Look, a lot of us know that we probably aren’t doing enough for our vehicles. It’s nice not having to spend money on our cars, so we often don’t. We enjoy it…until things go wrong.

Our cars have to be maintained to work properly. Routine services, the stuff you know you should probably be doing but aren’t, can save you thousands of dollars in future repairs. By keeping our vehicles maintained, rather than waiting for catastrophe, we not only prevent major money loss down the road, but also help to ensure that every journey is as safe as possible.

So, with that in mind, let’s chat through some of the basic services you should be getting on your vehicle, what they mean, and how they work:

Tire rotation

As you drive around, the rubber compound on your tires slowly wears off. It’s natural, right? That’s a lot of friction, even for the toughest rubber. What a tire rotation does is make sure that a tire is wearing evenly.

Think about it like your mattress. You’re supposed to flip it and rotate it to prevent that you-shaped dent from forming. The same is true for your tires. By rotating them every so often, we make sure that the rubber wears evenly, producing a smoother ride for you, and helping you go longer in between having to replace your tires completely.

Wheel alignment

The way you steer a car is pretty simple: the axles are controlled by the steering wheel, meaning that your car turns the way the wheel does. Over time, however, that alignment can fall out of whack. Ever let go of the steering wheel on a straight road and felt your car drifting one way or the other? That means your alignment is off.

Potholes, curbs and other little bumps here and there eventually throw off the alignment on your vehicle. By getting it checked and re-aligned every 10,000 miles or so, you can ensure that your vehicle is working optimally.

Oil change

This is the one we all know about, and most of us hate. It’s like flossing but for your car. Still, oil changes remain an important part of car maintenance. Not keeping your oil clean can clog up your engine and eventually will cause blown rings. If you think an oil change is an expensive pain in the rear, wait until you find a blown ring repair bill for a couple thousand bucks.

Routine oil changes can also help with your MPG. By making your vehicle run more efficiently, we can save future money at the pump with an oil change as well.

Brake inspection/replacement

This one is self-explanatory: you need your brakes to work or bad things happen. A car malfunctioning is an expensive headache, but most of the rest of these will only risk your wallet. Failing brakes risk your health, and the health of those around you.

By replacing your brake pads, you can make sure that your vehicle stops when you want it to. Few things are more important to driving than that.

Tire replacement

Tires are the vehicle’s connection to the road, the thing that keeps us safe and sound as we move about. Unfortunately, they don’t last forever.

Just like the bottom of your shoes, tires eventually wear down as they become more used. The balder a tire gets, the less it can grip the road, especially when it’s wet. That can cause slippage and crashes. We don’t like either of those things. You can check your tire tread at home with just $0.25 cents. Check out our blog post on it here.

Hopefully that helps you understand the basic services you need to keep your vehicle happy and healthy! It’s a lot of info, and that can be stressful. But remember: when you trust your service to the experts at Point S Tire & Auto, our #NoStressWithPointS guarantee means you can rest easy, and know that your vehicle will be back to you on time and in tip-top shape. Schedule an appointment online now.