When it comes to car maintenance, we have discovered throughout the years that a lot of clients have the same questions. The eight most typical inquiries we get about car maintenance are shown below, along with our responses:

1. Why is routine auto maintenance so crucial?

The quickest response is to keep your car operating longer and newer. By taking your car in for periodic maintenance, you can avoid later, more serious, and more costly automobile problems. For your vehicle’s particular requirements, the manufacturer has created a maintenance programme. Your owner’s handbook contains a copy of this schedule. Describe it like a routine check-up for your car. To prevent serious sickness, people engage in physical activity, eat a nutritious diet, get immunised, and visit their doctor on a regular basis; routine maintenance is your car’s equivalent.

Here is one illustration. Imagine you drive a typical vehicle with about 100,000 miles on it. You would have roughly 25 oil changes during those miles (at an oil change every 4,000 miles). If an oil change costs $40 on average, your total expenditure for oil changes will be $1000. During that time, your engine might fill with contaminants and potentially seize if you forgot to get an oil change. Metal-on-metal friction results from inadequate lubrication of essential engine components by dirty, thick oil. Damage from this might result in an engine replacement costing $4000. For service intervals relevant to your vehicle, consult your owner’s handbook.

3. What upkeep tasks does the manufacturer most frequently advise?

Although they typically vary, the following list is a good place to start:

• Exchange of axle fluid
• Exchange of coolant fluid
• Replacement of filters (air, cabin air, fuel)
• Regular fluid and part checks
• Replacement of the spark plug
• Swapping out the timing belt
• Rotation and alignment of tyres
• Exchange of transmission fluid

Check your owner’s handbook for the particular requirements of your vehicle since all inspections and suggested service intervals differ depending on the make and model of your car.

4.Is it important where you purchase gas?

It can. In gasoline, sediments frequently agglomerate and settle. To avoid receiving a “poor load” that has been sitting for too long, fill up at crowded gas stations. Do not fill up your car with gasoline at a station where a delivery truck is filling an underground tank since that might mix up contaminants that end up in your car.

5.How much more gasoline is used while the air conditioner is on?

It is believed that a normal car’s fuel economy decreases by one to two miles per gallon when the air conditioning is on. Running the air conditioner when driving in hot temperatures or in bigger cars can reduce fuel economy by up to four miles per gallon.

6. When parked for a lengthy period of time, should you switch off your car?

You should not let your car’s engine idle for more than a few minutes at a time. Starting a car uses less gasoline than letting it idle, say, while you are standing in line to pick up your child from school. Turn off the engine if you want to wait while you are parked.

7. How long should the engine be warmed up before a drive?

Before driving, fuel-injected engines should not be allowed to idle for longer than a minute. In all seasons, fifteen to thirty seconds should be sufficient. A vehicle going to tow a hefty cargo, such as a trailer, would be an exemption. In this situation, let the engine idling for around five minutes to allow the oil to warm up sufficiently.

8. If I drive my car with the check engine light on, would that harm the engine?

If you keep driving to your destination if your check engine light turns on while you are on the road, it probably will not hurt your car. However, you have to make it a point to bring your automobile in as soon as you can to make sure that nothing major is wrong with it.

The Car Mechanic professionals at Smart Mechanics in Essex, Stansted, Bishop Stortford, and Hertfordshire are delighted to assist if you ever have any issues with car maintenance. Call us right away or make an online appointment.