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What Are The Important Elements Of A 30,000 Mile Maintenance Appointment?

7 September 2018 by Herman Mills

When you pick up your new car, you can count on everything to run smoothly for quite a few miles. If you want the car to keep running that smoothly throughout its whole lifespan, then you need to keep up with maintenance—and that starts with your 30,000 mile maintenance appointment. Just what does this maintenance appointment involve? Here's a look at the most important elements.

1. An Oil Change

Hopefully you have changed the oil a few times before this appointment, but to ensure the car emerges from this appointment running as well as possible, your mechanic will change the oil. He or she will also check to ensure the car is not burning any oil, as this could be an indication that something is wrong in the engine. It would be rare for a car with only 30,000 miles on it to burn oil, but the occasional manufacturer defect does occur!

2. Tire Rotation

Your mechanic will remove the tires from the back of the car and put them in the front. The front tires will be placed in the back. Rotating the tires in this manner will ensure they all wear evenly. Once the new tires are in place, your mechanic will adjust their pressure. Keeping the correct pressure in the tires will keep your fuel economy up and will also reduce your chances of a popped tire.

3. Change the Spark Plugs

Spark plugs tend to blow out between 30,000 and 40,000 miles. Depending on which plug fails, your car's computer may stop working, or it may stop shifting properly. Spark plugs are cheap, so it's better to just replace them preemptively rather than wait for them to fail. Your mechanic should replace all of the plugs in your car at the 30,000 mile appointment.

4. Check the Fluids

Depending on the vehicle you have and the climate where you live, your mechanic may completely change the coolant, brake fluid, and other fluids. In some cases, however, they may just check to ensure these fluids are topped up and are not too dirty. They can add more fluids to any compartment if needed. If they notice any leaks, which would be rare in a car with only 30,000 miles on it, they can make the repairs—and at this point, such repairs would usually still be under warranty.

5. Clean and Change the Lights

Your mechanic will probably wipe out the outsides of your headlights to ensure they still shine as brightly as possible. In some cars where the headlights, brake lights, and other lights are prone to early failure, they may just change the lights preemptively. Lights only cost a few dollars, so it's worth the trouble to avoid a headlight going out.

6. Brake Check

One of the most important checks in the 30,000 mile maintenance appointment is that of the brakes. After all, faulty brakes can cause an accident or turn what would have been a fender-bender into a serious collision. Your mechanic will test the brakes and visually inspect them. If new pads are needed, they will replace them. It would be rare for the rotors or other brake components to require replacement at 30,000 miles, but if there is a problem, at least it will be detected at this point.

Never neglect your 30,000 mile maintenance appointment. Not only will doing so keep your car running smoothly, but it's a good chance to catch any issues with your car while they can still be taken care of under warranty. If you wait longer, you may have to pay out of pocket for repairs! To learn more, contact a company like Euroclassics Limited.

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