Preventative Health Care for Cars

LEESBURG, Va., March 19 -- In today's challenging economic climate, saving money is more important than ever. Many drivers do not know that performing simple preventative maintenance on their vehicle could save them thousands of dollars and extend the life of their car. According to AAA research, more than five million breakdowns could be avoided each year if motorists performed a simple inspection of their tires, belts and hoses.

According to the Car Care Council, the typical driver should budget approximately $60 a month for preventative maintenance of their vehicle. While performing regular preventative maintenance may seem costly and inconvenient, the benefits are countless.

``The consumer should be proactive, not reactive, in the care of their car,'' said Joel Burrows, vice president of training and research development for Precision Tune Auto Care. ``For example, fluids should be checked every time you have the vehicle serviced, and oil should be checked every time you fill the tank with gas.''

In addition to checking fluids, it is also essential to make sure that tires are properly inflated, the air filter is cleaned, engine and chassis are lubricated, battery terminals are clean and spark plugs are in good condition. Another simple tip is that the fuel tank should never run dry. When fuel is pumped into a dry tank, there is a higher chance of getting oxygen, moisture and deposits into the fuel tank.

``Car owners have to take it upon themselves to read the manual. If every consumer actually read their manual, they would be much more aware of basic precautionary maintenance, which would save them money in the long run,'' said Burrows.

``A major mistake car owners make is assuming that the purchase price of the car is the only amount of money they'll ever spend on it,'' continued Burrows. ``A car is no different from the human body, in that it has to be maintained from the day you are born. The automobile, from the day you start driving, it begins destroying itself.''

Precision Tune Auto Care has been a national leader for over 25 years in providing the American car owner with the most cutting edge service and maintenance support, reliability, value, education and information. Precision Tune Auto Care operates more than 500 state-of-the-art, computerized service centers throughout the United States and in various other countries as well.