Don’t Put Off Regular Maintenance

Most of us have been guilty of at least one of the following while driving a vehicle:

• Driving past your recommended allotted mileage between tire rotations or oil changes.
• Having an indicator light illuminate your dashboard, hoping that it just goes away.

Maybe there are unfamiliar sounds coming from your car or it doesn’t just feel right.  You feel you can hold off on any repairs when you get back out on the road more often or some of the current stay-at-home restrictions are lifted.  We get it. You will eventually get around to it because, relatively speaking, it doesn’t seem as important right now.

While fewer people are on the roads these days, that may feel like another excuse to put off routine maintenance to your vehicle. You shouldn’t be waiting until “things get back to normal” in order to service your vehicle. By putting those things off, you are damaging your car, which can result in long term automotive problems.

During these uncertain times, Milex and Mr. Transmission stores remain open as essential businesses in order to service your vehicle’s needs. Here are a few things that might happen if you don’t service your vehicle when needed.

What Happens If I Don’t Change My Oil?

It’s long been a recommendation to change your oil every 3,000 miles. While many modern engines have evolved to operate for longer periods between oil changes, it is still very important to keep the oil in your vehicle fresh.

As with many parts of your vehicle, oil can become less effective the longer it remains in a vehicle. Ineffective oil often does not provide enough energy to warm a car’s engine to a proper temperature, which can result in excess moisture build up inside the engine. If this moisture is not removed, it can lead to shorter engine life, and even complete failure of the engine.

What Happens if I Don’t Rotate My Tires?

Rotating tires is necessary in order to try to balance the wear and tear on a vehicle’s four tires. Depending on the type of vehicle, tires in certain positions can wear quicker than other tires, which is dangerous while driving. It’s recommended to rotate your tires every 5,000-7,500 miles in order to maintain this balance.

If your tires are wearing faster than normal, they can be an expensive replacement, and often, it’s recommended to replace multiple tires at once. Fortunately, there’s an easy test to determine if your tires have a good amount of tread on them. Place a penny into your tire's tread with Lincoln's head upside down. If you can see all of the president’s head, your tread depth is less than 1/16 of an inch and it's time to replace your tires.

What Happens if I Ignore Dashboard Warnings?

Your vehicle’s computer knows what is going on inside its inner workings at any given time. If a light illuminates your dashboard, it shouldn’t be ignored. There are many different indicators on a dashboard that can mean a variety of different things. It is important that any time you see an icon illuminate on the dashboard, especially if that icon is red or yellow, that you should get your vehicle checked out at your local Milex Complete Auto Care or Mr. Transmission.

You don’t want to run into a situation where ignoring these lights causes your car to stop operating, or causes other problems that will be far more costly than a simple inspection.

What Happens If I Don’t Drive My Car?

As more people are working from home, fewer people are on the roads. But it’s important to drive your car, so its components do not deteriorate over time.

The longer a vehicle is not in use, the longer a battery goes sitting idle, which causes its lifespan to shorten. Corrosion can build up on interior components. Fluids’ effectiveness can start to weaken over time. These could all lead to unexpected expenses when you finally start your vehicle again, and these factors are things to consider while not driving a vehicle for an extended period of time.

Your local Milex and Mr. Transmission shops are open to assist our customers during this time. Please contact your local store for more information.