There are a lot of things you should take care with your car, most especially when you are into keeping its condition as good as when the first day you bought it. Doing so might sound costly for some, yet of course, none of us would like to spend more cash for extreme repair or overhauling. However, routine maintenance can help car owners in minimizing auto repair costs.

Oil Change – one should keep oil change regularly. But how often this should take?  Oil changes should be done in every after 3,000 miles of driving or every 3 months and in rare cases, every after 5,000 miles of driving. In doing so, the owner should ask the mechanic to use oil and filter recommended by the owner’s manual. For owners, they should also take the responsibility of checking the oil at any chance to make sure the car is not low on oil.

Check the Air Filters – this should be done in every six months or every after 10,000 miles of driving. By keeping the air filters well maintained, the owner will be able to maintain the powerful output of the motors.

Check the Brakes – obviously this is to ensure safety while driving. Checking of brakes should be done every after 6,000 miles of driving.

Charging of Battery– it is to keep battery’s life longer and in good condition. It should be done every 6 months. But there’s a way to quickly restore the battery. And they are as follows;

1. Driving at a constant speed can give the alternator a chance to charge more evenly than stop-and-go.
2. While charging, one must keep all accessories such as radio and air condition.
3. Headlights also consume a part of power and having them off boost the amount of electricity saves in the battery. This concludes that driving during the day is preferred.

Check the belts – this should be practice every year. Of course, none would like to risk their lives with unsafe belts.

Considering all these factors will surely save you time and money from untimely taking your car back to your auto mechanics.

 At every oil change Cinco Car CARE will make sure to check the following:

1. Belts – cracks or glazed belts can slip/break

2. Brakes – leaks or damaged components

3. Battery- weak or leaking battery can leave you stranded

4. Tires – low, has nail or hole, bald, wear?

5. Spare – low, damaged?

6. Windshield Wipers – clear windshield

7. Hoses – dry, hard or leaking?

These items can cause overheating, breakdown, lose of A/C, power steering and overall control of car.

Overheating – If your vehicle overheats… stop immediately! You risk damage to your engine if you continue to drive vehicle hot.

If your vehicle dies while driving and it was overheating… do not open the Radiator Cap due to being hot and could possibly cause bad burning. Do not try to crank it. If a belt has broken you could damage the engine.

Brakes – squeal and squeaks could be glazed, grinding, scrapping could be damaging something. Either way let us check. It’s Free!

Battery – Did you know a long crank or hard start could be a battery, alternator or starter? If you notice any of these occur make sure to stop in to check it before your car stops on you!

Tires – If you have a flat tire and see no hole put enough air to drive to the shop. If there is a hole, call about a road service. If your spare is damaged or low on pressure you could become stranded. Most spare tires are not meant for everyday driving (unless full sized spare) and can cause a hazard if driving at high speeds. Please read the information on your spare before you use it.

Wipers – If your wipers do not clean your windshield properly this could present a safety hazard.

Hoses – If you have never changed your hoses they could start leaking. The 200 degree fluids that run through these hoses breaks them down after a while, they will get hard, leak and also can get soft and leak. These leaks can damage a number of other components.

General and preventative maintenance of your car saves you money over the long term.  Give us a call (281-395-3434) or just stop by.

Putting off maintenance can harm your wallet/bank account later. Changing your oil and the other fluids in your vehicle are vital in keeping you engine, transmission, cooling system, brakes and power steering components properly lube and working. Get problems checked out sooner rather than later. You can cause more problems by waiting.

Make sure you trust your mechanic.

Make sure your mechanic knows what you want out of your vehicle and they know you plan on keeping it for a while that way they pay closer attention.

Items to have if you break down

1. Heavy duty jumper cables

2. Tire Gauge

3. Triangular folding reflectors

4. Duct tape

5. 4 in 1 screwdriver

6. Flashlight or lantern

7. First Aid Kit

8. Oil rags

9. Safety glasses or call Cinco Car CARE!

No one wants to be stuck on the side of the road.  Here are a few things to have checked before going on a trip, courtesy of Cinco Car CARE:

• Check the cooling system (even in winter), belts, radiator, heater core and water pump.

• Be sure your tires are ready for a trip!  Shallow tread depth, under or over inflated tires and old tires (4 – 6 years) can result in a trip stopping accident or flat.

• Have your front end checked out; steering components, ball joints, tie-rod ends, etc.  If you can not steer the vehicle…well, you get the idea.

