Auto Repair Questions & Answers
The car realm is full of questions, especially if you’re not an auto enthusiast. The good news, though, is that we are, and we enjoy having our instructors and prospective auto technicians weigh in to share their wisdom with you.
What are the most common auto repair questions and how would a practicing automotive technician handle them? Continue reading and you’ll be up to speed in no time.
How Often Should I Get My Oil Changed?
Probably the most common auto repair question auto technicians receive from their customers? It’s all about oil changes. This is because having your oil changed at regular intervals is one of the most effective ways to keep your car running at peak performance.
So, how often should you change the oil in your car? While every six months or 5,000 miles driven is a standard that works for a lot of vehicles, the answer depends on the make, model, and year of your car, and whether conventional or synthetic fuel is recommended. Always follow the manufacturer-recommended interval set out in your vehicle’s owner’s manual.
How Do You Know Your Tires Need to Be Replaced?
Just like your vehicle’s motor oil, tires need to be cared for at routine intervals. These services are often bundled to be performed at the same time, so your tires are rotated to new positions on your car and the oil is changed in one visit.
Replacing your tires, though, is another matter. On average, tires need to be replaced every three to four years of driving. However, that number comes down to how much you drive your car, the conditions of the roads you travel each day, and if you keep up with those routine tire rotations.
Check out this quick, actionable tip for how to know when your tires need to be replaced that you can perform using a penny!
Is it Bad to Drive Your Car When the Engine is Cold?
In very cold weather, you may have been told that hopping in and driving off is bad for your engine. While that’s true to some extent, your car only needs to be running for a couple of minutes when the temperatures take a dive in order to get the oil flowing through your engine. In the time it takes to scrape your windshield (or less!), you’re all set to hit the road.
How Often Does a Car Lightbulb Burn Out?
For your safety and the safety of other cars on the road, a burnt-out bulb should be taken care of ASAP. Halogen type lightbulbs that work to light up your car’s turn signals, fog lights, brake lights, and more last on average between 500 and 1,000 hours of illumination, but various factors, like moisture getting into the bulb, can cut this lifespan short.
The most important thing you can do as a driver is pay attention to the quality and intensity of your lights (i.e. a rapidly flashing turn signal is well on its way out). Also, get your car visually inspected at each of your routine maintenance visits.
Where Can I Learn More?
We hope this Q&A helped answer some of your questions about routine maintenance and auto repair. If your interests are piqued and you’d like to learn even more, we encourage you to take a peek at our free eBook, which is all about how automotive technicians handle scheduled vehicle service procedures.
