What is Preventative Maintenance?
Preventative maintenance is the act of servicing or replacing worn or damaged individual parts and components of a system before their inevitable failure causes a total breakdown of the system.
A policy of preventative maintenance is preferable to a policy of fix-after-failure because preventative maintenance can be performed at convenient times and has predictable and manageable costs, whereas repairs after failures are often at inconvenient times, in remote locations, and at unpredictable and often high cost.
From experience we can say, with total confidence, that in all cases, the cost of preventative maintenance is far less than the cost of repairs after failure of old and worn parts. Preventative maintenance is also far more convenient and less stressful.
Call us and let’s talk about the preventative maintenance schedules and requirements for your particular make and model vehicle.
Suggestions for Preventative Maintenance
Maintaining Peak Performance
With today’s high fuel prices and low emissions requirements, it is necessary to maintain engine performance to the highest level or peak to get the best possible mileage and lowest possible emissions. It is not only best for the environment, but can save you a lot of money in the long run with longer engine life and better performance.
If you find that your vehicle knocks or pings, has hesitation, poor acceleration, lack of power, poor or rough idle, high emissions, poor gas mileage and you want to protect it from harmful carbon deposits, dirt, gum and varnish which are harmful to the critical parts of your engine, then we suggest a professional high tech Motorvac for your vehicle.
After your engine is cleaned by a Motorvac service it will:
- Clean your fuel injection or carburetion system
- Improve performance
- Reduce harmful exhaust emissions
- Increase fuel economy
- Improve acceleration
- Improve drivability problems related to carbon contamination
Alignment
Glenwood Auto Service offers a complete computerized wheel alignment service featuring the latest, state of the art equipment for precision and accuracy.
When it is time to replace your tires, be sure to get a wheel alignment at the same time because it will extend the life of your tires.
Batteries
The automotive battery is a device that both stores and produces electricity. The car battery operates the starting motor, ignition system and many other devices found in modern vehicles. If the battery in your car is not maintained properly, its service life will be reduced. Car batteries should be checked for electrolyte level or indicator eye, terminal condition, cleanliness, and hold-down support. Batteries should be checked at least annually. Glenwood Auto Service can check your battery, starter, charging system, an dif needed will provide you with the proper replacement part.
Brake Fluid
Brake fluid should be flushed once every two years or every 40,000 km. The hydraulic brake system is a sealed system, but still has the ability to absorb moisture from the air when the brake fluid is checked or when fluid is added. This is not good for 2 main reasons:
- Corrosion – when moisture enters the system, it can cause corrosion which in turn may eventually cause leaks in the system or hydraulic brake components to become sticky. Corrosion may cause premature failure of your hydraulic brake components.
- Reduction in brake fluid boiling – when the brakes are used heavily, the fluid absorbs a lot of heat due to brake friction and hydraulic pressure on the fluid. Brake fluid in a brand new vehicle will boil at about 400-450ºF. This fluid has 0% water in it. After two or three years the system will have 3-4% water in it and therefore the boiling point is reduced to about 280ºF. When the fluid boils, air bubbles are released into the system, and because air is compressible, the air bubbles will compress causing the pedal to drop, possibly all the way to the floor! Once the fluid cools off the pedal may return to its normal height.
Coolant / Antifreeze System
A properly functioning cooling system keeps heat from building up to destructive levels in your engine. As antifreeze/coolant ages it naturally becomes more acidic and, therefore, corrosive.
High acidity promotes premature corrosion of the radiator, heater core, cylinder head gasket, water pump, and many other internal engine components.
We recommend that your antifreeze’s freeze level and acidity level be tested on a regular basis. If the test reveals that your coolant/antifreeze is not adequately protecting your engine, a cooling system flush should be performed. A cooling system flush removes all the old fluid from the cooling system and replaces it with new fluid. During this process, contaminants and scale are removed from the cooling system allowing better flow and heat transfer.
We recommend this procedure be performed every two years or 40,000km.
CV Joints
Front wheel drive has become enormously successful because it provides many advantages over the conventional rear wheel drive vehicles, such as:
- Better steering and maneuverability.
- Better fuel economy with less weight.
- Better traction with engine weight over drive axis. (winter driving)
Front wheel drive cars have two short shafts, one on each side of the engine to power the front wheels, with four constant velocity (CV) joints. Constant velocity drive shafts for front wheel drive vehicles are in pairs. One shaft goes on the left (driver’s) side of the vehicle and the other is placed on the right (passenger) side. Each shaft has an end that connects to the engine/transmission and an end that connects to a left or right wheel. The ends of each shaft have constant velocity universal joints. Both joints are permanently lubricated and protected by a flexible, sealed boot. Should this boot become ripped and contaminants are allowed to enter, or lubricant allowed to leak, the life expectancy of CV joints can be as little as eight hours driving time.
At Glenwood Auto Service we can inspect your CV joints for safety and repair any CV joint problems.
