Routine Car Maintenance Schedule

Vehicles are complicated machines, and the best way to properly care for them is by following a car maintenance schedule. It’s easy to get behind on maintenance, and setting a schedule will help you follow through on your commitment to routinely maintaining your vehicle. To help you do just that, here’s our recommended routine car maintenance schedule.

• Every 3,000-5,000 miles: Check your oil and change it and the filter according to manufacturer specifications that you can find in your owner’s manual. When performing this simple check, it’s also a good idea to check your tire pressure and tire treads. Appropriate tire pressure promotes even wear of your tires, and tires that aren’t too worn down are of vital importance for maintaining traction and control on the road.
• Every 15,000-30,000 miles: At the 15,000-mile mark, or after about one year of driving, you should check your air filter. Depending on how much you drive and where, you may be able to wait until the 30,000-mile mark to swap it out, along with your fuel filter.
• Every 60,000 miles: At 60,000 miles, a variety of your car’s components need to be checked. Here are some of the most important:
  • Battery: A standard car battery typically lasts four to five years, or approximately 50,000-60,000 miles. If you’re nearing this point, it’s a good idea to check your battery’s health so it doesn’t die on your unexpectedly.
  • Brakes: Around the 50,000-mile mark, you should check you brake fluid, brake pads, and rotors, replacing components as appropriate.
  • Coolant: Coolant both helps keep your vehicle’s engine cool and keeps the air conditioning system functioning effectively, so replace your coolant at 60,000 miles.
  • Transmission fluid: Transmission fluid can last anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000 miles, so it’s a good idea to check your transmission fluid periodically once you pass the 30,000-mile mark.

One of the easiest ways to stay on top of car maintenance is to let a qualified team of professional technicians look at it at regular intervals. Schedule your next service appointment at Rothrock Motors to start down the path of responsible car ownership.