When you own a vehicle, there are two things that you may find yourself spending money on: maintenance and repairs. The difference is, maintenance is much more affordable and actually helps you avoid having to spend money on repairs. It also protects the overall integrity of your vehicle and increases resell value in the future.
When you spend money on repairs, typically these repairs are needed due to poor maintenance. Repairs can be much more costly because they include having to often times replace parts all together and can be intricate depending on where the part is or how extensive the repairs are.
Your car is an investment, and the better you take care of it, the more you get out of your investment. Cars are built with many different parts, and even with great maintenance, some items will wear out and need replacing over time. So, lets look at what goes wrong with vehicles, and when.
- Dead battery - the typical car battery only lasts between 3-5 years, so it will need to be replaced periodically.
- Water pump failure - after about 70,000 miles, the likeliness of a coolant leak increase significantly. Coolant can begin seeping out of the vent hole or pump shaft and cause engine problems.
- Failing fuel pump - fuel pumps tend to start failing after about 60,000 miles and don't show any symptoms before they stop working.
- Gasket leak - gaskets can start to leak after 60,000 miles which can cause low coolant leading to engine overheating.
- Timing belt replacement - the timing belt will need to be replaced at one point and will be outlined in your vehicle's owner's manual. Replacing the timing belt before it breaks is vital because a broken timing belt can cause engine failure.
- Brake pad replacement - brake pads will wear down over time and will need to be replaced every 30,000 miles or so, depending on the make and model of your vehicle.
- New tires - the better you care for your vehicle, the more you will protect the tires. However, tires only last around 50-60,000 miles and will needs to be replaced once the tread wears down.
While the list above is a good example of parts that will need replacement over time, the best source for what your vehicle needs and when is the owner's manual. For all of your vehicle's services and repairs, bring your care into the experts here at DRIVE AutoCare today!