Exhaust
At Glenwood Auto Service we service a wide range of vehicles including most foreign and domestic cars and light trucks. Because we know the importance of quality parts we use only top quality exhaust systems.
Fuel Filter Replacement
We recommend replacing your fuel filter every 50,000 km or every three years whichever comes first.
The reason a fuel filter is so important is because it removes dirt and debris from the fuel before it gets into the fuel injection system where it will cause driveability problems. If you wait too long to replace a fuel filter, it can become so plugged up that it will leak internally allowing debris to flow through to the injection system.
A plugged fuel filter reduces the quality and quantity of fuel getting to the engine therefore causing performance problems. The most common one that can be directly attributed to a plugged fuel filter is fuel pump failure. Fuel pump replacement is very expensive on many vehicles. The fuel pump will work much harder than usual in trying to pump fuel from the gas tank, through the plugged fuel filter, and onto the engine’s injection system. Because of this extra workload and resulting back pressure, the fuel pump fails prematurely.
Fuel System Service
We recommend that the fuel system be serviced every 50,000 km or every 3 years whichever comes first.
The typical symptoms of engine fuel system contamination are poor driveability, hestitations, flat spots, rough idle, hard starting, lack of power, poor fuel economy, and excessive emissions.
During normal vehicle operations fuel systems and combustion areas can become contaminated with gums, varnishes, and carbon build up over time this can decrease fuel efficiency, vehicle performance, and even cause damage to the engine and the emission parts. A fuel system service removes carbon build-up by flushing out the vehicle’s fuel system.
Symptoms of engine contamination often develop slowly over time. Their onset, frequency, and severity are highly variable. Factors which influence the frequency and severity of the symptoms are: fuel composition and quality, operating conditions, length thrips, constant versus intermittent use, engine speeds, engine operating temperatures engine design, fuel system design, and maintenance practices.
Many people will experience an immediate improvement in performance, acceleration, and fuel economy right after a fuel system service has been performed.
Oil, Lube & Filter
The oil and filter of your vehicle are critical in maintaining long engine life. The oil lubricates all the moving parts within the engine, while the filter helps to remove small metals, carbon, and other contaminants. The oil along with the filter should be changed regularly for optimum engine performance. We can provide you with a quick and professional oil and filter change.
Rack & Pinion
The rack and pinion steering system is the most popular type of steering system found on today’s cars. The rack and pinion steer the car through its connection to the tie rods and other steering components. We can help you maintain the safety of your steering system by checking the power steering pump, fluid level, hoses, and the unit itself. If needed, we can professionally replace your rack and pinion in both domestic and import vehicles.
Serpentine Belts
A large portion of cars today have only one belt, called a serpentine belt, unlike many cars of the past that had multiple belts. A serpentine belt, or any loose, cracked, glazed, frayed, oil-soaked belt can cause overheating, poor charging of the battery and power steering loss. We will check your belts and hoses and replace as necessary.
Suspension
A good suspension system improves the smoothness of your ride and keeps your wheels in proper contact with the road, which is vital to safe steering and braking. Our top quality shocks and struts give your car a superior suspension system.
So come on in for an inspection. We’ll get your car smoothly on the road again!
Timing Belt Replacement
Most vehicle manufactures recommend that the timing belt be replaced every 100,000 km.
The timing belt controls the engine timing in relationship to the pistons and the valves inside your engine.
Some vehicles have interference engines and some have non-interference engines. On a vehicle with an interference engine, it is much more important that you replace you timing belt at or just before the recommended mileage. If the timing belt were to break on an interference engine the valves and pistons can come crashing together, causing major engine damage in seconds. This is the reason that manufactures recommend belt replacement according to mileage, rather than belt condition. Also, the belt is difficult to inspect on most engines due to the protective covers that shield them from external damage.
Tires
Tires should be checked at every rotation for any abnormal signs of wear, lack of proper inflation, and road damage. Depending on the brand, model, size, and various other factors, tires will normally last 40 to 50, 000 km. Glenwood Auto Service can provide an inspection of your tires and carries a wide range of quality tires for cars, vans, and light trucks. We are fully trained to help you choose the best tires for your vehicle, driving needs and budget.
Transmission Filter & Fluid
A transmission filter’s purpose is to stop the flow of harmful debris before it reaches the internal components of the transmission. Over time debris accumulates in the filter causing it to become plugged and therefore reducing its effectiveness.
Your transmission filter and fluid should be changed together on a regular basis.
Simply changing the filter, without doing a flush, leaves anywhere from 30% to 50% of the old fluid in the transmission which prematurely reduces the effectiveness of the new filter.
In addition, the old fluid does not lubricate as effectively as the new fluid, thereby causing premature wear to the internal moving transmission components.
We recommend that you service and flush your transmission every 40,000km or every two years.
Wheel Balance
The wheels on your car may vibrate or bounce when driving. At Glenwood Auto Service we will check your tires for proper inflation, bent wheels, and any other problem that could affect the safety of your tires. If needed, we will electronically balance your tires by adding the proper amount of weights to bring your tires back to being properly balanced.