Allied Auto Works

Hey, Duke here this week. You know I go for a lot of car rides, and the miles on my owner's car can really add up. You should know that at certain mileage intervals, something may be due for maintenance. Today we will bark about the miles on your vehicle and what you should be doing. Let's start tracking those miles and get barkin'!

Nowadays, Los Altos drivers are paying more at CA gas pumps. For some families, it adds up to several hundred dollars every month. That's got to come out of the budget somewhere. This is one reason many CA drivers are putting off buying a new car. They plan to keep their old vehicle a year or two longer than before.

Even now, 2/3 of the personal vehicles on our local Los Altos, CA, roads have over 75,000 miles (120,000 kilometers). The average vehicle age is over nine years. And most people in the Los Altos area can't afford to be stranded or inconvenienced by a breakdown. So following a regular maintenance schedule, like a personal diet and exercise plan, is critical to protecting your investment.

Determining what to do for a higher-mileage vehicle can be challenging because many owners' manuals don't publish service intervals after 60,000 miles (100,000 kilometers). So Los Altos drivers need to keep better records and plan preventive maintenance.

You can start by figuring that services with a recommended interval should still be performed on that interval, even after you're past the tables in your service manual. For example, a service might be recommended every 15,000 miles (24,000 kilometers). Well, keep doing it every 15,000 miles (24,000 kilometers) for as long as you own the car.

Now, higher-mileage engines operate under more stress. Some CA automotive experts suggest that the severe service schedule is more appropriate and that routine service should be performed at shorter intervals. Check your owner's manual or ask your service advisor at Allied Auto Works to see whether the severe service schedule is right for your vehicle.

Keeping up with your full-service oil change schedule matters for a couple of reasons. First, older engines have had more time to build up oil sludge. Skipping an oil change here and there can really compound the problem for your vehicle.

Another equally important reason is that you routinely check and top off your other fluids. Power steering fluid, brake fluid, coolant, and transmission fluid can be kept at optimal levels even though the older seals and gaskets are leaking more than when they were new.

And speaking of older seals and gaskets: they start to dry out and become more brittle with age. You may want to consider using high-mileage formulation oil and fluids. These products contain additives that condition seals and gaskets to help prevent leaks. High-mileage formulations cost more than standard products, but they are well worth it for preventing serious repair bills down the road.

Older vehicles in the Los Altos, CA, area need repairs and replacements that newer ones don't: timing belts, radiator hoses, suspension work, anti-lock brakes, airbags, water pumps, alternators, and batteries. That may seem like a lot to do, but it often works out cheaper than new-car payments.

With a high-mileage vehicle, a couple of relationships will become pretty important to Los Altos drivers. First is your relationship with your service advisor at Allied Auto Works. You need someone you trust to care for your car and keep your needs in mind. Ask for help developing a plan to keep your vehicle roadworthy that fits your budget and the Los Altos, CA, area driving conditions.

The next relationship is with your vehicle itself. We're not talking about naming your car or tucking it in at night. We just mean - pay attention and get to know your vehicle. Notice unusual sounds, smells, vibrations, etc. Then you can describe the changes to your service advisor at Allied Auto Works and head off problems. We can't control gas prices, but we can properly maintain Old Faithful to keep it safe and economical on the local Los Altos roads.

I leave you with my car mileage joke,

A driver tried to sell an old car with 250,000 miles on it, but nobody wanted to buy it.

The driver asked a friend for advice. The friend said, "Take it to my mechanic friend and have him roll the odometer back to 50,000 miles".

A month later, the friend asked, "Did you sell your car?"

The driver replied, "No, why should I? It only has 50,000 miles on it!"

Duke