't accurate and how we can help - and most of the time, it isn't even the part they needed! Sometimes it is, don't get me wrong, but please leave the diagnostics and ideas up to the trained professionals who work on cars daily. We can potentially save you money and have it up and running to the way you want.
2. More than your oil changes, you need to change out the coolant, transmission fluid, brake fluid, air filter, cabin filters, etc. Not changing it can leave metal shavings and other contaminants in the system that can damage it.
We had someone come in with 130,000 miles on their car, they have had for 15 years and hardly drive it - but NEVER changed the transmission fluid. I wish I was exaggerating when I said it was sludge coming out! I have never seen anything like it and Rafael said it's common with people who never change their fluids on time. The lady came in saying she needed a new transmission - all it needed was a fluid change! She called us back after a month to tell us her car was running so smooth and we saved her "thousands"!
3. TIRES! Please regularly check the tires - tread and pressure. During your oil changes, the mechanic should be doing a courtesy check for you, but it's also easy for you to do too.
With the Texas heat, they wear and tear faster. Sometimes people put too much air, or not enough. Please plan on checking it yourself at the least - every oil change to ensure safety on the road and off.
4. Every car manufacturer has a service schedule for the cars. It tells you when to change your fluids, when to change the spark plugs.. .even one maker tells us when to change the battery in our key fob! 🤣 Look up yours, or call a trusted mechanic and they can guide you.
Every customer that comes in and provides us with an email will get an email directly from CARFAX and it will tell you what has been done on your car. As long as you are going to a reputable place, they will be updating with every oil change and service that is done.
5. Keep it clean! If you aren't keeping it clean and showing pride in your vehicle, the maintenance in it might suffer.
If you are throwing your crap in your car every day, barely cleaning it, will you be caring what is happening under the hood? Most likely no, unless something goes wrong. If you are cleaning it - inside and out, on a regular basis, you are more likely to take more pride in the way it drives. Obviously not all cases, but definitely where it matters.
6. I am guilty of this one! Braking too hard, punching the gas pedal, we are forcing a machine to do lots of hard work at once. That wears and tears on your vehicle much quicker than intended. Treat your car with love and have patience on the road (I'm making a mental note of this one too).
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