A new car owner might not be familiar with what a Car Maintenance Schedule is or knowledgeable about what is recommended by their automobile manufacturer’s Car Maintenance & Service Schedule.  Many new car owners are also misinformed about who can perform the scheduled maintenance and services.  They may be under the impression that they must take their car back to the place of purchase or to a dealer of the car’s manufacturer.  This could not be further from the truth.   As a matter of fact, the law protects you from being forced to take your car to the dealer for routine scheduled maintenance work.

Whether you own a Toyota, a Honda, a Ford, or a VW, your car has a manufacturer’s automotive maintenance schedule and recommendations as to what has to be done at each mileage milestone.  Your vehicle needs to be serviced at regular intervals as scheduled maintenance is essential to keeping your car road worthy.  The scheduled services will save you time and money in the long run by keeping your car from breaking down when you aren’t expecting it.  JK Automotive can provide you with a maintenance service schedule that will keep your vehicle running longer and healthier. 

Car Maintenance schedules are usually referred to as your car’s regular maintenance schedule.  These are checks and services that need to be done every 3 months, every 6 months, and every 12 months.

Every three months, or 3,000 – 5,000 miles there are things like oil changes that need to be done as well as coolant, power steering, and brake fluid levels to check.

At six months, or 6,000-10,000 miles, in addition to everything in the 3 month schedule, you need to rotate your car’s tires, do a tire depth check, inspect the brakes, check the spark plug wires, and replace the wiper blades.

At 12 months, or around 15,000 – 20,000 miles, it’s time to replace the air filter and balance the tires. In addition to all of the above 3 and 6 month maintenance procedures, it’s time to service the battery, check the A/C & heater operation and, if equipped, replace the A/C pollen filter.

You may also have heard of the Manufacturer’s Recommended Service & Maintenance Schedule.  This schedule lists things that need to be done over longer periods of time but are just as vital to your car’s maintenance.

For example at 40,000 miles one of my customer’s Volkswagen Jetta requires all of the 1 year maintenance plus replacing the spark plugs, inspecting the brake linings, the CV Joints, exhaust system, front suspension, tie rod ends and boot seals for cracks or leaks and all parts for damage, wear, improper looseness or end play and to do necessary repairs or replacements based on those inspections.

Parts & Labor on most repairs

There are procedures and checks that your car needs at varying intervals as your vehicle ages. 20K, 30k, 40k and so on.  Depending on your car’s manufacturer, these procedures and inspections will probably differ slightly in the timing of the scheduled intervals for the maintenance but none the less, in order to properly maintain your auto, they must be done.

If you are purchasing a used car, it is a good idea to have it inspected either before or immediately after the sale.  JK Automotive can inspect the vehicle and give you some recommendations on what kind of schedule service is due or needed in the future.  Once your car starts getting some miles on it, say around 80,000 to 100,000 miles, it may need the timing belt and water pump replaced if equipped.  The transmission fluid and filter may need servicing around the same time.

The important thing to remember is don’t wait until your car or truck starts making a funny noise, vibration, or a funny light comes on the instrument cluster that you have never seen before bringing it in to the shop.  By bringing it in for regular maintenance services, you can save a lot of time and money just by having it inspected and serviced on a timely basis.

Drive Safely!!