Your Guide to Auto Maintenance: What Your Car Needs and When
Your car carries you everywhere: work, home, school, road trips, and anywhere else you want to go. But just like people go to the doctor for regular check-ups to stay healthy, cars need regular maintenance to keep running properly and working safely. If you’re unsure of what that means — what services are needed and when — don’t worry. The certified auto technicians at Rick’s 36 Automotive Service can walk you through the expected schedule for auto maintenance and care.
What Does Auto Maintenance Mean?
Auto maintenance is a general term for all of the care and upkeep your car needs to work like it should and prevent damage. Maintenance includes regular inspections of major systems, topping off fluids, replacing worn or damaged parts, and staying ahead of potentially costly repairs. These professional services and checks go hand in hand with steps you can take at home.
Maintenance Your Car Needs & When It’s Needed
A brand new car is expected to be in good condition when it’s first driven off the lot, so one wouldn’t expect it to have the exact same service needs as a 40 year old truck. This is why car maintenance services are set on a general schedule; a new car starts with regular oil changes, then adds in other inspection, replacement, and care services as parts wear down over time.
Frequent Auto Services — Every 5-12 Months
Oil changes are needed more frequently than any other service, approximately every five months or 5,000 miles, so it’s not surprising that it’s the first service that comes to mind when maintenance is mentioned. To prevent problems ranging from engine inefficiency to severe damage, plan out a routine to ensure your car is taken care of with these additional standard services:
Oil changes — Replace the oil and filter to keep the engine properly lubricated. Perform every 5 months/5k miles.
Tire inspections — Check each tire’s tread depth and pressure, and inspect for any visual signs of damage. Perform every 6 months or 5k miles.
Tire rotations — Swap the position of all tires left to right, and sometimes front to back to keep tread wear even. Perform every 6 months or 5k miles.
Fluid top-offs — Check the levels of your brake fluid, coolant, transmission fluid, windshield wiper fluid, and power steering fluid, and top them off if they have run low. Perform every 5 months or 5k miles.
Air filters — Replace both the cabin and engine air filters to keep air clean to breathe and run your engine. Perform every 12-15k miles.
Tire alignment — Bring wheels back into alignment along three angles, camber (inward/outward as viewed from the front), toe (inward/outward as viewed from above, and caster (forward/backward tilt). Perform every 12-15k miles.
Safety inspections & emission tests — Inspections and emission tests are not required for your vehicle’s registration in Minnesota, but they are still useful in determining your car’s general condition. Perform annually.
At Rick’s 36 in Stillwater, MN, we offer a full-service oil change, tackling many of these tasks in a single service to make things easy for you. Our oil change includes fluid checks, tire inspections, and more — in addition to changing out the oil.
Regular Auto Services — Every 2-3 Years
After 2-3 years, most drivers have put at least 24-36k miles on their car, which can start to wear down auto parts and systems. While drivers should keep up with the services mentioned above, there are a few things to add to the list.
Brake services — Inspect the full brake system, fully replace the brake fluid, and repair or replace any parts that are wearing down or damaged, particularly the brake pads or rotors. Perform every 20k miles.
Fuel filters — Replace the clogged filter to keep contaminants out of the fuel in the combustion chamber. Replace every 30k miles.
Infrequent Auto Services — Every 5-6 Years
For the average driver, five years means at least 60,000 miles driven. This is the point when parts start losing efficiency, and replacements are needed.
Transmission fluid replacement — Fully flush and replace your transmission fluid to keep your transmission running smooth. Replace every 30-60k miles.
Power steering fluid replacement — Fully flush and replace your power steering fluid to prevent safety problems from steering system issues. Replace every 50k miles.
Battery replacement — Car batteries have a lifespan around 5 years, and will eventually stop holding a charge. Replace every 5 years.
Tire replacement — Most tires have a lifespan of around 6 years from road wear, so replace them before they become safety hazards. Replace every 6 years.
Seasonal Maintenance
Dealing with Minnesota winters doesn’t just mean bundling yourself up; your car needs winter care, too.
Antifreeze and coolant — Antifreeze and coolant work together to protect your engine’s cooling system when temperatures drop. Check the levels and top off both before the cold hits to ensure your engine is ready.
Winter Tires — Not all tires are made for snow. It may be beneficial to swap to winter tires for improved control.
Maintaining Your Car in Stillwater, MN
Keeping up with the maintenance services above will extend the life of your car, keep your ride smooth, and catch potential damage or safety issues early. Each one is crucial to your safety in your car (and potentially your wallet). However, the timeline of services can vary. Factors like age, make, model, driving habits, and road conditions can tweak the frequency of services. To find your best maintenance timeline, start with the manufacturer-recommended schedule in your owner’s manual. Your local mechanics can let you know if your car needs more or less frequent care once they’ve inspected or serviced it.
Rick’s 36 auto techs are all ASE-certified so we can provide you with maintenance services you can trust. We offer more than just full-service oil changes — bring your car in for fluid services, tune-ups, road trip inspections, 30/60/90/120k mile services, and anything else you may need. Stop by any time, schedule an appointment online, or give us a call so we can ensure your car is running at its best.
