FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
When it comes time to service your vehicle, there a lot of points of confusion. You wonder if you actually need the service or if you could at least hold out until your next paycheck. You wonder how long you can really go until you need to address that check engine light. In order to clear up some of the vehicle maintenance process, we have laid out some frequently asked questions below.
If your question is not listed below, be sure to give us a call. One of our friendly customer service representatives will be happy to answer any questions that you may have!
Your coolant is what helps keep your vehicle from overheating. It, just like your vehicle’s oil, can break down and cause sludge. This wears down your vehicle and could cause it to overheat. This is not good. A coolant flush allows you to get rid of all of that broken down coolant and replace it with clean coolant. It also allows you to clean out a bit of that broken down coolant, preventing it from causing further damage to your engine.
A tire rotation … well… rotates your tires. This causes the wear on your tires to be redistributed to other parts, which will extend the life of your tires. If you don’t rotate your tires then the wear on them will be centralized to one spot, forcing it to be replaced sooner. With centralized wear, your tires may even pop sooner so be sure to rotate your tires!
Oil is the lubricant that keeps your vehicle running. If you choose not to change your oil then it will completely break down and leave a sludge in your vehicle’s engine. This will wear your engine over time and cause it to break down much sooner.
There a few different types of oil. The best way to check to see what oil your vehicle uses is to check the owner’s manual. This will tell you whether your vehicle uses synthetic or conventional oil. Conventional oil wears out sooner and needs to be changed more frequently than synthetic oil so be sure to know the distinction. Using our signature motor oil additive from the BG company with your oil change is the best thing to do with every oil change.
The type of filter that your vehicle needs depends on the type of oil that it needs. Conventional oil needs to be changed about every 3,000 miles and only requires a conventional filter. Synthetic oil, on the other hand, lasts much longer. It can last anywhere between 5,000 and 7,000 miles.
Your brake pads should be replaced when they are worn down. If you don’t replace your brake pads in a timely fashion then it can severely reduce your stopping power. This puts you and folks around you in danger. Not replacing your brake pads also means that your brakes will wear on your brake discs. This will wear them out and cause more costly repairs down the line.
It is important to have your brakes checked often. Most folks have their brakes checked when they have their tires rotated. One of the mechanics at our service center can check the thickness of your brake pads to ensure that they are running at peak conditions. Your brake pads are essential for maintaining stopping power, so be sure to have them checked every chance that you get.
If your tire pressure is low then it can cause uneven wear on your tires. That means that one tire may wear faster than another forcing you to have to replace all of your tires sooner. This can be quite costly. Low tire pressure also puts you at risk of popping your tire sooner. When you drive down the highway you may also feel your vehicle pulling to one side of the road because of this. Also low tire pressure forces your vehicle to use more power to generate the same amount of speed, costing you more gas and money!
When your check engine light comes on, there could be a number of issues. It could be something basic, like a loose gas cap, or it could be something serious. The best way to ensure that you are safe behind the wheel is to bring your vehicle into our shop for a multi-point inspection. We can find the issue and make you aware of it so you can choose whether or not you want to take the next steps to getting your vehicle back to peak conditions. One thing to NEVER ignore is a flashing check engine light. Get help immediately!