How Often Do Cars Need Maintenance?

Don't wait until your car breaks down on the road to check on the condition of critical car parts. You can actually tell when your car will need certain services based on the lifespan of these parts and their physical condition. This article explains how to tell when basic car parts will need some maintenance.

Tires

Tires tend to have a lifespan of somewhere between 25,000 and 50,000 miles. When you start to get within that range, keep a closer eye on your tires. You can prolong your tires' lifespan by keeping your brakes in good shape. Of course, you might get unlucky and hit a pothole or a piece of glass that makes the tires deflate quicker. That's why you should always do a visual inspection once a month as well to see if any tires look deflated. You may find free air stations at car wash facilities. If your tire is not holding air, it probably needs to be replaced with new tires for sale.

Brakes

For good brake care, 50,000 miles is a good number to target for tune up or replacement. Brake lifespan varies a lot for individual drivers. That's because it depends on things like how often you brake, how hard you brake, the weather conditions you tend to drive in, and the quality of materials used in your last brake job. But you can also tell when your brakes are starting to go; your car may not brake as quickly, you may have to push down harder on the brake pedals, or your car may slightly spin out as you brake. When you notice something fishy going on with your brakes, it's worth a check up.

Oil

Oil changes are quite variable. If you use regular oil, your mechanic might put a sticker on your windshield for checkup after 3,000 miles. If you use synthetic oil, you can sometimes go as far as 10,000 miles without an oil change. Read your user manual for the car to determine what kind of oil to put in the car and how often to change it. Many modern cars have a check oil light that comes on to remind you of oil change intervals, making this a simpler part of car care.

These are three of the most important parts to check on, but holistic car care can be done by an auto repair shop. Get your car inspected at least once a year. This can often be done at the time of an oil change.

For more information, you will want to contact a company such as Discount Tire Centers.