Car Maintenance is as Important as Health Maintenance

Linda Knaack

Knaack of it Automotive

What does your car mean to you? For some, it’s livelihood, status, freedom, or independence. Whatever the meaning, it can be inconvenient and generally expensive if your vehicle isn’t reliable and breaks down. The good news is, there are a few basic things you can do to help avoid unnecessary aggravation and expense.

Just as you go to a doctor for your physical health, you should do the same for your vehicle. If your car isn’t healthy, it can lead to similar afflictions as health problems, like missing work or needing to cancel a vacation. Likewise, break-downs are avoidable with proper check-ups and maintenance, just as we do things to stay healthy, such as brushing our teeth, taking our medication, and going for yearly physicals. Your car, too, should have an annual check-up with a qualified mechanic. An annual inspection provides an opportunity to identify potential items that may become an issue further down the road.

Proper maintenance matters. Examples include regularly scheduled oil changes, fluid flushes, and tune-ups. Getting an oil change is much like filling your prescriptions. If you run out of your medication, disaster is liable to strike. As with your car, low oil, old oil, or no oil can lead to hospitalization for a few days or the mechanic shop in the car’s case. We often encounter vehicles that have been placed into hospice care far too soon for their age because of lack of maintenance. Don’t let yours become one of them.

Does stopping matter? Well, that depends. Are you taking a break or putting on the brakes? Both are critical for your well-being. So please, have your brakes checked annually during your healthy car inspection. That way, you can take that well-deserved family road trip with the peace of mind you can STOP as many times as needed for those special family photo ops.

Check engine light on? Heartburn or heart attack? Please don’t ignore it; get it checked. It could be a matter of life or death. Death might be a bit drastic, but it is always better to be safe than sorry.

What’s an owner’s manual? Do you know where to find it? All vehicles come with one but sometimes they get lost. If you don’t know where it is, no reason to fret. You can often find them online, or you can always give your licensed local mechanic a call! An owner’s manual is an essential piece of literature that provides you with your vehicle’s maintenance schedule. Every car is different, just as every person is different. It tells you the necessary information, such as the type and weight of oil your vehicle uses. Your manual will also cue you in on when services are due. For example, things like spark plugs or fluid flushes are often due every 60,000 miles, oil changes are due every 3,000 to 5,000 miles, and timing belts are due every 100,000 miles.

At Knaack Automotive, we don’t like calling you about your car in ICU or even Hospice care. But, just as we take care of our human health, your car’s health is equally important. Breakdowns on a highway can be dangerous and even fatal. If you hear a noise, smell something bad, or feel a vibration, please have it checked. We would much rather call you with news of a successful repair or completion of maintenance rather than telling you that your car won’t be back on the road. If your car is your livelihood, status, freedom, or independence, don’t take it for granted. Get it checked.