Written by: Lauralee Schmidt, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
“Don’t sweat the little stuff” was a saying I always heard growing up. I think it came from a Chicken Soup book, I’m not sure, but I distinctly remember thinking I just shouldn’t be worried about little things that didn’t matter in life. I didn’t even know what those things were, but so be it. However, as I grew into an adult, I realized that the power is often in the little things, and maybe you should sweat them some. This rings true in auto care. Often, it’s the little things that save you from a big disaster.
There are some things on a vehicle you should do regularly and not play around with. These things are all listed by the mileage from the manufacturer. It’s so easy to help aid in the longevity of your vehicle if you just go by the advice the people who made the car give you. It isn’t even a long list, and it’s just a comprehensive preventative list for you to best protect your investment. If your vehicle didn’t come with a book, you could always find your recommendations online.
The most frequent maintenance item you will have to do is an oil change. Luckily, this service takes very little time out of your day and is cost-effective in most cases. There is the crazy price of the oil change for the Veyron that sits around $21,000, but unless you drive this supercar, your oil change probably rings in under a hundred dollars. You need to get this service done because the oil protects the internals of the car like water protects our bodies' organs. It needs to be freshened up from time to time due to it working and breaking down with each mile you drive. If you neglect this minor service, you will find yourself with a major engine issue at some point. I see it happen all the time, and it always is painful to tell someone they need a new engine when a $60 oil change would have been all they needed to avoid this. Save yourself a huge hassle, and hit your wallet by getting on a good oil change routine at your shop of choice.
A basic thing you may have to do from time to time is air up your tires. It’s something you can do all by yourself, which I think always feels empowering. Sometimes the temperature outside goes wild, especially here in Ohio, and it causes tires to deflate or inflate, throwing off the pressure. Your car will usually alert you to this, and you can go get some air. Driving with uneven air pressure can lead to suspension issues, uneven tire wear, or create problems with the wheel, so you don’t want to cruise around too long with low air pressure. But, if you find yourself constantly at the air pump, I’d recommend you have your technician look at your tire.
A puncture has most likely occurred, and you are leaking air. This needs to be attended to quickly to avoid further tire issues. Tires are the component that attaches you to the road, so keeping an eye on your tires is a fairly good idea. In fact, tires are a priority purchase in my eyes. I know they are a costly purchase. I must buy them too. But good tires keep my kid safe and the kids traveling around me safe. Whether you have teeny tiny tires or gigantic tires, you will have to replace them, so just start saving now. The cost of tires is not going down any time soon, and the alternative to not replacing tires in a timely manner is often not so good. Bald tires could lead to a blowout, which may create body damage to your vehicle. But even worse, you could get in an accident that so easily could have been avoided.
One smaller service item to attend to that could lead to a larger issue if neglected is the Serpentine Belt. Make sure to check it for notches, rips, or concerning wear every now and then. Most manufacturers say a Serpentine Belt will last 60K-100K miles, so you may want to start paying better attention to your belt around this time. When belts become brittle or have tears, they can break. And if they break, they can sling around the internals causing all sorts of havoc. I’ve seen them get caught up in engines, break air conditioning components, and cause a slew of disasters that can range from minor to extensive. If you start to hear some slapping noises or squealing sounds coming from under the hood, that’s a good indication you may have a broken belt. If your belt is indeed broken, I don’t recommend driving any further. In some vehicles, you aren’t going to be able to go much further anyway, so save yourself potential damage and stop, call a tow truck, and get to a shop.
There are a lot of things that can go wrong with a vehicle, and many of those things you could never control or prevent in a million years. But these are a few things that are in your control to keep you running smooth. From one driver to another, drive safely.
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Lauralee Schmidt, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Lauralee is a cosmetic guru turned auto care goddess. Her years inside a cosmetic education role with a Fortune 500 company armed her with knowledge and skills that paired perfectly with her passion for branding a business and educating a client base. Her goal is to educate women in car care, change the stigma that surrounds the auto industry, and be a guiding post for branding and business development. From international beauty campaigns to underneath a car, she has successfully navigated the world of business and branding.
