Preventive Maintenance: Keep Your Car Running Like New
At Grand Valley Auto Grand Junction, we offer an excellent selection of used vehicles. The most significant thing you can do to keep an older vehicle running like new is to keep up with the recommended routine maintenance. We inspect our vehicles to ensure great quality for our customers, and vehicle history reports can reveal the quality of past care for added peace of mind.
Continuing with routine maintenance will also protect any of the remaining warranty or keep an extended warranty active. No matter how old the vehicle is, it can run great with regular maintenance. Ask our team for more information about our current vehicles for sale and how to keep them running like new for as long as you own it.
The Importance of Routine Scheduled Maintenance
When buying a used car, it can come with a lot of uncertainty regarding the vehicle's history and maintenance records. Used vehicles are a great choice that can save a lot of money. With preventative maintenance, you can keep the vehicle running reliably for many years.
Tip: When you shop for a used car, ask for a vehicle history report to view past maintenance and upkeep. A vehicle that has been carefully cared for and kept up to date on routine maintenance can indicate better reliability and long-term performance.
Routine maintenance offers many great short-term and long-term benefits. For gas-burning vehicles, regular oil changes are the key to protecting the engine from overheating and breakdowns. However, each vehicle has a manufacturer-recommended schedule that will not only protect the engine but also offer performance and financial benefits:
- Improved performance
- Improved fuel efficiency
- Protect vehicle's value
- Prevent breakdowns
- Maintain safety standards
Maintenance Mileage Milestones: A General Vehicle Care Guide
All vehicles have a recommended maintenance schedule outlined by the vehicle manufacturer from the first 5,000 miles to 100K and beyond. Modern vehicles can last decades with proper care. Here is a sample maintenance schedule that most manufacturers recommend for their vehicles:
5,000-7,500 Miles
- Oil and filter change
- Tire rotation and pressure check
- Brake inspection
- Multipoint Inspections
Note: Older vehicles, prior to the early 2000s used to have 3,000-mile recommended intervals. If your vehicle is older, you use conventional oil, have more than 100k miles on the odometer, or engage in severe wear activities like off-roading, you may need more frequent oil changes. However, the development of synthetic oils has reduced the intervals for recommended oil changes in most vehicles.
15,000-30,000 Miles
- Air filter replacement
- Battery check
- Brake pad wear
- Coolant level inspection
- Start watching for signs of wear and tear.
60,000 Miles
- Transmission fluid change
- Brake fluid flush
- Spark plug replacement
- Timing belt inspection (if applicable)
- Mid-life maintenance to keep systems running efficiently.
90,000-100,000+ Miles
- Full system diagnostics
- Suspension and steering check
- Fuel system cleaning
- Timing belt/chain replacement
- Prepare for high-mileage reliability.
The exact mileage intervals and recommended maintenance services are outlined in the vehicle owner's manual. If you no longer have access to the manual or need to know when your vehicle is due for maintenance, please don't hesitate to contact our team or speak with your preferred automotive mechanic.
Learn More About Vehicle Maintenance for Used Vehicles at Grand Valley Auto Grand Junction
At Grand Valley Auto Grand Junction we sell high-quality used vehicles. Although our vehicles come from a wide range of ages and mileage, you can keep it running well and get plenty of useful life with routine maintenance. For more information about our available vehicles for sale or to learn more about how to care for your vehicle, no matter the number of years or miles, contact our team in Grand Junction, CO. Serving the surrounding areas of Fruita and Clifton.
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