Preventative Maintenance

Jenkins Auto Repair Professionals in Greenfield Indiana knows your vehicle is one of your largest investments.

We believe you can MAXIMIZE YOUR VEHICLE’S LIFE AND PERFORMANCE. Whether it’s time for a 30,000, - 60,000 or 90,000 mile service, we can handle any and all preventive maintenance and automotive repairs required.

Foreign, domestic or European – All OUR SERVICES MEET OR EXCEED MANUFACTURER’S REQUIREMENTS. Call and schedule your preventative service today. Let us help you avoid excessive repairs to your vehicle by doing the necessary and timely maintenance checks.

Preventive Maintenance Check List:

● Always consult your owner’s manual for schedule of oil filter changes (approx. every 3K to 5K miles)
● Check all fluid levels – Including brake, power steering, transmission / transaxle, windshield washer and antifreeze.
● Check tire inflation once / month – Under-inflated tires rob you of fuel efficiency
● Keep engine properly tuned – Fouled spark plugs can reduce fuel efficiency by up to 30%
● Lubricate the chassis frequently – This extends the life of the suspension system’s moving parts
● Check battery cables and posts for corrosion – Clean as needed
● Check battery fluid level – Fill as needed ( unless maintenance-free )
● Regularly inspect engine belts
● Check air filtration system frequently – At every other oil change. This ensures peak vehicle performance

PREVENTATIVE AUTO MAINTENANCE
The following is a list of some key areas requiring preventative maintenance. Consult your owner's manual for information about when to replace specific fluids and components: Change oil regularly, Monitor all fluids, Maintain transmission, Change spark plugs as required, Watch the timing belt, Flush the radiator, Change all filters, Combat rust, Maintain good driving habits.

Preventive maintenance may seem like an unnecessary car expense, but it often involves matters that you'll have to take care of sooner or later, and paying for them sooner will often be a less expensive undertaking. Most important is the fact that preventive maintenance will help keep you and others safe. And if you don't keep up with your car's preventive maintenance, you may find yourself stuck or in need of repair when you can least afford it.

Fluids
Check all of your fluids regularly. You may need some assistance from a parent or mechanic to show you where to check if you are unfamiliar with the process. You should check your oil, antifreeze, steering fluid and brake fluid regularly. It's also a good idea to check your wiper fluid. It is of the utmost importance that your car not run out of oil, as this can destroy your engine. Your oil can get very dirty and should be changed about every 3-5,000 miles or three months. Antifreeze should not be allowed to get too low or your car engine will overheat, which can do severe damage. Antifreeze should be changed about once every two years.

Wheels
Check your tire pressure often--at least once a week is a good idea. Buy a simple tire gauge, then just stick it into your valve stem to get a reading. The amount of pressure that your tires should be inflated to can be found on the inside door jamb on the driver's side of your car. Low inflation is dangerous because it can cause loss of control and blowouts. It also causes poor gas mileage. You should also check the tire tread for uneven wear and to see if there is enough tread on the tires. Stick a penny in the tire tread, and if you can see all of Lincoln's head, it's time to get a new tire.

It's also important to have your brake pads changed regularly. Brake pads can last anywhere from 20,000 and 60,000 miles. You should also listen to see if you hear any screeching or grinding. These signs will let you know if there is a problem, but it makes sense to check often and get pads changed early rather than late.

Air Filter and Battery
Two other important areas to check are your air filter and your battery. Have Jenkins Auto Repair Professionals test your battery if it is over 3 years old. A battery will usually last about five years or more. Take a look to see if there is any corrosion around the battery or battery cables. If you think your battery is getting up there in age, just go ahead and replace it. Spending a little bit of money early is better than being stranded somewhere.

Your air filter is what keeps the air that runs through your engine clean. The filter can get very dirty, and replacing it will make your car run better. A dirty air filter can rob you of gas mileage.

There are a lot of pieces to a car, and everything should be kept in good order. Bring your car in to Jenkins Auto Repair Professionals and we will perform a vehicle inspection to ensure you are aware of any potential problems with your car or light truck. Always, pay attention to any dashboard trouble lights that come on and have them checked out right away.

Value of Preventative Auto Maintenance
Spending more than $600 annually on maintenance and repairs may sound like a lot, but it's nothing compared to the added expense of buying a new car, especially if your current car is paid off. In fact, by some estimates, every five years you drive your car after paying it off saves you the monetary equivalent of a new car.

1. The smell of burnt rubber could be slipping drive belts or misplaced loose hoses that might be rubbing against rotating accessory drive pulleys. Do not reach in if the engine compartment is hot.

2. The smell of hot oil could mean that oil is leaking onto the exhaust system. To verify the leak, look for oil on the pavement or smoke coming from the engine area.

3. The smell of gasoline is likely the sign of a gas leak in some area of the vehicle such as a fuel injector line or the fuel tank. Any smell of fuel can result in a possible fire hazard, so immediate attention should be given.

4. The sweet smell of syrup may be a sign that your car is leaking engine coolant from a leaky component related to the car’s cooling system. Do not open the radiator cap when it is hot.

5. The smell of burning carpet could be a sign of brake trouble and a safety hazard. Have your brakes checked right away, especially if this smell is happening during normal driving conditions.

6. The smell of rotten eggs is never a good one and, if you smell it coming from your vehicle, it could mean a problem with your catalytic converter not converting the hydrogen sulfide in the exhaust to sulfur dioxide properly. This smell can also be attributed to a poor running engine, causing the catalytic converter to become overloaded and fail due to meltdown.

To understand how, let's compare a new car to a paid-off car with standard maintenance. To make it interesting, let's stack the deck in the new car's favor by saying that you drive 24,000 miles (38,624 kilometers) per year, which is double the national average. In five years, that adds up to 120,000 miles (193,121 kilometers) under your wheels, which translates to 35 to 40 oil changes. At $40 apiece, you're looking at $1,400 to $1,600 -- let's call it $1,500. Figure in another $2,200 for miscellaneous service costs (filters, hoses, tire rotations and so on) and another $1,500 for a few major items like a timing belt replacement, new brakes and shock absorbers. Tally that up and you get $5,200, or around $1,040 per year.

Now let's compare that to a new car. According to the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), the average price of a new car sold in the United States in 2011 was $28,966, but we'll lowball it and say you found a good deal at $24,000 and financed $20,000 at 7 percent interest for 48 months. That comes out to a monthly payment of just under $479, which tallies to $5,747 per year [source: U.S. Federal Trade Commission].

In other words, for the cost of owning a new car for one year, you could own a paid-off car for five years, drive it into the ground, and still have money left over for tolls.

According to Consumer Reports, the average life expectancy of a new vehicle is around eight years or 150,000 miles [source: Weisbaum]. A well-maintained car also means a safer trip for you and your loved ones. And who can put a price on that?