Hi this is Duke and today I have a special guest, my Weimaraner friend, Prince and he is here with me today barkin 'about how to keep your car young. So as we say, let's get barkin'!
As South Bay consumers, we live in a disposable society. It's amazing all the stuff we throw away.
New stuff comes out so fast in CA, and much of it is fairly cheap, so we just toss the old and move on. It seems like when we were kids our parents were real sticklers about taking care of our stuff - especially parents who grew up in the Depression. You know, hang up your clothes, polish your shoes, put away your toys. If something got lost or ruined by neglect, tough; we had to do without.
We couldn't afford new cars very often, so we tried to make them last as long as we could. It's a good thing that cars are more reliable these days. They just don't break down as often. And the good news for us South Bay penny pinchers is that a modern car can easily go 200,000 miles (320,000 km) with proper care. The engineering's there and so is the manufacturing quality. The missing ingredient is us making sure we follow the vehicle manufacturer's maintenance schedules.
Is it really that bad for Los Altos motorists to get off schedule? Well, it all adds up. Every time you go a little longer than the recommended interval between oil changes, you've created an opportunity for sludge to form and clog passages. Then some parts don't get oiled and they start to wear out faster.
Skip a cooling system service, and the corrosion inhibitors become depleted; the radiator starts being damaged, one step closer to a failure. The same thing is true for transmission service, power brakes, fuel system cleaning – really everything on your schedule.
It's also even more important for older vehicles in the Los Altos, Cupertino, and Sunnyvale area. Those engines and other systems have had more time to get dirty, so they're working harder anyway. But it's never too late for South Bay drivers to get back on track with maintenance and to hold off further damage.
It's just another example of our parents knowing what's best. (Surprising how often that happens.) And it really does start with the oil change, just like Dad said. When you get a full service oil change they top off all your fluids and check for other items that are on your maintenance schedule. That's like your safety net; go in for oil changes on time, and let the pros at Allied Auto Works in Los Altos help you keep track of the rest.
Of course, it is inevitable for vehicles that some things are going to wear out along the way, like alternators, water pumps and such; they don't last forever. But that stuff is cheaper than a new car payment. And taking care of problems early means they have less time to cause other problems. It's like having high cholesterol; you don't want to wait for a heart attack before you address it.
Well Prince talking about all this maintenance and staying young, I think I need to schedule my yearly vet appointment. It was great having you here today and Cayenne and I look forward to another visit as I sure our clients do to.
Well everyone, have a wonderful weekend
Duke and Prince
Allied Auto Works
2073 Grant Road
Los Altos, CA 94024
650.968.7227
http://www.alliedautoworks.com