The Basic Car Maintenance Checklist for Traverse City Drivers
Life is busy enough without wondering how often to get a car serviced. While preventative maintenance offers long-term savings and peace of mind, no one wants to waste money on service before their vehicle is due. We put together this simple maintenance schedule for cars and trucks in Traverse City and across Northern Michigan to make planning your next appointment a little easier.
The Simple Car Maintenance Checklist
There are many benefits to preventative automotive maintenance, including fewer breakdowns, a longer lifespan, and the confidence to take a long road trip without worry. When you know how often to service your vehicle, and what needs attention, you don’t need to sweat scheduling maintenance, either!
We’ve divided our automotive service checklist into monthly checkups you can do yourself, plus annual and long-term tasks you can trust to Garfield Automotive.
Monthly Car Maintenance Checklist
Check lights. Make sure your fog lights, turn signals, brake, and parking lights are working correctly at least once a month. This is especially important in the dark days of winter.
Check oil and coolant levels. Check your oil and coolant levels monthly and before any long road trip (think 150 miles or more).
Tire pressure. Check your vehicle’s tire pressure at least once a month. You may need to check it more often when temperatures change dramatically overnight; tires tend to lose air pressure when temperatures drop by 15 degrees or more.
Windshield wiper fluid. Add wiper fluid whenever your reservoir is low to ensure you have enough to clear a dirty windshield.
Routine Car Maintenance Checklist (Every 3 Months)
Check the battery. Visually inspect your battery and cables for signs of corrosion or loose connections. (Find out how to replace a dead battery.)
Look at your belts and hoses. Check your belts and hoses for signs of fraying, cracking, or wear. Old, worn-out hoses sometimes have bulges; if you spot any issues, schedule an appointment as soon as you can.
Check power steering fluid: Ensure your power steering fluid is topped up by checking the level when the engine is warm. Note that vehicles manufactured after 2020 may have electric power steering.
Wiper blades. Replace worn or damaged wiper blades as soon as possible.
Bi-Annual Checkup
This is the big one! Make sure to book a comprehensive service appointment every six months to cover important components and systems, such as:
Oil change. Change your oil and filter every three months or so; many modern vehicles have monitoring systems that recommend intervals based on your driving habits and mileage. If you’re not sure, bring your vehicle in so we can take a look.
Exhaust. We highly recommend inspecting your vehicle’s muffler and exhaust system twice a year. These undercarriage elements take a beating during Northern Michigan’s long, harsh winters.
Annual Car Maintenance
Check cabin filters: Check your interior air filters and replace as needed. Remember that engine air filters should be replaced every six months or so.
Brake check. Inspect your brake pads, calipers, fluid, and rotors. How often you’ll need to replace your brakes largely depends on how much you drive and your personal driving style.
Long-term Car Care
Spark plugs: Most spark plugs last up to 100,000 miles, though it’s worth checking them every 30,000 miles or so.
Transmission fluid. We typically see transmission fluid lasting 30,000 to 60,000 miles, and most automatic transmissions can go 100,000 miles or more with the same fluid.
Battery replacement. Most batteries last three to five years, though it’s a good idea to replace yours before winter if you’re nearing the end of its effective lifespan.
Expert Car Maintenance in Traverse City, MI
Regularly scheduled maintenance is a smart way to avoid inconvenient, costly repairs and keep your family safe on the road. Northern Michigan drivers have relied on Garfield Automotive Service Center for over forty years because we offer old-fashioned customer service and quality repairs at fair prices. Trust your vehicle to our experienced technicians; call (231) 929-3862 or drop us a line today.