Staying On Top Of Your Audi Maintenance

In today’s tight economic climate there is very little tolerance for Audi repair, as the rising costs of consumables and labor continue to become more and more prohibitive. Following the adage of “prevention is better (cheaper) than cure” it’s more important than ever to stick to an Audi Maintenance schedule. Most schedules from manufacturers are frankly confusing, and can often have you wasting time and money on unnecessary products like “Audi Rim Cleaner”. This brief guide will explain five things in order of importance that you need to do to make sure that your Audi keeps a smile on your face, while not putting a dent in your wallet.

1. Audi Maintenance and Service Schedules

   Remember that Toyota that just kept running and running, even though you never serviced it? Those days are over. Vehicles these days are like expensive watches – parts are designed with minuscule tolerances, and technology has gotten smarter and more complicated. Precision components of modern engines like turbo chargers and fuel injection systems do not like dirty fuel and oil, and when these fails can result in a costly repair job. Sticking to the recommended service mileage is vital. Most modern Audis notify you of the miles remaining to service, but if you are unsure of your interval, why not pop in to Foreign Affairs Motorsport? Our friendly technicians will be able to tell you the service interval and guidelines specific to your vehicle.

2. Use Top Tier Gasoline and Oil

   You don’t eat pig slops for lunch, so why should your Audi? A key piece of Audi Maintenance advice from Audi USA is to ensure that you use top tier gas and oils.

3. Tires

   Ensuring that you replace worn out tires with high quality new ones is an important aspect of Audi maintenance and your personal safety. Worn tires increase your stopping distance in a critical situation, and may even cause the vehicle to skid. From the technical side, worn tires place unnecessary strain on the suspension, steering and driver assistance systems like traction control. If you are unsure of what tires to fit, or when to fit them – feel free to visit our shop for free advice.

4. Driving Style

   Yes, unbelievably the way that you drive has a huge effect on the maintenance of your Audi! While much improvement has been made to vehicle technology, the basic principle is still the same. The most crucial times for your engine are just after startup and during the first 3000 miles from new. It doesn’t hurt to drive the vehicle gently until the engine temperature reaches its optimal range. After startup the oil is thick and struggles to reach all the surfaces inside the engine – consequently the most wear occurs during this period. If you strain the engine during warm-up, you simply exacerbate the wear. The common mistake most people make is to leave the engine to turn over while it warms up. Don’t do this – simply drive gently until optimum temperature is reached.

5. Wash Regularly

   Washing your car removes corrosive soot, tarmac and dust from the vehicles clear coat. This prevents clearcoat damage and ensures that your Audi’s paintwork remains pristine. On the flipside, it’s very costly to have the clear coat resprayed, so make sure that you wash off blemishes quickly. Using any expensive vehicle shampoo and wax is a good prerogative, but if you want to know the type ideally suited to your specific vehicle; come chat to us.

We hope that this guide has shown you that there is more to maintenance then meets the eye. We are here to help – our ASE certified staff have years of experience working with Audi and other foreign marques. Feel free to stop by Foreign Affairs Motorsport anytime!