If you’re smart, you don’t consider preventive vehicle maintenance optional. You are careful to keep up with the recommendations in your car’s owner’s manual. Not only is maintenance important for proper vehicle performance but it actually can affect the quality of cabin air you and your passengers breathe, which affects your health and well being.
Importance of Preventative Vehicle Maintenance
Simply put, regularly maintaining your vehicle will reduce the odds your vehicle will break down or fail to perform optimally. Preventative auto maintenance costs less than repair and is far more convenient. You can schedule a preventive maintenance appointment at your convenience. The need for a repair usually happens out of the blue, without warning. Here are some preventive maintenance items to keep up with:
- Have your battery evaluated regularly, especially as it approaches the two-year mark;
- Have your oil replaced regularly;
- Have your windshield wipers checked for wear and tear;
- Have your engine fluid levels evaluated;
- Have your exhaust system evaluated for carbon monoxide leaks (these can be dangerous);
- Have your brakes checked;
- Have your belts and hoses checked for cracks or excess wear; and
- Make sure your tires are inflated properly and have sufficient tread.
Don’t Forget About Your Filters
While most drivers are fairly diligent about some preventative maintenance items, such as having regular oil changes and keeping an eye on the tread wear of their tires, other preventative options often go overlooked. Maybe it’s because there is no windshield sticker reminding drivers to replace certain filters on a given date and because filters aren’t visible, many drivers forget they need to be replaced. Your vehicle has three filters, and each plays a critical role in vehicle performance. The air filter keeps debris out of the engine, the fuel filter keeps debris out of the fuel lines and your cabin filter keeps debris out of your car’s interior.
Breathe Easier When You Change Your Filters
One of the biggest benefits of replacing your air filters on a regular basis is it improve the quality of air you breathe in your car, as well as boost the performance of your car’s AC system. Think about how much time you spend in your vehicle and think of all the dusty, grimy, pollen-filled streets you travel each day. Your cabin air filter, also known as the AC filter, traps dust, allergens and pollutants before they enter your car. As this debris builds up in the filter, your air conditioner must work harder, which wastes horsepower. When a filter is full, airflow is compromised. A fresh air filter is necessary to ensure your air conditioning system will keep you cool and you’ll be breathing fresh air in your car, which is especially important if you or your passengers are prone to allergies.
If you can’t remember the last time you had your vehicle’s cabin air filter replaced or question how often should you replace your air filter, Call us at Union Line Garage at 609-751-5784. We’ll evaluate your filter, remove it if it’s clogged and replace it with a brand new one so you can quite literally breathe easier.
