There are few things that can determine a good or bad day
more than my first cup of coffee. If I
am able to enjoy that one cup of coffee before my bouncing bundle of
conversation jolts into the land of the living, I know I’ll survive the
day. However if I am blessed with an
early riser, my schedule gets thrown to the wind and I become a frantic
mess. It’s never a pretty sight.
While racing to throw everything I could possibly need into
my bag, making sure my child has clothes on and food in her stomach and
maneuvering through San Francisco’s illustrious commuting maze, the last thing
I want to worry about is a check engine light on my car dashboard. So when things like little wrenches that
light up on my dash, or even worse, letters and numbers that give me no
indication of what is actually wrong, my inner control freak flips out just a
bit.
Proper maintenance for one’s self has become very trendy
these days, thanks to the ever booming yoga and meditation groups, the scary
obsessed Cross Fit clans and even the ever growing marathon trends. Who knew that throwing glitter and bribing
people with wine and hot chocolate would promote fitness? Now, what about your
vehicles well being?
If you’re anything like me, I had a love hate relationship
with my first car. It wasn’t glamorous,
nor was it new. I drove a 1967 Fleetwood
Cadillac handed down to me from my grandfather.
Now as a sweet little 5 foot three inches sixteen year old, this was
both AWESOME and terrible all at once.
The car was a tank, and any time I pushed on the gas pedal, I literally
watched the gas quickly drop to the letter E.
The part I never fully understood until now, was how well
the car ran. It was a flawless drive,
and although, by the time I got to it, the shocks were much to be desired, the
engine was still a beast and purred like the kitten she was the day my
grandfather bought her. I remember
watching my grandfather go through his old ledger books marking down oil
changes and different services done on the car. His meticulous efforts to care for that car
were the reason I was able to drive it to and from high school 30 years after
it was made.
What does a regular maintenance routine mean? Thankfully, as
drivers today, we have the ability of self-alerting vehicles letting us know
when and what maintenance are needed for our cars. There are different symbols and light colors
to let us know if the issue is a minor or major concern. We even have alerts letting us know when the
pressure has dropped in our tires.
The easiest way to get on a regular maintenance routine is
to start with purchasing a pre-paid maintenance plan for your vehicle at the
time of purchase. Although it is a large
chunk of change up front, it’ ensures that you’ll always have the money to pay
for your car’s needs, and knowing you already spent the money makes it more
important for you to show up and take advantage of the service
appointments.
The next best way to ensure you stay on track for a regular
maintenance routine is to build a relationship with your service advisers! Most dealerships will offer in house vehicle
maintenance, which allows for your car to be serviced with factory parts and
factory trained technicians, as well as having an onsite expert ready to answer
all your questions and concerns regarding your vehicle. Creating an ongoing relationship with your
service adviser allows for you to have someone you trust “on the inside”
working for you to get you back on the road in a safe and well maintained
vehicle.
Are you interested in
scheduling your vehicle for its next maintenance?
Click on the link
below to check available times!