Call it Murphy’s Law, bad karma or just plain superstition, but doesn’t it seem that whenever one thing goes wrong on your car a number of other things start breaking?
Turns out though that it isn’t the planets aligning or the some other worldly being that is to blame. Your car’s parts and systems are so interconnected that when you start to ignore one problem, it turns into something far worse, explains Jeremy Wolfson, who owns Benchmark Auto Service in Minnesota. If your car takes a few seconds to start, or your brakes seem a little off, that’s your car trying to tell you something. Don’t wait to get something looked at, he advises.
Throughout his years in the auto repair business, Wolfson has seen vehicles come in for a plethora of reasons, but these three, he says, are some of the most common mistakes made by car owners:
- Underinflated tires: Since some people don’t consider their tires a viable part of their car’s system — after all they are rubber and don’t help the engine start — they tend to go ignored. But, in reality, the condition of your tires directly impacts your safety and comfort while driving. You may be under the impression that if the tires look like they have air in it, then everything is fine. However, when you don’t have an adequate amount of air, then the edges of the tire will wear out prematurely. So, not only are you going to have to change them more frequently, but your cars ability to stop will be affected and you will be more prone to wearing the tires so much that a tear forms. There is an easy fix to this dilemma, says Wolfson. Make sure that you always check the tire pressure, and have the tires filled as often as necessary. Following those two simple guidelines will greatly prolong the life of each tire.
- Ignored oil changes: This is often a major problem for a lot of car owners since getting your oil changed every couple of months seems like such a hassle. But, it’s completely necessary. Besides checking your oil levels, you also have to get the entire system cleaned and changed, no excuses. Without the required oil change, your engine will have to endure a lot more stress, and eventually, you will be facing repairs that cost hundreds of dollars more than any oil change ever would have.
- Skipped tune-ups: Every car manufacturer has their own recommended times for when you should bring your car in for a complete tune-up. But you can expect that this will be around 50,000 to 70,000 miles, which is when most vehicles tend to need minor repairs because of everyday wear and tear. During this appointment, your mechanic will be paying close attention to the major systems of your car including your engine, brakes, transmission and timing belt. Finding minor problems at this time and taking care of them is much smarter than waiting until a large problem presents itself and you’re left without a car.
