Sticking to a new cars maintenance schedule is a lot easier than it used to be.
You don't have to be old to remember 1,000-mile oil changes "points and plugs," changes, tune-ups and carburetor adjustments every 5,000 to 10,000 miles--not to mention engines that were lucky to see 100,000 miles. Thankfully, those numbers are truly history for today's high-tech cars and trucks.
Improved filtering systems and better oil quality have extended the interval between oil changes to every 5,000 or 7,500 miles. More efficient and more reliable fuel injection systems have replaced cranky carburetors.
And advanced spark plugs, sophisticated electronics and computer control systems have lengthened tune-up intervals to 30,000 miles, with a growing number of vehicles in all price ranges going 100,000 miles before needing a major tune-up.
Manufacturers' recommended maintenance schedules now routinely run to 120,000 miles, and owners can expect more miles after that.
The bad news is that no one has invented the perfect car--yet. Cars still need maintenance to live long, run well, stay safe and sell for more than scrap when you tire of them. And that is still your responsibility. To neglect that responsibility not only jeopardizes the manufacturer's warranty, it puts your sizable investment at risk.
The trick is to know which services your car needs (and which it doesn't need) and when it needs them. And you need to find the best person to perform the maintenance
A little light reading
For fun things to do, reading a new-car owner's manual and warranty guide ranks right up there with opening this year's package of IRS tax forms. But take heart. Although many manuals still rely on the annoying authoritative tone of a stern teacher to emphasize their do's and don'ts, manufacturers have made the manuals more comprehensive and easier to read. Even the mechanically challenged can follow the manufacturer's clear maintenance recommendations, complete with helpful illustrations.
The most important thing to familiarize yourself with is the maintenance schedule, which lists the minimum requirements you must meet to keep your warranty in effect. If you know exactly which services are required, your odds of being ripped off are greatly diminished. But the key word here is "minimum." Depending on your driving habits and your need to nurture your new vehicle, you may have to go beyond those minimum requirements. Most owner's manuals provide separate maintenance schedules for "normal" and "severe" driving conditions.
Normal versus severe driving
What's normal in this day and age? Good question. When it comes to driving, you and your car are often at odds. Long trips at steady highway speeds are tough on drivers but easy on cars. What cars don't like are short trips--where they never get a chance to fully warm up--and stop-and-go commuting, which most of us do every day.
Cars and trucks also need more maintenance if they're used off-road; if they haul trailers or carry heavy loads; if they're operated in extreme temperatures, humidity, dust or pollution; or if they are left to idle for extended periods.
If any of those conditions describe your driving environment, be prepared to follow a severe maintenance schedule. That simply means more-frequent trips to the dealership or service shop for routine maintenance and inspections--for example, oil and filter changes every 3,000 miles instead of every 5,000 or 7,000. But nearly any auto technician will tell you that's a good idea anyway, particularly for owners who don't want any hassles over warranty claims or who expect to keep their cars well beyond the warranty period. As that stern teacher would say, better to be safe than sorry.
Picking the right shop
Automakers strongly recommend that new-car owners use authorized, franchised new-car dealers for routine service and repair, and most owners do stick with the dealer that sold them the car, at least through the warranty period.
But you can use independent, chain or quick-service shops--or do the work yourself--and keep the warranty in effect as long as you keep detailed records and receipts and use only parts and materials warranted by their manufacturer to be equivalent to the car's original equipment.
That's a big if, considering that auto repair service ranked second-worst in the Better Business Bureau's latest report on complaints filed against businesses.
Shady practices such as performing unnecessary or unauthorized repairs, exceeding estimates without authorization and charging for repairs not performed give the auto repair industry a black eye, according to the Auto Repair Task Force Report released by the National Association of Attorneys General. That makes picking the right service shop even more important.
Here are the pros and cons of various choices.
Dealerships. The key factors in choosing the right service facility are technician training and competence, proper tools and diagnostic equipment, and the latest technical information and original equipment parts for your car or truck. Franchised new-car dealerships have them all.
