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Come to Paddock Chevrolet for your car maintenance services, prevent car problems and keep your vehicle in shape! Call (716) 462-6367 to schedule your appointment today!
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Simplified Maintenance Q&A
Simplified Maintenance is a concept and action plan new to all of us – customers, dealers, technicians, and support
staff. Many already are familiar with the GM Oil Life System, the technology that enables you to offer Simplified
Maintenance. To be prepared to advise your customers, it is important that your entire workforce become familiar
with the following frequently asked questions and their answers.
What are all these maintenance services for?
- Tire Sales and Installation
- Wheel Alignment
- Tire Balancing
- Tire Rotation
- Tune Ups
- Fuel Injection Cleaning
- Transmission Flush
- Battery Replacement
What are all these maintenance services for?
- Cooling Systems Flush
- Hoses
- Thermostats
- Radiator Caps
- Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
- Trailer Hitch Installation
- Belt Replacement
- Fuel Economy
What are all these maintenance services for?
It is very important to maintain your vehicle in order to ensure proper running condition and to maximize the life of your vehicle. Below is a list of auto maintenance services and explanations of what each service entails and why it is necessary for your vehicle. For more information about the auto maintenance services required for your specific vehicle, consult your owner's manual.
Oil and Lube Service / Filter Changes
Your vehicle's engine has hundreds of moving parts in it. Theses parts cause friction when they rub against each other and the friction, in turn, causes massive amounts of heat in your engine. To protect against all of this friction and heat, we introduce lubricating oil into the engine. The oil has two jobs in the engine. One is to reduce the amount of friction by putting a layer of oil between the moving parts and the other is to help cool the parts of the engine as it circulates through.
If there were no oil in your engine, the moving parts would create so much heat that they would eventually melt together causing the engine to lock up. Once those engine parts melt together, there is no getting them apart. So we can all agree that the oil in your engine is pretty important.
But why change the oil? Isn't the oil that came with the vehicle good enough? The answer is no, and here is why...
Over time, oil breaks down. There are many factors that contribute to the breakdown of the oil in your engine, but heat is the biggest contributing factor. In addition to the breakdown of the oil itself, there are also additives that are put in engine oil. These begin to break down and lose their effectiveness over time. There is also the issue of contamination. Small bits of dust, dirt and debris get into your engine and make their way into the oil. All these little bits of "stuff" make the oil much less slippery and much less effective at cushioning the moving parts of the engine.
So, how often should you change the oil? Most technicians recommend that you get an oil change every 3000 miles for maximum engine protection. Check your vehicle's owner's manual for the recommendations for your specific vehicle. Perform Engine Oil Change when light comes on or within 10 months since vehicle was purchased .Make sure your driving meets those conditions before you decide to risk waiting that long for an oil change.
Wheel Alignment
What is Wheel Alignment?
Wheel alignment is making sure the wheels are running parallel to one another, and that the tires meet the road at the proper angle. It is done by adjusting the angles between the suspension and steering parts, the wheels, and the vehicle frame.
Everyday driving with the shocks and bumps associated with it can cause the tire angles to get knocked out of line. When this happens, it can cause the vehicle to handle badly or the tires to wear unevenly.
What are some signs that my vehicle needs a wheel alignment?
Most alignment warning signs are easy to spot...
Unusual tire wear - tires are worn in a cupped, scalloped or diagonal stripe pattern at edges or across the tread, or wear is uneven with "feathered" edges on the treads.
Unusual steering feel - the steering feels stiffer than it should, or the wheel does not return to the center position when released.
The steering wheel is cocked to one side when the front wheels are pointing straight ahead. The vehicle tends to pull to one side while driving, or tends to wander or weave, or is subject to front end "shimmy."
Tire Balancing
The process of tire balancing is when the weight of the tire, when mounted on its wheel and the vehicle's axle, is uniformly distributed around the axle. Or, in simple terms, there are no heavy spots on the tire.
An out of balance tire can affect ride quality, shorten the life of tires, bearings, shocks and other suspension components. If your vehicle has a vibration that is dependent on speed, and usually becomes noticeable around 40-45 mph and increases as your speed increases, it's probably balance related.
Tire balancing is achieved by adding weight across the tire from the heavy spot to "balance" things out.
Tire Rotation
Why should I rotate my tires?
As you drive along the road, your tire tread is rubbing off on the road surface. That is what is known as tire wear. Tire rotation ensures that all of the tires wear evenly in order to extend the length of the tire's life on your vehicle. You see, front tires wear on the outside because the tire leans over when you turn the vehicle. Rear tires wear much less because they follow the front tires. So, in order to make sure the tires wear evenly, you want to change which tires are in the front to keep one pair of tires from wearing out too quickly.
When should I rotate my tires?
Most technicians recommend tire rotation every 6,000 to 7,500 miles. Check your vehicle's owner's manual for your manufacturer's recommendation.
Tune Up
A tune-up is the process of checking and adjusting all of the systems in your vehicle that contribute to the efficient combustion of fuel.
How do I know when I need a tune-up?
Keep a log of your gas mileage. When the average falls by 10% - 15%, your vehicle needs a tune up. As always, check your vehicle's owner's manual for manufacturer recommendations.
Some facts about tune-ups...
- Tune up can improve your fuel economy by 4 to 12%.
- A too rich fuel to air mixture will lower fuel efficiency.
- A too lean fuel to air mixture can cause misfiring or engine damage.
- Spark plug timing must be set to specifications.
- Clean and properly adjusted points will produce fuel efficient firing.
- One spark plug misfiring half of the time reduces fuel economy by 7% and two can reduce it by 20%.
- Too high an idle speed wastes gas.
Fuel Injection Cleaning
In a fuel injection system, the fuel is sprayed through the fuel injection nozzle into the combustion chamber. For good combustion, the injectors must produce a fine cone-shaped mist of fuel vapor. Wear or deposits in the nozzle can create "streamers" of liquid fuel that vaporize and burn poorly. This, in turn, can cause hesitation, emissions and performance problems.
Fuel injection cleaning removes deposits from the fuel injection nozzle and clears the way for that fine mist of fuel to come through.
Fuel injection cleaning will help increase performance, eliminate hesitation, improve gas mileage and lower exhaust emissions.
Transmission Flush
Like the oil in your vehicle, the transmission fluid in your transmission can become contaminated with dirt, dust and debris. As the transmission fluid ages, viscosity breaks down and contaminants build up, leaving your vehicle's transmission vulnerable to breakdowns. A complete Transmission flush replaces all the fluid in the transmission and gives long term protection and reliability.
After a transmission flush, you will notice the difference in smoother shifting, improved performance, reduced component failure, and increased vehicle longevity.
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