Scheduled Maintenance
Scheduled maintenance is a crucial part of the upkeep of any vehicle. At Ethan’s Honest Auto, we help you determine the schedule that will work best for your unique car. Listen to our recommendations and bring your car in to be serviced at the correct time. Keeping up with the regular maintenance of your vehicle is essential for reducing the number of huge repair jobs you may need in the future.
What is scheduled maintenance?
Many vehicle owners are unsure of what exactly scheduled maintenance is and how it applies to their car. Scheduled maintenance is essentially planned trips to Ethan’s Honest Auto. The schedule is set up to check parts and systems for damage or regular wear and tear.
You can find recommendations for scheduled maintenance in your vehicle’s service manual. Typically these recommendations are put in terms of mileage. So, for example, you may need to have your oil changed every 3000 miles or to have your tires rotated every 6000 miles.
Some newer vehicles also have maintenance reminders lights. However, these are just recommendations based on a computer algorithm. The maintenance reminder lights should not replace your own observations of your vehicle. They might also not be accurate as the recommended schedule provided by your local auto repair shop.
What is involved in scheduled maintenance?
Scheduled maintenance encompasses many services. These auto repairs will occur at different intervals depending on the recommended schedule. The specialists at Ethan’s Honest Automotive can perform any type of scheduled maintenance on your vehicle. The most common tasks include
- Oil changes
- Transmission fluid changes
- Tire rotation
- Filled or replaced windshield washer fluid and wipers
- Power steering fluid changes
- Replaced air filter
- A/C service
- Brake service
- Suspension service
- Spark plug maintenance
- Ignition maintenance
By allow scheduled maintenance to occur, you could potentially stave off big problems down the line. Even simple tasks like filling windshield washer fluid or changes the engine oil can have big ramifications if not done often enough.
When do I need scheduled maintenance?
Not all scheduled maintenance tasks need to be performed at the same time. However, you may not want each one done separately unless you enjoy spending a lot of time at your auto repair shop. We would love to see you that often, but for your convenience, our specialists will recommend a schedule based on mileage ranges.
Ethan’s Honest Auto does not provide cookie-cutter scheduled maintenance. We will discuss your needs and vehicle, and then create a schedule that works best for you. That said, there are a few generalizations that can be made about scheduled maintenance. You will likely have a timetable that looks similar to this sample.
Monthly
You will want to pay attention to any check engine or other dashboard lights often. You should also check the inflation of your tires, the levels of your windshield washer fluid, and engine oil regularly. If you notice problems or have concerns about any of these systems, schedule a visit with Ethan’s Honest Auto immediately.
3000 miles
At this mileage, you will want to have your oil and oil filter replaced. The team members at Ethan’s Honest Auto should also check your transmission fluid level, battery, belts, exhaust, and power steering fluid.
6000 miles
At your 6000 mile visit, we will check the systems already listed in addition to the chassis lubrication, engine air filter, and wiper blades.
12,000-15,000 miles
Have you brakes completely checked at your 12,000-mile visit. We will also check the previous systems as well as your wheel alignment and cabin air filter.
20,000-30,000 miles
At this age, the new parts of the vehicle that need maintenance will be your fuel filter, coolant, radiator hoses, HVAC system, and suspension.
35,000-50,000 miles
Vehicles will need a new battery at about this age. They will also need new spark plugs and wires and have the ignition system and suspension checked.
60,000 miles
From this mileage on, the entire car should be checked regularly for wear and tear and new problems.
Why is scheduled maintenance important?
Scheduled maintenance may seem a little intimidating, but it is essential for keeping your vehicle in good health. As you can see in the sample schedule above, all of the vehicle’s systems will be checked by about 50,000 miles. That means any issues with those systems will be found and dealt with before the problem intensifies.
You want to keep your vehicle in the best condition possible. That is why you need to contact Ethan’s honest Auto today about setting up your unique maintenance schedule. We are ready to work with you to find a schedule that will keep your vehicle in peak condition. Contact our customer service professional today to set up your appointment.
FAQs About Scheduled Maintenance
Obviously, schedule maintenance encompasses a lot of services. Yes, you could schedules each of these services separately. But, that is not an efficient use of your time and money. You could also choose to wait until something breaks before bringing in your vehicle. We also do not recommend that option.
Scheduled maintenance ensures that little problems do not become big problems. It is the best way to ensure your warranty stays valid and that your vehicle stays as healthy as possible for as long as possible.
The exact type of maintenance we do at any given appointment may vary. However, some tasks are more common than others. These include
- Tire rotations.
- Oil changes
- A/C service
- Brake service
- Suspension service
- Fluid changes
- And more.
Because different types of regular maintenance occur at various times, you will likely need to make separate appointments. However, at each appointment, we will likely check multiple systems at each visit. For example, at 20,000-30,000 miles, we will look over and change your fuel filter, coolant, radiator hoses, HVAC system, and suspension.
Following your maintenance schedule is the most efficient way to keep your vehicle in tip-top shape.
On our Scheduled Maintenance page, you will find a recommended timeline. This timeline lays out the general schedule experts recommend for vehicles. We’ve laid out the timeline by miles-driven because that is easier to follow. Often periods and mileage will be given in maintenance schedules. But if you do not drive often, the periods between each type of maintenance will vary wildly.
Contact Ethan’s Honest Automotive to plan a maintenance schedule for your unique vehicle.
There are a few different types of vehicle maintenance. These are preventative maintenance, condition-based maintenance, predetermined maintenance, predictive maintenance, and corrective maintenance. Not all of these five are considered scheduled maintenance. Still, let’s define each type so that you know exactly what variety of maintenance is being done to your vehicle.
Preventative maintenance is the most common type of scheduled maintenance. It is like a check-up for your vehicle. For this type of maintenance, the technician looks over your vehicle to attempt to find and correct any problems before they occur. Predetermined maintenance is another type of scheduled maintenance. This type involves the maintenance schedule found in your vehicle’s manual. Your manufacturer will tell you when to have certain maintenance performed on your vehicle, that maintenance is the predetermined variety.
In condition-based maintenance, the vehicle is observed while running to determine any problems. It is a complicated but economical type of vehicle maintenance. Predictive maintenance is a type of condition-based maintenance. In it, diagnostic tools are used to check the systems of your vehicle for failures. Finally, corrective maintenance is the type that occurs when something has gone wrong. The technician is actively looking to correct a problem with this type of maintenance.
Services provided by Ethan’s include:
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Oil Changes
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A/C Service
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Brakes
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Tire Rotation
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Windshield Wipers/Washer Fluid
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Wheel Bearings
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Differential Services
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Coolant Flushes
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Struts
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Transmission Services
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Tune Ups
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Shocks
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Brake and power steering services
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Timing Belts
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Tie Rods
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Rack and pinion
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U-Joints
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Ball Joints
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4-Wheel Drive
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