Those who read this article may take it one of two ways: One is, “Wow, this lady knows her car service!”, or two, “She owns an auto repair center and is doing this for the money”. If you think about it, either way, you will need auto service (or repair) sooner or later.
Whether you seek an independent repair shop or a dealership, you will be spending money on your vehicle services or repairs. The amounts are completely up to you.
Just to help car owners, I will define these two terms. Service is the maintenance of (by mileage or time) a vehicle to keep it running at manufacture’s specs. Repair is required when parts fail, break, or wear-out. Parts do wear-out often. It will happen eventually. But service is required to help minimize the repairs and their costs.
I am here to tell you to read your owner’s manual! Refer to it frequently. It tells you in black and white at what intervals to do your maintenance services. Maintenance services are set by the manufactures. They are the rules you should follow to keep your vehicle running at its top performance. They are not meant to be suggestions. Miss a service and you compromise the integrity of the vehicle. This may not happen immediately but it will increase the wear and tear of your vehicle. You spend thousands of dollars on the vehicle, wouldn’t it be nice to drive it past the pay-off date? It takes money to maintain the many systems in that vehicle to get you from point A to point B in comfort. Do not take my word for it, I swear it is laid out in your car’s manual for your reading enjoyment.
Services are done every 5,000 to 10,000 miles depending upon the vehicle. Some may even occur at 100,000 miles. Other scheduled maintenances are 30-60-90K services (your owner’s manual has the complete list). Some vehicles tell you when these services are due during vehicle start up and shut off (again, refer to your owner’s manual). The most common scheduled services are oil changes, engine air filters, cabin air filters, brake fluid flushes, coolant exchange, transmission service, drive belt and pully change, spark plug change and overall inspection of vehicle condition. These maintenance items can be pricey but compare them to the repairs you may need after neglecting the services over time or mileage. You may pay up to 10-times or more for the repairs. Be sure to check your owner’s manual for the recommended maintenance schedule specific to your vehicle’s year and model.
If you do need to service your vehicle, or repair it, in the Las Vegas area, don’t hesitate to contact Desert Oasis Auto Repair!
To the DIY’ers, I applaud your ambition to service your vehicle yourself! Google has made this possible and the time-lapse videos make it seem as if these maintenance items can be completed in a jiffy (services take longer than you see on YOUTUBE, I promise!). Your vehicle should still be checked over by an automotive professional proficient in the service and repair of your specific brand of vehicle. Again, I cannot stress enough to read the service manual for your vehicle and refer to it often throughout the ownership of your vehicle. Doing this will save you money in the long run.
