Preventative maintenance can save you thousands of dollars on your vehicle repair bill if you follow your vehicle maintenance plans. We have access to all of your vehicle maintenance schedules so that we can determine how to keep your vehicle safe and reliable all year round. To follow we have some tips to keep your vehicle running longer.
Maintenance plans include:
- Brake system services: to keep your vehicle stopping effectively plan to have your calipers and pads serviced regularly by greasing moving components and changing your brake fluid to prevent dry seals.
- Valve lash adjustment: many engines still use valve lash adjustments, especially diesel engines. As your vehicle runs over time clearances increase from moving parts wearing on each other. To account for this are small adjustments in the valve train to keep the valves sealing and operating properly
- Driveline fluid replacement: all driveline fluids are serviceable. Generally speaking nowadays your vehicle manufacturer will list certain fluids as “lifetime” fluids however their definition of lifetime is usually based on the warranty period of 5 years and 160,000km. To prevent major expenses plan to have your fluids replaced based on operating conditions. 75,000KM is a respectable interval for most fluids.
- Engine oil: Canada weather is hard on components especially your engine, following a 5,000KM interval for gasoline engines or 10,000KM interval for diesel engines will help maintain your engine for the long term.
- Tires: rotate your tires every 10,000KM to keep your traction where you need it and reduce unwanted tread wear.
- Glow plugs and spark plugs: replace your ignition components before they become an issue, inoperative glow plugs in the winter allow more diesel fuel to go un-burnt which could lead to washing of the cylinder walls on cold start ups. Spark plugs wear every time they create a spark which means eventually the gaps will become too large to effectively initiate a burn. Follow your maintenance plans to avoid the effects of old ignition systems.
For more service tips visit our shop at 679 HWY 97 S in Quesnel across from Tim Hortons south and talk to our mechanics, we will be happy to answer your questions or call us at 778-466-5448.