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Servicing Your Car: Everything You Should Know

Servicing your car is one of the most important things you can do for your car, especially if you want to keep it in good condition for a long time to come – but even though it’s this important, it also happens to be one of the things that most people skip over when it comes to car care.

If you want to be safe on the road and ensure that you don’t break down next to the highway on your way somewhere, you should take it in for a car service on a regular basis.

A lot of people aren’t sure just when their car needs this service, and this is part of why a lot of people are putting it off for too long – even when they don’t really mean to.

Here’s what you should know about servicing your car, including how often is best – and just what you should know about the essentials sounds that can come from under the hood when there’s something wrong with your car.

car service

Car Service and Safety

Everyone knows that servicing your car is pretty important – but most people don’t stop to think about just how important. If you don’t have your car serviced at the appropriate time, you’re putting yourself at risk of having an accident – or causing one – because of a fault in your car that would have been easily spotted during a routine service.

These are things like deflating tyres or failing breaks, or anything that can make your engine splutter or stop when it’s not supposed to.

The whole point of a regular service is to check the essentials of your car to make sure everything is working the way it should; if not, then your car should be in ideal driving shape by the point you’re done with your car’s service – and you’ll be ready to hit the road.

Don’t take the risk of leaving your car’s service for too long: It’s one of the foremost causes of car accidents, and the majority of them could have been prevented.

When to Service Your Car

So, when is it really the right time to service your car? It can be said that there’s no real right time to fix your car – most cars could do with a proper service, and most cars have been driving around without one for months, weeks or sometimes even years at a time.

Most experts believe that it’s ideal for a car to be serviced “at least once every few months” – although just how many a few months are will depend on what type of conditions you’re driving your car around in. Undesirable weather conditions and rough roads can contribute to needing a service more regularly, as can colder (or hotter) temperature spikes in your area; driving around more often can also mean that you’ll need a more regular service.

When the Seasons Change

car during the winter months

Cars are subject to more stress than you might realize when the seasons change, especially when the snow starts – and your car ideally needs a service when the seasons start to change to ensure that it won’t freeze up or overheat whichever way the weather goes.

Before Travelling

Service your car before travelling, especially when travelling long distances.

When Buying a Used Car

Unless you’ve checked the service booklet, you’ll usually have no idea just how long it’s been since the car was last serviced when you’re buying a used car – this is why it’s a good idea to get your car serviced as soon as you buy it.

When Experiencing Issues 

Ideally, you should service your car before you start to experience any issues – but if you do, then take your car in for a service immediately before a smaller problem turns into a much bigger one.

Common Car Noises

The noise your car makes can tell you a lot about what’s wrong with it, and mentioning any of these to your repairperson can be a huge help towards diagnosing the problem.

If your car happens to be squealing, it’s usually because of a belt somewhere in the car that’s worn and needs replacement; sometimes squealing can also refer to an internal leak happening within the engine.

If your car is grinding instead, it’s usually the clutch, gears or wheel bearings causing the grinding sound.

Hissing can usually point to a leak somewhere within the vehicle, or can mean that it’s dangerously close to overheating when you can combine this problem with any of the essential car lights turned to on.

If you’re hearing your car banging, tapping or clicking, it could easily be a leak, lack of oil or loose components that are moving around in the engine.

Servicing your car is vital, especially if you want to ensure your vehicle stays in good condition for years – and you stay safe on the road.

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