What you need to know about preventative car maintenance

Whether you have owned a vehicle for many years or have just purchased a new model, you must take care of it by regularly carrying out its mechanical maintenance in order to avoid breakdowns. Preventive car maintenance is a series of regular measurements and checks carried out on your vehicle to ensure its proper functioning, extend its lifespan, avoid costly repairs and allow you to drive safely. In addition, if you own a new vehicle, you are required to carry out regular maintenance at the dealership or in a professional garage in order to assert the manufacturer’s warranty on it.

Indeed, with the accumulation of mileage over time, various mechanical parts are subject to wear and require regular maintenance to be carried out in a professional garage to function properly. However, some preventive car maintenance can be done by yourself, as it does not require mechanical knowledge or special equipment. To help you better preserve your vehicle, here is everything you need to know about preventive car maintenance.

Preventative car maintenance: What you need to know

The frequency of maintenance of your vehicle
It will vary from one vehicle model to another and it may depend on the mileage traveled or the time it has been on the road. However, you will have to take into consideration the first case that occurs. Certain elements will influence the frequency of preventive maintenance such as road and weather conditions (traffic jams, city traffic, snow, ice, extreme temperatures, sand, etc.) or your driving style (sudden acceleration, sudden braking, transporting heavy loads, towing, etc.).

Typically you will need to do:

• Light maintenance, every 6 months or between 6,000 and 8,000 km
• A more thorough overhaul every year or between 16,000 and 24,000 km
• Major maintenance when your vehicle reaches 100,000 km

The main preventive maintenance to be carried out in a professional auto garage

Most preventative maintenance on your vehicle should be performed by qualified and certified professionals.

Tires and oil change
In Quebec, by law, you must have equipped your vehicle with winter tires at least between December 1 and March 15. Thus, for good grip on the road and to ensure safe driving, you must change your tires twice a year, and have the professional mechanic check the level of wear. Many general mechanics garages also offer various tire services such as sales, installation, alignment, balancing and storage service in their heated garage.

You can also take advantage of your two visits per year to change your tires at a garage to have your vehicle’s 6-month service carried out at the same time in order to optimize its operation and preserve the components of your engine. This generally includes changing the oil and filter, checking the various fluids such as the coolant, checking the brake disks and pads, visually inspecting the exhaust system, suspension and steering.

The brake system
Your vehicle’s braking system must be in perfect working order at all times, as it ensures your safety on the road. In addition to regular checks of the brake disks and pads, you must therefore carry out general maintenance every year, which includes cleaning, lubricating and adjusting various parts. Apart from these maintenance operations, if the brake pedal seems abnormally soft or hard, if you hear a strange noise or feel a vibration in the steering wheel when you brake, do not hesitate to have your vehicle checked by a professional garage in order to prevent any risk of accident.

Check every year or between 16,000 and 24,000 km

• Wheel alignment.
• Cleaning the air conditioning system condenser.
• Visual inspection of the suspension, steering and exhaust system.
• Replacing the air filter and pollen filter also called cabin filter every 10,000 km in urban areas and 25,000 km in rural areas.
• Checking engine fluids and topping off.
• Automatic transmission inspection.

The 100,000 km service
When your vehicle reaches 100,000 km, you will need to perform major preventative maintenance on several important mechanical components and change them as needed, such as the fuel injectors, timing belt, ignition cables and the gearbox oil will need to be changed.

Small revisions that you can do yourself

To ensure that your vehicle is operating properly and performing well, you can regularly carry out relatively simple checks yourself, such as:

• Check the windshield washer fluid level and refill it frequently. Windshield washer fluid is very useful especially in winter to improve your visibility of the road.
• Check the oil and coolant level.
• Check tire air pressure and wear.
• Inspect your wiper blades for wear, especially in the fall when the sun and heat tend to dry out the rubber on the blades, and replace them if necessary.
• Make sure that your lighting and signaling lights are working properly. Be aware that if you have a burnt-out bulb on your vehicle, it is a traffic violation and is punishable by a fine.
• Check that the air conditioning and heating system are working properly
• Check the battery condition. If you see verdigris, clean it to avoid starting problems.
• Wash your vehicle regularly inside and out, including in winter. This way, you will have better visibility on the road if the optical globes of your headlights and the windows of your vehicle are clean.
• Make sure to always keep your fuel tank at least a quarter full when temperatures drop below freezing. This will prevent condensation and freezing from causing a lot of damage.

For quality preventive car maintenance or to repair all the components of your vehicle or to change your tires every season, you can trust the expert mechanics of Pneus Groupe Unik in Dorval! Make an appointment now!