The High Cost of Avoiding Regular Car Maintenance

Regular maintenance keeps the car smooth and fuel efficient. More importantly, a risk of sudden breakdown in a no man's land goes down. Timely action prevents the larger problem, which may encroach upon the rider’s safety and the car's health. As long as it's up and running, people tend to ignore minor faults in their car - a mindset which can cause a long-term damage to the car and 'burn a larger hole in the pocket'. Routine maintenance is both a viable and an economical practice to keep car- risk situations at bay. Some of the detrimental effects of avoiding regular maintenance includes:

Engine Failure

Usually, oil changes are overlooked posing a threat to engine, which in turn may seize, leaving the only option of having the engine replaced. For an average sedan running for 100,000 miles, the cost of oil change accounts to $1,125 and the cost of engine replacement can be up to four times higher.

Brake Fail

Annual brake checkup is often recommended. Peculiar sound or foul smell from the car hints towards wear and tear of brakes. Prolonged delay can result in breakdown of metal backing plate, affecting the brake rotors immediately after. By not fixing brake failures at the right time, one ends up damaging more auto-parts of the car.

Belt Breakdown

Belt manufacturers advise replacing the belt once every four years. Heed the squealing noise when the car accelerates, and consider replacing the belt tensioner at the earliest. Lest the water pump, alternator, power steering pump and air conditioning get damaged in succession. The cost of fixing the range of damaged parts will be more than 10-times higher than the cost of replacing the belt.

Tire Tear

On the tire front, car manufacturers recommend tire rotation once every 6,000 miles. It’s a simple technique when the tires in front are swapped with the rear and vice-versa to extend the lifespan. Every wheel then bears the equal amount of wear and tear instead of front wheel bearing the brunt. Secondly, tires should be properly inflated at proper pressure as specified in the manual. Excessive tire wear creates inroads for poor gas mileage, adding to the cost of fuel.

Burnt Spark Plug

Ideally, copper-tip spark plugs should last for about 30,000 miles. The platinum & iridium counterpart can resist up to 10,000 miles of use. For more specific information, it is advised to consult the owner’s manual that comes with the car’s purchase. A bad spark plug can damage the catalytic converter, and in extreme cases poor gas mileage can be detrimental to both - car and wallet.

Saturated Engine Air Filter

A dirty engine air filter means the engine must work harder to absorb clean air into the chamber, to complete its combustion cycle. This leads to more fuel consumption causing a reduction in average overall fuel efficiency. To add to this problem, if the filter continues to be saturated with dirt, the rider may experience low power output even when the throttle is at maximum.

Get your car inspected and checked by a certified auto service facility at the right time and avoid the menace of hefty repair estimates. A good mechanic is imperative to getting an accurate diagnostic checkup. It goes beyond visual inspection since many of the components cannot be seen at a glance. Auto Fix is equipped with state- of- the- art tools managed by highly qualified, skilled, and experienced technicians.

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maintenance, think Auto Fix, and save on time and money.