Is maintaining your car really that important? The answer is yes, in so many ways. Drivers of cars both old and new will do best if they take the time and effort to keep up with regular maintenance. Not only does this care for your car extend your car’s life, but it also helps to keep you and your family safe on the road.
Keeping up with maintenance checks may seem expensive, but the reality is that it can save you money in the long run. While each check may cost you a bit of money, proactively ensuring your car is in good shape and fixing the smaller issues when they arise will help any problems not become larger issues. If you do not address issues as they come up, they could turn into serious problems that are expensive.
What Does Your Vehicle Need to Stay in Good Shape?
Regularly having your car inspected will reduce future repair costs and keep you safe on the road. Visual inspections as well as diagnostic inspections are both vital to the maintenance of your vehicle. The strength and vitality of your battery and your transmission will help you avoid technical issues that could save you a ton over the course of your vehicle’s life.
Some individuals have the ability to do some of the work on their own, which will save time and money. Windshield wiper changes, for instance, are easily done at home, while transmission checks are best left to the professionals. As our modern cars become more and more technical and computerized, home maintenance is decreasing. If you are a bit handy, however, there are things you can still learn how to do on your own to keep up with your vehicle and allow you some cost-savings.
What are the Most Important Parts of Your Car to Maintain?
Every part of your car requires proper maintenance. You can follow your manufacturer’s recommendations for when each system or component needs to be checked. There are some parts of your car that either wear out fast and need regular changing or are vital to the functioning of your car. The parts of your car you should pay the most attention to are as follows.
The lights in your car are extremely important to you being able to drive safely at night and in adverse environmental conditions that could diminish your visibility. Car lights can break or dull over time. If you are missing one light or have lights that are not offering you as much illumination as you need, taking your car into the shop is advisable. Sometimes, it is just a matter of cleaning your lights to make them shine more brightly.
Windshield wipers are another component of your car that can affect your visibility when you are driving. Whether you are traveling in the snow, the rain, or in a dust storm, you need to have wipers that work well to remove debris and obstruction from your windshield.
You will know when your blades are worn out when they leave streaks on your windshield and they can even squeal and squeak. When the rubber strip is worn, its seal is less strong on your windshield and even age can cause the rubber to become brittle and less effective. If you regularly wipe them with window cleaner, you may be able to give your windshield wipers a bit more life before you have to replace them. No matter what, though, once they fail to properly clean your windshield it is time to get new wipers.
Mirrors are extensively important because they enable your full view of everything around you. You need mirrors on each side of your vehicle on the outside of your car and inside your car with the ability to see behind you at a range of at least 200 feet. Always keep your mirrors clean and adjust them when necessary to ensure they are giving you the best view for their location.
Tires are necessary to keep your car controlled on the road. When tires have worn-out grip, they will cause you to slip and slide on the road, even in dry conditions. You will not be able to grip the road well, which will prevent you from operating your vehicle safely or effectively. Not only do you need strong tires with the right amount of grip, but you also need to maintain them regularly. Rotating our tires two times per year and keeping them at the right tire pressure will not only improve your safety and control, but it will also increase your fuel efficiency and save you money.
Other important parts to maintain include regular changes of your oil, keeping your belts and hoses updates, and regularly checking your emissions control systems, ignition systems, and brakes.
What are Some of the Best Auto Repair Shops in West Virginia?
Having a trustworthy and well-qualified auto shop on-hand is invaluable. Here are a couple of the highest rated in the Morgantown area.
Riverside Automotive offers a plethora of services including:
- Auto parts
- Oil changes
- Lube
- AC and heating repair
- Alignment
- Engine repair
- Fleet services
- Electrical repair
- Tire balancing
These are just a few of the many services the shop offers. Located at 225 Don Knotts Blvd. in Morgantown. They are open M-F from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8:00 to 2:00 p.m. Customers say that Riverside Automotive has great customer service, reasonable prices, honest workers, friendly staff, and highly experienced technicians. Their number is (304) 241-1717.
Brockway Avenue Auto Repair is located at 429 Brockway Ave, Morgantown, WV 26501. They are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and closed on Saturday and Sunday. Customers say that the shop is friendly, honest, and always willing to help. They offer tremendous services and quick repairs with a fast turn-around.
Are You in Need of a West Virginia Personal Injury Attorney?
If you have been hit and injured by a reckless driver, you are due compensation to recoup your costs and damages. The Morgantown personal injury attorneys at Goddard Law have over 20 years of successfully representing victims who were injured by negligent parties.
Goddard Law has the West Virginia traffic accident injury lawyers you want on your side when you have been harmed by another party on the road. Call us today at (304) 584-1430 to schedule your free consultation at either our Clarksburg or Morgantown offices. One of our resourceful and aggressive Morgantown serious injury attorneys is here to help you with your personal injury claim.