• Have your oil changed before wearing down the viscosity on a long trip and be sure to check for leaks.

• Your air conditioning system should be checked for refrigerant level, compressor clutch and belts.  Do not be fooled, if you’re A/C system does not work the non functioning parts may still affect the performance of your car.  Believe it or not, you still need you’re A/C in cold weather for your defroster to work properly.

• Make sure your transmission has been serviced according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.  The fluid should be clean and there should not be any leaks.  A worn out or damaged transmission can be expensive to repair.  Be mindful of its maintenance before taking the car on a trip.

If you have your car in for periodic maintenance and your oil changed at Cinco Car Care regularly then you are on the right track!  Just bring your vehicle in for an oil change which comes with a free inspection (which covers many of the recommendations).

You can always take advantage of our coupon and save $5 on and oil change and trip check to make sure you are ready for the season.  If you aren’t already part of our mailing list then go to the bottom of this page and fill out the form under Latest Deals.

It is important to remember, the safety of the vehicle is the responsibility of the owner and driver.  The peace of mind that you are driving a safe car and do not have to worry about an expensive repair along the way makes the drive all the more enjoyable.  Have a save trip and send us a postcard.

What do we mean by “preventive vehicle maintenance”? Preventive vehicle maintenance means keeping all the systems and features functioning as closely as possible to the manufacturer’s original design intentions.

Routine maintenance should be an ongoing process that begins when the vehicle is new, because any machine that receives use will also accumulate wear. Proactively tending to your vehicle’s maintenance needs is likely help your vehicle start, run, and stop as the manufacturer intended, so you get the maximum amount of performance, reliability, and service life. Periodic inspections of the vehicle’s systems are the easiest way to monitor its health.

Tips for better gas mileage:

• Keep air filter clean
• Keep your tires properly inflated
• Use the recommended grade of oil
• Don’t carry extra weight and try to keep trunk empty.

Oil Changes

Every 3,000 miles or 3 months – Synthetic every 5,000 miles
Use oil and filter recommended by owner’s manual;
Check oil at any chance to make sure you are not low on oil

Air Filters
Every 6 months or 10,000 miles

Brakes
Every 6,000 miles you should have your brakes checked.

Charging/Battery
Every 6 months

Belts
Every year have checked

Cooling
Every year have checked

Wipers
Replace once a year

Ignition
Replace per manufacturers warranty suggest: depending 30, 60, or 90,000 miles

Shocks/Struts/Suspension
Have regularly checked

Transmission
Flush every 15,000 miles

Tire Rotation & Pressure
Check tire pressure every 3,000 miles
Have tires rotated every 6,000 miles

Fuel Filter
Every 30,000 miles

Power Steering Fluid
Flush every 30,000 miles

Gasoline

Use gas recommended by your manufacturer’s warranty and name brand gasoline.

Air Filters
Every 6 months or 10,000 miles

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Why is it important: Helps maximize fuel efficiency, provides a more comfortable ride, and most importantly makes for a safer drive

How Often: Once a month

What do you need: Tire pressure gauge (Less than $15), car manual

Pre-Check:

1. Find out what your tire pressure should be.  You can check: your car manual, the sticker on the inside of the driver door or the raised lettering on the outside of the tire
2. Find a gas station within a mile of where you are at if possible.  You want the tires as cool as possible

Check:

1. Remove the cap on the tire’s valve stem
2. Place the pressure gauge evenly onto the valve stem (do quickly since it will start to release air until you get it on securely)
3. Check the pressure on the gauge
4. Pull the gauge off of the valve stem
5. Add air if needed (and then recheck)
6. Replace the cap on the tire valve once the air pressure is to the correct level

Please leave a comment if you have any feedback or other How To topics you would like for us to cover.

What Do You Need: A Rag Or Paper Towel (and maybe your car manual)

Pre-Check:

1. Car is in park and on level ground
2. Engine is not hot so you don’t burn yourself

Check:

1. Find the dipstick (check your manual if you aren’t sure)
2. Pull it all the way out and wipe off all the oil with your paper towel or rag
3. Insert it all the way back in
4. Pull the dipstick all the way back out and check the oil level.  If there is not an L and H (Low and High) or a Min and Max then check your manual.
5. Only add a quart of oil if the oil is at the Min or L or below.  If it is anywhere between the two marks then you are fine

If you have any suggestions for new topics please leave a comment.