Maintaining Your Car
40,000-100,000 miles - Have your cooling system flushed and refilled. Doing this more often may prolong the cooling system’s life but this varies greatly depending on the car.
After four years - Check your battery often and consider having it replaced.
60,000-100,000 miles or after five years - Replace your belts and hoses. If you get to seven years, these parts are operating on borrowed time and can go suddenly, which if it happens, may ruin your engine.
What if an indicator light comes on? One of my worst fears as a driver is one of those little orange lights suddenly appearing on my dashboard. If a light goes on immediately when you start the engine and then disappears, it is probably not an indication of a problem. If the light stays on as you drive, check which part of your car it corresponds to by looking in your manual. You may need to take your car to a mechanic or to the dealer. On the other hand, indicator lights can come on for no apparent reason at all and no light may appear when there is a serious problem with your car. The electronic systems that control modern vehicles are not always accurate. The best thing you can do is to follow a maintenance schedule and take your car to a qualified mechanic if you believe your car needs to be serviced.
How Do I Find a Good Mechanic? If you have a warranty, you can take your car back to the dealer where you purchased your car or, in some cases, any dealership that specializes in your make of vehicle. It’s a good idea to also take your car to the dealer for routine work because their mechanics will be the most knowledgeable about your make and model. They may be able to point out a problem that someone unfamiliar with your make might not notice. If you don’t have a warranty, take your car to a service center near you for oil changes or other routine work. Choose a center that employs certified mechanics with degrees from trade schools. Awards of excellence are a bonus. You can evaluate the attentiveness, cost and friendliness of the service center when your car doesn’t need major repairs. That way you’ll know if you want to take your car back when it is in need of major repair.
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