Customer ReviewsMaking the Most of Your Vehicles Life
Whether you intend to keep your car for 100K, 200K, or even 300K and beyond you
must consider the vehicle’s maintenance needs. Just about any car can make it to 100K
and not be maintained well. It’s between 100K and 200K where your car’s service history
makes a difference. And only those correctly maintained cars will have a
chance of reaching 300K and beyond.
Motor Oil
No matter what oil change interval you subscribe to, it’s not only important to keep your
engine well lubricated, but clean as well. Dirty oil creates sludge and will over time
create blockages and restrict passages for your oil to circulate properly. Plus the build-up
can cause oil leaks or loss of oil pressure. Normal service intervals dictated by car
manufacturers are in reality for those living in ideal situations. Extreme weather, stop &
go traffic, and changing humidity levels in our area all qualify as “severe”; when it comes
to service intervals.
Antifreeze
Engine coolants in many European cars are labeled “long life”; so as to give the impression
they don’t need changing as the more conventional anti-freeze brands did. This couldn’t be
further from the truth. Over time these fluids still break down and become acidic,
deteriorating seals and gaskets.
Brake Fluid
Brake fluid has a quality that may be unknown to many. It is hygroscopic, which means
it has the ability to attract and retain moisture. Flushing is important because when
excessive moisture builds up inside a brake system it can affect the fluid’s performance.
Where clean brake fluid has an extremely high boiling point the build-up of moisture can
cause oxidation to form, and decrease the boiling point of the fluid, degrading the
performance and lifespan of the hydraulic components of your brake system.
Transmission Fluid
Replacing a transmission is a major expense. Making a transmission last is as simple as
changing the fluid before it breaks down. There are cars nearing 300K miles that still have the original transmission by being diligent with servicing the transmission of their car and there are many, many cars that have transmission failure between 100K to 200K
because of negligent servicing.
Power Steering Fluid
Your car’s power steering fluid is probably the most resilient of all your car’s fluids but too
can become contaminated over time and like anything else, if the fluid is never changed it
will eventually break down causing seals to leak. Replacing a steering rack can be a very
expensive repair on most cars.
To Sum it Up
To summarize, many of us love our cars and want to make them last. The phrase “they don’t make them like they used to”; is only partly correct. From a mechanics standpoint, they feel the vehicles aren’t maintained like they used to.
For more information on getting your luxury vehicle to last contact our skilled mechanics by making an appointment with us [email protected].