You can avoid significant service bills down the road by checking your oil, inspecting your tires and taking other maintenance steps. When you keep your vehicle’s maintenance in check, these tasks can seem expensive and complicated. However, you don’t have to be a DIY wizard to prevent a costly or unexpected auto repair from occurring. If you believe you’re experiencing serious issues, though, choosing a professional mechanic in Apple Valley, California is your best recourse.

Changing Your Oil

Previously, the rule of thumb used to be that a vehicle’s oil needed to be changed every three thousand miles or three months–whichever came first. Now, manufacturers are changing these guidelines. You can find out how often your vehicle’s oil needs to be changed by consulting your owner’s manual. If you don’t have this piece of literature anymore, speak with a technician from an Apple Valley, California service station about how often this should occur. Performing this task will help prevent costly repairs in the future.

Check Your Brakes

In addition to being a critical part of stopping, brakes also play an essential role in slowing down your vehicle while you’re driving as well. If you need to replace your brake pads, rotors, or shoes, those auto repairs can become expensive. However, if you continuously check your brakes throughout their lifetime, it’s possible to plan for these repairs. Using a professional mechanic from Apple Valley, California will check your brakes during each oil change. They’ll let you know if you need service soon so that you can make these plans.

Inspect Your Air Filters

If your air filters are clogged, this means your engine isn’t breathing the way it should. The air filter cleans the air moving through your vehicle’s engine. The schedule for replacing air filters is every 30,000 miles or as soon as your mechanic notices it’s dirty. They’ll check this during your oil change. The same time your Apple Valley, California mechanic is checking that air filter, ask them to check your cabin air filter. That one should be changed annually.

Final Thoughts

While these may seem like simple tasks, they will help increase the life and mileage of your vehicle. Ignoring things like oil changes, brakes, and air filters add up to costly auto repairs in the future. Be sure to keep an eye on your tires during these inspections, as well, to ensure they’re in alignment and their treads aren’t wearing down.