April 01st, 2017

What are the costs of postponing preventative maintenance on my vehicle?

“It's Murphy's Law!” Whenever I tell people that this is a law, they tell me that it's not a law of physics. That's true, but ignore it and see what happens. If it can go wrong, it will go wrong! And if you're postponing preventative maintenance on my vehicle, guess what? — It happens, all the time.
You get in behind the wheel, you turn the key, but instead of the purr of your engine, you hear your engine’s starter spinning endlessly because the engine won’t fire. What’s worse is the starter is spinning slower and slower until your battery goes dead.
A poorly maintained car simply costs more to drive as well as repair. A rough running engine uses more fuel. Running your car with dirty oil can wear out your engine; and believe you me, replacing your engine is going to cost you a small fortune. So, what about your transmission? Many modern transmissions “sealed for life,” but you had better make certain yours is one of them before you neglect your transmission fluid.
Another consideration is worn parts. One worn out part can very easily cause a domino effect. For example, a neglected  timing belt can break, this might allow the pistons to come into contact with the valves while the engine is spinning. That's going to do some extensive damage! By simply changing the timing belt when it's due, as part of a scheduled vehicle maintenance regimen, problems like this one can be avoided.
Have you ever seen a person's face when their car is dead on the side of the road? That hurt and puzzled look? That’s a cost too — a cost of time and emotion.
As the old saying goes; “You can pay a little now, or you can pay more later.”
Neglecting routine vehicle maintenance is definitely going to leave you paying more later.

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