Maintenance Basics

Factory Scheduled Maintenance is Essential

Just as every person has to have routine checkups with a doctor so too do sports cars need to follow a routine of scheduled maintenance to prevent any large problems in the future and ensure the vehicle has a long, healthy life. When you purchased your vehicle you would have been given a factory maintenance guide, which is different for every vehicle and varies between car manufacturers. Most maintenance services are scheduled according to mileage, a common rule being a maintenance session after 15,000 miles, which for the average driver will take about 1 year. Keep in mind that this is the minimum recommended interval within which to have your car serviced. Your car’s need for a service will also depend on the kind of driving it has done: do you push it to high speeds, or take it on long journeys, or drive it through windy roads? It’s important to read this and check up on the recommended factory scheduled maintenance sessions which will keep your car in great shape. Many car owners know the basics of maintenance – which parts to check, what to replace – but it’s useful to have a better understanding of what actually goes on during a factory maintenance session. A professional maintenance team will know what to do, but just to make sure you should become familiar with the factory maintenance schedule for your sports car.

Why is factory scheduled maintenance so important?
Not everybody takes the general rule of automobile maintenance very seriously, which is often referred to as a major 30/60/90 – so called because most cars will need a service every 30,000 miles. Some people are content to keep driving their vehicle if nothing feels wrong after the 30,000-mile mark. This is a very bad idea as these factory scheduled maintenance sessions serves as preventative measures against your vehicle developing problems which are more serious – and more costly. These service sessions generally check and replace your oil and transmission fluid, correct your wheel alignment, check your vehicle’s belts and chassis, along with fixing any problems that you as the owner report or that the repairmen notice while servicing your vehicle. To make the best of factory scheduled maintenance you should keep a regular check on these essentials, too, as often as once every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. This will ensure your vehicle is as healthy as possible and will perform smoothly for a long time.

What can I do?
Motoring enthusiasts recommend becoming familiar with your car and its maintenance basics so that you can keep an eye on, and even fix, small problems before they become bigger ones. There are small things you can do long before your factory scheduled maintenance to keep your vehicle in excellent shape. Check the air pressure in your tires every month or so; even air pressure across all wheels can lower your gas consumption and prevent misalignment and the fast wearing out of the tire’s treads. You should keep an eye on your oil levels, too, and have it replaced regularly. Clean oil can save you a lot of unnecessary damage to the more intricate mechanisms of your engine. One thing most car owners overlook is the condition of their belts: checking the rubber drive belt at the front of your engine for any wear or tear, as a snapped belt can cause serious damage.