Two months of the year are devoted to Car Care Awareness- April, and October. But that doesn’t mean that you should only take care of your vehicle at those times. Chances are your car is the second largest investment next to your home. A properly maintained car offers the greatest return on investment by performing safely and dependably for you and your family. Proper maintenance also helps you avoid more costly repairs down the road.
The Car Care Council offers vehicle inspections at participating locations, and after last year’s results, they found that an estimated $62 billion is being wasted in unperformed vehicle maintenance from consumer neglect. This is caused by a lack of understanding or awareness on the part of the owner, on inconsistent messages from mechanics to the owner, and misinformation and misperceptions to and by the consumers.
Of those consumers who did participate in the annual inspection, there was an 88% failure rate (at least one test failed) on the vehicles. 28% of the cars had low washer fluid, 30% had low or dirty engine oil, 18% had low power steering fluid, 26% had low transmission fluid, 15% had worn or faulty windshield wipers, and approximately 20% had low tire pressure.
The most important motivators for vehicle care are safety, dependability, and pride of ownership. It is important to get regular check-ups on your car, not only for safety reasons, but for financial reasons as well. Keeping up with vehicle maintenance can and most often does save you from bigger breakdown expenses in the future.
There are other ways to be economically sound with your vehicle. Jerky and aggressive driving decreases your miles per gallon, so by keeping the speed limit and driving no more than 65mph on the highway you can save on gas. Proper driving technique also reduces the wear and tear that comes from aggressive driving and sudden starts and stops.
You can increase MPG in other ways as well, such as keeping excessive weight out of your backseat and trunk. Even 50 pounds can lower your gas use by 2%, so reducing the items in your vehicle to only the emergency necessities (such as a spare tire, jack, flares, and first aid kits) can help considerably.
The A/C system should be inspected annually, and reduced use is another method for improving gas mileage. Use the windows to help keep the car cool. Parking in the shade and using a reflective windshield shade can keep your car cooler when parked, meaning it takes less to cool it off when you get back in.
If every American’s tires were properly inflated we could save around two billion gallons of gas each year (check your manual for optimal pressure). Tire pressure should be checked at least monthly, including the spare. Tires that are not properly inflated add rolling resistance that makes the engine work harder to move the vehicle. All of this increases fuel costs as much as three to five cents per gallon, and increases the risk of engine damage.
At VehicleSpa, we know how important your car is to you. In addition to our quick and full service details, we also offer a number of services dedicated to keeping your vehicle in the best possible state. Whether you need to rotate your tires, get a full break inspection, or just check the fluid levels under the hood, we are more than happy to take care of those services for you. If you have any questions on how we can help you make sure that you are getting the best car care possible, please feel free to call or make use of our online concierge service. If you’re good to your vehicle it will be good to you, so don’t wait until April (or October) to make sure that your vehicle is passing all of its inspections.
VehicleSpa was one of the proud sponsors of the annual event “The White Party”, hosted by philanthropic organization Guys With Ties. Every year Guys With Ties hosts “The White Party” and donates its proceeds to local charities and non-profit organizations right here in Central Florida.
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