Harrisonburg Used Car Buyers: 7 Must Do Tasks After Driving It Home
So, you just got a great bargain on a preowned vehicle. Congrats! Now you want to make sure that your investment lasts and lasts. Depending on where you bought your vehicle, it may have a questionable or unknown service history.
If so, you'll want to do some additional maintenance checks to help your vehicle last and last.
Besides thoroughly inspecting the vehicle before you buy it, what kind of maintenance should you do once you drive your car or truck home? Here's what we recommend, especially if you aren't buying from Joe Bowman Auto Plaza.
Change Your Oil and Oil Filter
Unless the oil is a gold color, you'd be wise to go ahead and change it. Start fresh. Reset your oil change interval to zero and you're good to go. That way there's no second guessing. And while you're at it, change the oil filter, too. Keep protecting your engine!
Replace Brake Fluid
The most common brake fluids are glycol-based, absorbing water naturally. That's why it's important to remove moisture that contaminates the system.
Whether your car was driven a lot or housed in the garage for the better part of its life, brake fluids thicken with less ability to withstand heat and corrosion. The result? A significant drop in its boiling temperature. That means it could overheat in the calipers, compromising braking performance.
It's best to get it changed because chances are your used car is running on old brake fluid. Replace brake fluid every 3 years to minimize fluid boil and harmful corrosion.
Flush Your Engine Coolant
To keep a car engine healthy and running well past the last bank payment, you've got to keep the engine cool. It's vital to its longevity. Many cooling systems incorporate dissimilar metals causing the coolant to slowly turn into an electrolyte over time. And that causes expensive components to corrode.
Second hand car buyers should flush the cooling system right after it is purchased. Then replace coolant every 3 years. Additionally, while the cooling system is empty, change any suspect hoses, too. Besides heat regulation, fresh engine coolant replenishes rust inhibitors and lubricants.
This is one job that really should be done by a professional. Consider our Chevy certified service for this. Our mechanics are highly skilled at working on many different brands and models of cars and trucks.
Don't Forget Your Filters
Air is vital to your engine's combustion, so inspect the engine's air filter regularly. A dirty air filter can compromise your engine's performance. Check it and make sure it's clean. If not, change it and make a fresh start!
Swap Out Your Battery Sooner Than Later
Check the battery's manufacture date. If it's in its fourth year, go ahead and replace it, especially if winter is on the horizon. You don't want a dead battery in freezing conditions!
Change Transmission Fluid
Check the condition of your transmission fluid using the dipstick, if there is one. As a rule of thumb, change the fluid and filter about every 30,000 miles. For a used car with a manual, change it about every 50,000 miles.
Examine Tires Carefully
Check for even tire wear. Most car owners don't know how long they've had their tires. Check the sidewalls and tread for dry cracking. Also check for mismatched tires. While safe, mismatched tires can cause a rumble on the highway. New tires can transform your ride.
When you buy a used car from Joe Bowman, you can eliminate many of these worries. All of our vehicles must pass a 75-point inspection before we will list them for sale. Plus, we back up our commitment to safety with either a 30 or 90-day warranty, depending on the year and mileage of the car.
Learn more at our website: https://www.joebowmanautoplaza.com