Scheduled Maintenance

Car Care Essentials: The Importance of Scheduled Maintenance

Vehicle breakdowns are irritating, inconvenient, and frightening. In fact, vehicle breakdowns are the fifth most feared driving aspect among U.S. drivers. Being stranded on the roadside is dreadful, especially in the middle of nowhere or on a busy highway. But if you schedule maintenance at Masters Auto & Tire Service, you’ll avoid surprise vehicle breakdowns and drive with less stress. 

Routine maintenance keeps your vehicle mechanically and aesthetically tuned up, enabling you to enjoy your vehicle’s optimum performance and prevent undue part replacement and major repairs in the future. Some vehicle parts, like headlights and air filters, wear out sooner. Others, like tires and engines, have a longer service life.

The secret to keeping your vehicle performing optimally is having a well-planned timetable for maintenance so that you always pay Masters Auto & Tire Service a timely visit. Here’s an example of an ideal vehicle maintenance schedule:

Immediate Service 

If you observe the following signs, bring your vehicle immediately to Masters Auto & Tire Service and let our experienced mechanics sort it out for you.

• Check engine or service engine soon light: This light on your vehicle’s dashboard indicates that the engine or transmission needs an urgent checkup.
• Poor braking/spongy brakes: This could be caused by worn-out brake pads, overheating, or air in the brake lines. 
• Vibration when accelerating: This could be caused by a faulty CV joint or motor mount, unbalanced tires, a loose lug nut, bent driveshaft or axle, etc. 
• Hard shifting: If you experience a rough transition when shifting gears, it could mean the transmission fluid is low, contaminated, or worn out. Seek a transmission fluid change service at Masters Auto & Tire Service.
• Faulty headlights: Dim, flickering, hazy, or dead headlights could be caused by a blown fuse, faulty wiring, burned-out bulbs, or a broken relay.
• Unusual engine noise: If you hear screeching, stuttering, or popping noises from the engine, let our mechanics unearth the cause. It could be caused by clogged air/fuel filters, dirty fuel injectors, etc.

Monthly Checkup 

Each month, bring your vehicle in for the following routine inspections:

• Oil and coolant level checks
• Headlight visual inspection
• Tire tread depth and pressure inspection
• Windshield wiper fluid level checks

1-Year Checkup

Yearly preventative maintenance services at Masters Auto & Tire Service include: 

• Engine air filter and cabin air filter inspection/replacement
• Brake system inspection
• Suspension system inspection
• Coolant/antifreeze fluid level check

Benefits of Having a Maintenance Schedule for Your Vehicle

Scheduled Maintenance Improves Fuel Efficiency In The Long Term 

Vehicle maintenance is one of the main factors that influence a vehicle’s fuel economy. Some of the routine maintenance services that enhance fuel efficiency include:

• Engine tune-ups
• Air and fuel filter cleaning
• Tire pressure inspection

Scheduled Checkups Help Maintain Your Vehicle’s Resale Value

On average, vehicles lose 38.8% of their value within five years. But with recurring maintenance, you’ll detect minor problems that cause major wear and tear early, so that if you decide to sell or trade in your vehicle, its good condition will convince buyers to match your asking price. 

Additionally, your vehicle’s maintenance records will show prospective buyers all the maintenance procedures you’ve had done on your vehicle. This way, they won't worry about footing major repair bills after they purchase your vehicle. 

Regular Checkups Maintain and Enhance Driving Safety

With preventative maintenance, you’ll repair minor defects like dimming headlights and brake fade early. This helps you avoid abrupt failures that could be catastrophic. Maintenance procedures like differential services also enhance safe cornering. 

Preventative Maintenance Saves You Time and Money 

When you bring your vehicle for regular service, our mechanics will be familiar with your vehicle’s condition and repair history. This will allow us to service your vehicle quickly and cost-effectively as we won't have to start from scratch. Based on your vehicle maintenance records and current vehicle conditions, Masters Auto & Tire Service can predict upcoming potential part replacements and advise you accordingly. 

Scheduled Service Boosts Your Vehicle’s Lifespan

As of 2022, the average lifespan of light vehicles was 12.2 years. Irregular maintenance will cause your vehicle to break down more frequently and accelerate the wear and tear rate, ultimately causing you to retire it much sooner.

Trust Masters Auto & Tire Service for Best-in-Class Vehicle Preventative Maintenance Services 

Since 1990, Masters Auto & Tire Service has been providing predictive maintenance services for Seattle, Washington drivers with all types of vehicles. When you trust us to service your vehicle, our seasoned mechanics will attend to your vehicle with their undivided attention and complete maintenance in a timely fashion. For questions or concerns about your vehicle, or to schedule a checkup, just call (206) 243-8487.