What’s Your Number?

Our Guide to Preventative Maintenance during a Pandemic

With our current economy, nothing is more important than getting the most out of your money: that includes your vehicle; however, maybe you lost your job and you don’t have the extra money to spend? Unfortunately, you can’t avoid the garage forever and did you know that fixing one or two minor problems can save you down the road? We are here to help you come up with a comprehensive maintenance plan to get you more kilometers out of your current vehicle. Here are some tips on the preventative maintenance that you can do to prolong the life of your vehicle:

Regular oil changes

Oil lubricates the components in your engine and without it, your engine could fail. Your engine is one of the costliest and most vital parts of your vehicle so you want to ensure to maintain it. Most vehicles require an oil change once every 5,000-10,000km. This can vary based on your vehicle and the type of oil you use so check your owner’s manual for your vehicle’s recommended oil change intervals.

Tire Rotations

Your tires are another important aspect of your vehicle and are crucial to your safety on the road. Getting regular tire rotations ensures that your tires wear evenly, increasing their lifespan. During a tire rotation, the tire technician will rotate your tires either left to right, front to back, or diagonally. Tire rotations should be done once every 10,000km or based on the recommended service intervals outlined in your owner’s manual.

Wheel Alignments

Aligning your wheels meaning adjusting the angle of the wheel to its proper specifications. Your wheels can become misaligned from hitting a pothole, rubbing against a curb, or failing components. If your wheels aren’t aligned, this can cause premature tire wear, increased gas mileage and a noisy ride. You should have your wheels aligned if you notice that your vehicle is veering to one side when you have the steering wheel straight or as preventative maintenance, wheel alignments should be done once every 10,000km or according to your owner’s manual.

Battery Checks

Your vehicle’s battery is essential to starting your vehicle and powering its electrical components. Batteries often last only about five years so it is important to have them checked regularly to ensure that they are holding their charge. To help keep your battery charged, take your vehicle for a drive regularly because letting it sit for long periods of time can kill the battery. It is also important to always shut off all lights in your vehicle because leaving them on will drain the battery. In the winter, keep your vehicle in a garage or out of the wind to increase your battery’s life. Finally, test your battery twice a year – preferably before and after the winter season, as this is the hardest season on your battery.

At a time when every dollar counts, getting more kilometers from your vehicle is a big deal so “What’s your number?” How many more kilometers can we help you go?  We are here to keep your vehicle on the road longer and save you money down the road.

Let’s all prevent the spread of COVID-19 by practicing social distancing.  Please contact your nearest Tirecraft location to find out about their specific social distancing procedures so you can stay safe when dropping your vehicle off for service.