Back to School Basics: Preparing Your Car for the New School Year

It’s back to school time again! Are you prepared? The back to school season is a great time to get your car’s maintenance up to date. It’s important to get regular oil changes and tune-ups, but it’s also crucial to check your car’s brakes, tires, and fluids before the start of a new school year. You want to make sure your car is in good working condition so you can avoid any unexpected breakdowns or repairs. 

Back to School Basics: Preparing Your Car for the New School Year

As the new school year approaches, it’s important to make sure your car is ready for the increased activity. Here are a few tips to get your vehicle prepared:

1. Check fluid levels: This includes engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, and power steering fluid. Make sure these are all at the correct levels and topped off if necessary.
2. Inspect your tires: Check the tread depth and look for any signs of wear or damage. If you need new tires, get them before the busy school year starts.
3. Test your brakes: Make sure your brakes are in good working condition and that the pads aren’t worn down too much.
4. Check your lights: Ensure all of your lights are working properly, including your headlights, taillights, turn signals, and brake lights.
5. Clean out the car: Get rid of any unnecessary clutter so you have more space for school items. This will also help keep the car organized and tidy.
6. Get a tune up: To help your car run smoothly and efficiently, it’s a good idea to schedule a tune-up before the school year begins. This will allow a mechanic from Scott’s Auto to check for any potential problems and make sure everything is in good working order.

What is a Tune Up?

A car tune-up is a type of preventive maintenance performed on a vehicle to ensure it continues to perform well. Kelley Blue Book explains that a tune-up is typically regularly scheduled — once a year is a very soft rule of thumb — and offers the chance for you to get all of the preventive maintenance your car needs at that time. Getting a car tune-up regularly will help you maintain your car’s performance and extend its life.

When you have a tune-up performed, it will typically include the replacement of several important wear-and-tear parts. Failure to replace these parts can result in decreased performance and other problems.

The tune-up should also include cleaning or replacing the spark plugs and, on older cars, the distributor cap and rotor. Tune-ups may also include replacement of the fuel filter, oxygen sensor, PCV valve, and spark plug wires. If your vehicle contains platinum spark plugs, they may not need to be changed as frequently. Vehicles with an electronic ignition rather than a distributor will not need to have the distributor cap and rotor replaced.

Other Services

In some instances, your vehicle may also need maintenance that is not typically included in a basic car tune-up. Kelley Blue Book explains that an annual tune-up also provides the opportunity to check your vehicle’s systems, including the car brakes and clutch as well as oil and fluid levels. The air-conditioning system should generally be checked if the tune-up is performed in the spring or in the early summer. If you are not sure what type of maintenance your vehicle may need during a tune-up, you can check the owner’s manual.

Drive to School Safely with Scott’s Auto

Stop by Scott’s Auto today and our qualified mechanics will be happy to perform a tune-up on your car! We can also check your car’s brakes, fluids, and tires to ensure everything is in good working order. Stop by a location nearest you today!