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Staying on top of regular automotive maintenance is one of the most important things you can do to take care of your vehicle. While special circumstances might arise that require you to get car service every now and then, staying on top of your regular maintenance schedule can ensure that you get the most out of your vehicle for as long as possible. This includes things like changing your oil and filter, but there are also plenty of other maintenance services you should stay on top of regularly as well. If you’re in need of regular automotive maintenance here in Hayward, California, look no further than Hayward Mitsubishi! What does regular automotive maintenance entail? Regular maintenance on your vehicle includes taking care of small services that help to make sure your vehicle runs the way it should for as long as it should. As mentioned, it includes things like getting your oil changed, which should give you a great example of what regular automotive maintenance is. In addition to oil changes, there are a number of other things you should take care of and have checked often to make sure your vehicle and its occupants remain safe. Short-term maintenance Check fluid levels Check tire pressure Check tread depth Check your lights Change your oil & oil filter Rotate your tires Check alignment Check and/or replace windshield wipers Check battery Check brakes Long-term maintenance Check and/or replace fluid levels Transmission, transfer case, coolant, wiper fluid, etc. Check shocks & struts (50,000 miles) Check spark plugs (30,000 miles) Check serpentine & timing belts (50,000 miles) We’ll check almost if not all of these things when doing a multi-point inspection, so we also recommend simply bringing your vehicle in for one of those once or twice a year. But staying on top of these, and any others that are mentioned in your owner’s manual, will help to make sure your vehicle runs smoothly and lasts as long as it can. Give us a call with any questions!

The brakes are one of the most important parts of your vehicle, because without them you can’t bring your vehicle to a stop. If your brakes go out while you’re operating your vehicle, it can be extremely dangerous, so it’s important to stay on top of getting your brakes checked on a regular schedule. If you think it’s time for someone to inspect your brakes a little more closely, you can bring your vehicle in for a brake check right here at Hayward Mitsubishi in California. How often should I get my brakes checked? There’s no set-in-stone rule for when or how often you should be getting your brakes checked. It’s a good idea to get them inspected somewhat frequently, so it might be easiest to just always ask your technician to check your brakes while you’re getting your oil changed. That means every six months, which is a pretty good rule of thumb. You can also give your vehicle a precursory brake check on your own by finding the brake rotors and checking how worn down the pads are. You should still get your brakes checked often even if you inspect them like this yourself, but this is a quick thing you can do between checks to make sure nothing is wrong. Signs I Need Brake Service You should also bring your vehicle in for us to look at your brakes if you notice something going on with them. Even if we just inspected them a month prior, if you notice something wrong it could have already happened since then. So, look out for these telltale signs that something might be wrong with your brakes: Low brake fluid Dirty brake fluid Grinding sound while braking Squealing sound while braking Spongy feeling while braking Severe vibrations while braking Pulling to one side while braking We can take care of all your automotive service needs right here at Hayward Mitsubishi, so be sure to get in touch with us if you need to get your brakes checked or serviced in the area.

When you own a vehicle, you have to make sure you’re staying on top of its maintenance to ensure your vehicle is always in tip-top shape. While getting your oil changed is the most common one, there are plenty of other important services you’ll likely need to get taken care of throughout the life of your vehicle. For example, your tires are an incredibly crucial part of your vehicle. If you live in Hayward, California, or the surrounding area and find yourself in need of tire service, you can get your vehicle’s shoes serviced right here at Hayward Mitsubishi. What kinds of tire services are there? The following is a list of the most common tire services you might need to take care of during the life of your vehicle: Tire Pressure A lot of modern vehicles feature a Tire Pressure Monitoring System that helps you keep your tires’ air pressure where it should be, but you should make sure to top these off. Tire Rotation Rotating your tires helps them to wear down evenly, thus extending the life of your tires. Ask your technicians to rotate them whenever you come in for an oil change. Tire Balancing It’s important that your tires are distributed evenly around each of your wheels as well, which is what getting your tires balanced handles. You can ask for this at your oil change too. Alignment Technically getting your alignment checked isn’t really a tire service, as it actually makes sure your suspension system is correctly adjusted. But getting it checked and, when necessary, adjusted, helps to avoid uneven wear as well as other issues. Tire Patching If your tire has been damaged, there’s a chance you might be able to keep using it by getting it patched, but this isn’t always the case. Tire Replacement On those occasions when patching just won’t be enough, or your tread has worn down an unsafe amount, you’re going to need to get your tires completely replaced. If you think it’s time to get one of these tire serviced done to your vehicle, don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment right here at the Hayward Mitsubishi Service Center.

While getting your oil changed might be the most important and well-known service you need to get taken care of when you own a vehicle, it’s certainly not the only one. There are plenty of regular maintenance services that you need to stay on top of when you have a vehicle of your own. Another key service that needs to be taken care of on a regular basis is getting your alignment checked. It might not always need to be adjusted or tweaked, but you should get it checked regularly just in case. If you need to get your alignment checked in Hayward, California, or the surrounding area, you can do so right here at Hayward Mitsubishi. What does getting your alignment check involve? The term ‘alignment’ isn’t a very descriptive one in the automotive world. So, what exactly is your alignment? It is a term that refers to the angles of your wheels on their axles. The manufacturer has certain specifications that your alignment should adhere to, but sometimes with prolonged use certain things might knock our alignment out of whack. That’s why it’s important to have it checked regularly. In most cases, it will be just fine. But if you drove through a big pothole and it knocked one of your wheels’ angles off a little, the alignment will need to be adjusted back to the OEM specifications. How can I tell if my wheel alignment is off? While keeping on a regular schedule for checking your alignment is key, you can also pay attention to a few telltale signs that your alignment is off and bring it in early. The following are a few signs that your alignment isn’t where it should be: Vehicle is pulling to one side Steering wheel remains off-center Tires are excessively worn down in certain spots Steering precision seems loose Stay on top of your regular services and pay attention to these signs and your vehicle’s alignment should be just fine!

One of the most important things to remember when you own a vehicle is when you should be getting the oil changed. Engines need oil in order to work, and that oil needs to be clean to work effectively. The longer you go between oil changes, the dirtier your oil and oil filter will get, leading to potential issues within the engine that you definitely don’t want to deal with. It’s important to stay on top of this regularly scheduled maintenance to avoid higher repair or replacement costs down the road. If you’re looking for someplace to get your oil changed in Hayward, CA, look no further than right here at Hayward Mitsubishi! How often should I get my Mitsubishi oil changed? The answer to this question will always vary depending on which vehicle we’re talking about as well as what type of oil you utilize. The general rule of thumb in the modern automotive industry is every six months or 7,500 miles, but you might need to follow a tighter schedule than that, or perhaps can even go longer than that all depending on the aforementioned variables. It’s important to check your owner’s manual for specific recommendations on your maintenance schedule, or just give us a call at the service desk if you still have questions. What else should be done with an oil change? When you change your oil, you’re pretty much guaranteed to also be replacing your oil filter, but you can ask your service technician if that’s included just to make sure. Whenever you do bring your vehicle in for an oil change, it’s a great time to get a couple of other things taken care of as well. This is a good time to get your tires rotated, for example. And you might as well ask them to give your vehicle a multi-point inspection while they’re at it, so that any other unforeseen problems can be brought to light and potentially addressed. Ready to get your oil changed? Schedule an appointment right here on our website today, or give us a call at the desk. We look forward to hearing from you.