Tag: Service Intervals

Have you ever noticed that your vehicle has a schedule in your owner’s manual for what is called “severe service” maintenance? Let’s define what severe driving conditions aren’t: The easiest driving a vehicle experiences is traveling on the interstate for 20 miles (32 kilometers) or more at a constant rate of 65 miles per hour (105 kilometers per hour) in 75°F (24°C) weather with only passengers on board. Change any one of those parameters and you are adding stress to your engine. Change them significantly and you are driving under severe conditions.

Let’s look at the parameters one a time. First, the length of the trip. Short trips around TIGARD are harder on an engine than longer ones. As your engine cools down, water in the air condenses onto the engine. When you heat the engine again, the water evaporates off. This is healthy. But on short trips, the engine doesn’t stay hot enough long enough for all of the water to evaporate. So it starts to build up in the engine oil leading to sludge, which can clog up your engine and lead to serious engine damage. If most or all of your trips around the TIGARD area are less than four miles, you should be using the severe service maintenance schedule. Changing your oil more frequently at Tylers Auto TV in TIGARD will help prevent the formation of sludge.

Most of us TIGARD drivers think of severe OR weather conditions when we think of severe driving conditions. And we’re right. Cold OR weather takes its toll on the oil in your vehicle. Remember how water has to evaporate out of the oil to keep your engine healthy? It can take up to ten miles of driving for an engine to get hot enough to get rid of moisture in the oil when the weather is cold.

Hot TIGARD weather is also bad for vehicles. When an engine runs, it gets hot. The longer it runs, the hotter it gets. If it gets too hot, it breaks down. So it has to be constantly cooled to keep running. Hot OR weather means your cooling system has to work harder to keep your engine from getting too hot.

So, in the end, most of us TIGARD auto owners drive under severe conditions some of the time. Smart TIGARD residents will ask themselves the question: “Should I follow the severe service maintenance schedule?” An honest evaluation of our driving habits is the best way to determine which schedule to follow.

Tylers Auto TV
12485 SW MAIN ST
TIGARD, OR 97223
(503) 639-5588
http://www.tylersautomotive.com

 

Organization is the key to managing a busy life in OR. So setting up an annual calendar for vehicle care can keep TIGARD residents on top of preventive maintenance. But you can’t just write “oil change” every few months on the calendar. Modern vehicles have many systems that are vital to the safe operation of a vehicle, and they all need to be inspected. TIGARD residents can’t afford to overlook any of them.

The following is a list of preventive maintenance services that are often overlooked by vehicle owners in the TIGARD area. They are not presented in any particular order.

1. Tylers Auto TV Power Steering Service. Moisture gradually builds up in your power steering fluid, which can lead to corrosion in your steering system. The fluid also gets dirty, which can gum up your steering system. The fluid needs to be replaced periodically.

2. Tylers Auto TV Wheel Alignment. Wheels that are out of alignment will cause a vehicle to pull to one side. This is dangerous for TIGARD residents and can lead to accidents. Also, it causes uneven and rapid tire wear, which means tires must be replaced more often.

3. Tylers Auto TV Differential Service. They are part of the drive train system that transfers power from the engine to the wheels. Damage or wear in this system can make a vehicle undriveable.

4. Tylers Auto TV Cabin Air Filter. Your vehicle may or may not be equipped with a cabin air filter. Its job is to remove dust and pollen from the air that enters the passenger compartment of the vehicle. If this filter clogs, it can stink. So check your owner’s manual to find out if your vehicle has a cabin air filter. If so, come visit us at Tylers Auto TV and get it changed according to the recommended schedule.

5. Tylers Auto TV Timing Belt Replacement. Most passenger cars and some vans and trucks have timing belts. TIGARD residents can check their owner’s manual to find out if their vehicle has one. If so, you can’t drive without it. And if it breaks while on the road, you may be looking at thousands of dollars of repairs. So it is important to inspect it occasionally. If your vehicle has close to 60,000 miles/100,000 kilometers or more on it and you haven’t had your timing belt replaced, then you need to find out the recommended replacement interval NOW.

6. Tylers Auto TV Transmission Service. Transmission fluid gets dirty and has to be replaced. If not, you risk repairs.

7. Tylers Auto TV Air Conditioning Service. The refrigerant in your air conditioner needs to be replaced periodically. This fluid doesn’t just refrigerate air; it provides lubrication to the air conditioning system and conditions seals. Lack of fluid can damage components.

8. Tylers Auto TV Brake Service. Even if your brakes are quiet and working well, the brake fluid still might need to be changed. Over time, moisture builds up in brake fluid. Water has a different viscosity than brake fluid, so the brakes can’t compress properly when there’s too much moisture in the fluid — and you shouldn’t need to be told how it is to drive with brakes that are compromised. Moisture in your brake fluid can also corrode parts in your brake system, causing it to fail altogether.

9. Tylers Auto TV Coolant System Service. Antifreeze is another fluid that needs to be changed regularly. If not, it actually becomes corrosive and begins to damage your cooling system. Eventually it can eat holes in your radiator.

10. Tylers Auto TV Fuel System Cleaning. Over time, your fuel system just gets gummed up, which can interfere with the flow of fuel in a number of ways.

Of course, your next question should be: How often do I need to get all of this done? Well, the answer varies depending on which service we’re talking about, the make and model of your vehicle, the climate where you live in OR, your usual driving conditions and your driving habits.

But don’t lose heart. Your owner’s manual will give you a recommended service schedule for most of the service items listed. And you can get quality auto advice from your friendly and knowledgeable Tylers Auto TV service advisors to help you meet the service intervals that suit your vehicle.

Tylers Auto TV
12485 SW MAIN ST
TIGARD, OR 97223
(503) 639-5588
http://www.tylersautomotive.com