How Often Do My Car Parts Need Changing? | Fir Tree Motors

Cars are expensive to run, everyone knows that, and as much as we all hate it, sometimes, car Servicing just need to be done to assure you get a few more years out of your vehicle. Most services just consist of different parts being changed such as the oil, battery and tyres, but how do you know when the parts need changing?

There is no exact time scale of when each car part needs to be changed, more like a rule of thumb. It's different for everyone, it all depends on your car, the climate you drive in, how carefully you drive and how often you use your car. However a general time/mileage scale can be calculated.

Firstly, batteries. Car Batteries are one of the most unpredictable things in the entire world. Although they are checked during a full service, there is no way of knowing exactly how much life it has left. We recommend that you get your battery replaced every couple of years, even if your battery seems to still be working well after 2 years. Flattening batteries are unpredictable and the most common reason for breakdowns. There is very little way of knowing when your battery could go flat and you could be facing a larger bill for breakdown services. Your battery will be checked however, on a full service. If your battery does fail the battery test, it will be changed during the service.

Another really important factor to consider when changing car parts is your Oil. If you allow your car to run off old oil that has become dirty and thick, the performance of your car is going to be effected. Regularly changing your oil could get you twice as many miles out of your vehicle. The best way to know how often to change your oil is to change your car manual. Some mechanics would recommend that you get your oil changed as often as every 3,000 miles/3 months. However there is such a thing as over-servicing your car. We would recommend that you get your oil changed every 8,000 miles or 6 months, whatever comes first.

Ford says that you should change your Air Filter every 50,000 miles or 2 years on most of their vehicles. However the air filter is a tricky one. How often you change your air filter is highly dependent on the make and build of your car, as well as the type of roads that you drive on. It is very important to get your air filter changed, avoiding doing this can lead to dust and dirt getting into your combustion chambers, which will eventually effect the overall performance of your car's engine.

Tyres are an extremely important part to keep your eye on. Not getting your tyres changed once they have reached the legal tread depth is not only against the law, but puts you, your passengers, other drivers and even pedestrians in danger, as the lower the tread on your tyres is, the longer your stop time becomes.

A good rule of thumb when it comes to Gearbox Fluid is to get it checked every other oil change. However, many people have different views on gearbox fluid, however the average recommended time-scale to change your fluid at is at around 50,000 miles.. However regularly changing your gearbox fluid is going to expand your vehicles life massively. This fluid works like cartilage in your bones, it allows all the different parts to work and move together to do different things. Like cartilage, it wears away over time and when this happens, joints and parts become stiffer and more difficult to move and eventually stiffen all together. The best way to know how often your particular vehicle needs its fluids replacing is to check your manual.

Taking care of your vehicle, with regular servicing and maintenance is guaranteed to extend your vehicles life. Contact Fir Tree Motors today to arrange a service.