Preventative Maintenance

Preventative maintenance is one of the most important things that you can do to keep your Volkswagen car running great as long as possible. But, it also one of those things that few of us do on a regular basis. Sure, life is tough and we all don’t have time to work on our cars. However, there are a few things that you can do to keep your costs down when others have to do the work for you.

Checking the fluids is one of the things that we all can take 10 minutes out of the week to do. It is easy. Open up the hood of your VW and look inside. You should see a number pull handles that have dipsticks attached to them. The oil is the main one. Think of oil as the equal to the blood in the human body. If it goes bad, so do you. That is why it is important to always make sure that you are always keeping it level and replacing the dirty oil on a regular basis. If you don’t know what you are doing, you might also want to think about getting a professional to check your transmission fluid. Next to the engine, your transmission is probably the most expensive thing to get fixed. Preventative maintenance on these will keep them from going bad and breaking down on you. Power steering fluid and antifreeze are also important to check because they keep the car running smooth and cool. It is best to check all of these when the engine is cold, as to prevent injury. This is an article that I found that lists all of the things that you should think about when it comes to preventative maintenance. Click Here.

What about the fuel you use? Did you think that using the right fuel could be considered preventative maintenance? Most of the research on the internet will tell you that it really makes no difference what grade fuel you use, until you consider high compression engines like the Turbo engine found in most Volkswagen vehicles. When you use premium in a turbo, you will definitely get the mpg and horse power that is advertised at the dealer. But, I will go one step further and ask, “where are you buying your fuel?” Most manufacturers agree that the retailers that use premium detergents in their fuels help the engine perform better. These detergents help clean engine parts like valves and lifters. It keeps the engine from having carbon build up on these moving parts, preventing poor performance.

But, did you know that one of the simplest and most enjoyable forms of preventative maintenance on a Volkswagen is washing it? Wait?! What?! Yes. Washing your car helps prevent the outside of the car from rusting and fading. When a car sits dirty for a while, the sun can beat down on it furiously. All of the dirt that is on that car can be affected by the sun’s UV radiation. These contaminants can attack the finish on your car’s paint, causing it to fade and later allow rust to occur. Plus, washing your car can be fun. It is a way of getting the whole family outside and spending time together.

You spent over $20000 for your new vehicle. Don’t you think that you should protect your investment? For more information on your car, check inside the glove box and read up on the owner’s manual inside. It will tell you all of things that you need to know to keep your engine strong. And, if you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to call me at the dealership and I can point you in the right direction. There is an old saying that I am making up as I write this. “If you take care of your Volkswagen, it will take care of you.”