Being in business over 31 years we have seen so many changes when it comes to automotive repairs. We have noticed over the years that manufacturers keep pushing out service intervals further and further to lower their cost of ownership rating. 

This trend has increased the frequency of major breakdowns and unneeded wear and tear of your vehicles. To better serve our wonderful customers and protect your asset and the longevity of your vehicle, we recommend proactively servicing a multitude of maintenance items on the following schedules. 

Here are some of our recommendations for basic vehicle maintenance:

Engine Oil: Semi-Synthetic every 4,000 miles- Synthetic Oils 5,000:  More and more manufactures have or are moving to GDI platforms.  While it improves on emissions, performance, and fuel economy one by product of their design is finer soot that contaminates the oil faster, which is why the color of your engine oil turns so dark so fast. Extending intervals and not checking your oil level in between services leads to unfortunate engine damage.

Brake Fluid: 2 years or 24,000 miles- Brake fluid is hygroscopic (attracts and binds water). Once a system hits 4% of water contamination, brake issues will arise and the braking abilities will fade. Copper content also increases over time as the fluid wears out and leads to internal corrosion of the system.

Wheel Alignment:  All vehicles should have their alignment checked and set once a year to prevent premature wear on their tires and improve handling.  Potholes, road imperfections and curbs can all shift angles just even the slightest bit, and over the course of a year those slight movements add up. Yearly alignments strongly protect the investment of your tires. 

Tire Rotation:  Tires should be rotated at every oil change to prevent wear patterns from ever getting a chance to start. See above for recommended oil change intervals.

Belts:  Belt technology has improved over the years, but we still notice many belts dry rotted and cracking after just a few years of service in our arid climate.  We recommend replacing rubber drive belts and timing belts on the manufacture interval or 7 years, whichever comes first, to help prevent a breakdown. Newer EPDM rubber compounds may never crack before the grooves become so worn out that they no longer can hold proper tension against the driving components.

These are just a few of the important services that we recommend staying on top of. At Pride Auto Care we believe in the importance of keeping repaired & maintained because safety is imperative. Keeping these tasks at the forefront of your mind will ultimately save our customers tons of money in the long run and give all of us peace of mind when it comes to a vehicle’s drivability and longevity.

Call us today and ask about other routine interval service recommendations 



Have a wonderful & safe holiday weekend.