Know your car’s maintenance schedule to keep service costs down.
If you’re like most car owners, you spend little to no time preparing for a scheduled maintenance visit to the dealership. Unfortunately, not preparing yourself or your vehicle for required maintenance can be a serious downfall – one that will cost you big. To help you save on costs where possible, check out how to handle scheduled car maintenance.
Read the Vehicle Manual
The best way to determine this is not to look at the garage’s sticker that tells you when you need to come in for an oil change but to review the car’s manufacturer manual. Factory representatives who designed and built the car wrote the service manual, so it’s wise to listen to their advice. It stands to reason that they should know best how to keep everything running smoothly.
Service Overview
When your vehicle has less than 36,000 miles, little maintenance is needed to keep it purring. Oil changes and tire rotations will be called for unless there is significant damage. As your car gets older and covers more miles, more maintenance will be required. Many people service newer cars at the dealership under a warranty instead of branching out to an independent garage. The dealership has trained professionals that know your vehicle from the inside out, so it’s a good idea to stick with them.
Recommended Maintenance
When service advisors tell you that your vehicle needs maintenance, take it with a pinch of salt. The dealership’s service advisor may hand you a list of ‘dealer-recommended’ services that may not always be necessary. In this instance, refer to the trust owner’s manual, and don’t be afraid to ask the garage why they have added extras.
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