Maintenance Tips and a Simple Service Schedule

Use the interval in your owner manual or the car's oil life monitor, and use the oil grade printed on the cap or in the manual. The sticker a shop puts on the windshield is a reminder, not a rule. Some cars run long intervals on synthetic oil, while others call for shorter ones under severe use.

Severe use is common here: short trips, heat, idling in traffic, towing and dusty roads. If that describes your week, lean toward the severe schedule in the manual. Our oil change page explains what the service includes, and the oil interval estimator shows a check window.

Rotation moves tires to new positions so they wear evenly. Many owner manuals call for it roughly every oil change. Balancing fixes a shake caused by uneven weight in a tire and wheel. Alignment sets the angles so the car tracks straight.

• Rotate: on the schedule in your manual, often paired with the oil change.
• Balance: when you feel a vibration, after a new tire is mounted, or when a weight is missing.
• Align: after new tires, after hitting a curb or pothole hard, or when the car pulls or the wheel sits crooked. See tire rotation and balancing.

Some fluids are replaced on a schedule and some are inspected first. We check condition and level, then tell you whether a service is due or can wait.

Brake fluid matters more than most people think. Old fluid can cause a soft pedal under heavy use. See brake fluid service.

The engine air filter protects the engine, and the cabin filter cleans the air you breathe. Dusty roads and construction zones clog both faster than the manual assumes. We show you the filter before recommending a new one, so you can see the dirt yourself.

• Engine air filter: replace on schedule or when it is visibly clogged.
• Cabin filter: replace yearly or sooner if airflow drops or the air smells musty.
• Fuel filter: many newer cars have a lifetime filter in the tank; older cars and diesels have a service interval.

A newer commuter car mostly needs oil, rotation, filters and inspections on time. A high-mileage car needs the same plus more attention to rubber parts, cooling, suspension and leaks, because those age whether or not the car is driven hard.

For cars with a timing belt, the replacement interval is critical. If it breaks, some engines are badly damaged. Check your manual or ask us to look it up. Belts, hoses and timing belt explains the job.

Print this page from your browser and keep it in the glove box. Fill in dates and mileage as you go. Your owner manual still overrides it.

1. Every oil change: oil and filter, tire rotation, pressure check, quick look at brakes, lights and wipers.
2. Every year: cabin filter, battery test before summer, brake fluid test, coolant level and condition.
3. As the manual says: engine air filter, spark plugs, coolant replacement, transmission inspection or service, timing belt.
4. As needed: alignment after new tires or a pull, balancing for a vibration, wipers when they streak.

Fleet owners can run the same list by vehicle on a calendar. See fleet maintenance.

Many owner manuals have two schedules, normal and severe, and plenty of local drivers fit the severe one without realizing it. The deciding factors are how you drive, not how far. If two or more items below describe a typical week, follow the severe column in your manual for oil, filters and fluids.

• Most trips are under a few miles, so the engine rarely gets fully warm
• Long idling in freeway backups or school pickup lines
• Regular summer driving in high heat
• Towing a trailer or carrying heavy loads in the bed
• Dusty roads, job sites or construction zones
• Frequent climbs and descents on foothill streets

Rideshare and delivery driving usually belong here too.

A fleet calendar works best when every vehicle has one line and the same few columns. Log the date, the mileage and what was done at each visit, then set the next due point by mileage or time, whichever comes first. Grouping vehicles on the same visit day saves downtime.

Send a request and we call or text to confirm a time for each unit.

You do not need tools to stay on schedule. A notebook in the glove box or a note on your phone does most of the work. Record each service, check the few levels that are easy to reach, and bring the record to every visit so nothing gets done twice.

• Write down mileage and date after every service, and keep invoices
• Check oil level every few fill-ups on level ground
• Check tire pressure monthly with your own gauge
• Note new noises, smells or leaks with the date they started
• Leave brake fluid, coolant replacement and transmission service to the shop, since each needs the right fluid and a proper bleed or fill