Vehicle maintenance and repairs are essential to keeping your vehicle running smoothly and efficiently. Often, basic service and repairs can all be completed at the same auto repair shop, so picking one near you and you are comfortable working is an excellent place to start.
Basic Service And Care
Keeping your car running means taking it to the auto repair shop for general care and service regularly. Oil changes, filter replacement, and general lubrication and inspection of the vehicle's systems can help to uncover problems before they become severe enough to cause a breakdown.
When you get a small chip on your windshield, your instinct might be to leave it until you get another one. That way, you can get both fixed at the same time. While that's understandable, it's not the best tactic for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that the chip can suddenly get bigger if there's enough vibration in the windshield glass. For example, when you hit a huge pothole, the resulting shock to your car can send enough vibration to the windshield that the chip suddenly expands.
Are your brakes making a noticeable squealing noise? Do you hear grinding whenever you step on the pedal? If so, you don't need this article – take your car to a brake shop right away! Unfortunately, not every problem with your car's brakes will produce these dramatic effects, and it's easy to ignore the warning signs of trouble if you don't know what they are.
Since your brakes are critical to a safe driving experience, it can pay to learn the subtle signs of trouble.
Transmissions come in two basic types, automatic and manual. Manual transmissions are also called stick shifts. A car with an automatic transmission switches from gear to gear on its own. A vehicle with a manual transmission depends on the driver to switch gears. The driver engages the clutch, which disengages the gear in the transmission. Then the driver uses the gear shift stick to move the car into the next gear, then takes their foot off the clutch, re-engaging the transmission, which is now in the new gear.
Keeping your brakes in good condition is one of the most important things you could ever do. Maintaining a healthy distance from the cars in front of you helps you avoid braking unnecessarily while having your brake pads and fluid changed regularly assists in sealing the deal. However, cars can operate sporadically, and even if you apply your best efforts, you still may not be able to stop your brakes from going out.
