Busted: The Maintenance Free Myth

Quality surveys report fewer problems with new Kelowna cars than ever before. So does that mean that modern vehicles have become maintenance free in BC?

Back when cars spent more time in repair shops, Kelowna drivers were more mindful of routine auto service. Now, it’s much easier to put it off.

Take tune-ups for example. In the days of mechanical ignition systems, an engine needed to be tuned-up every couple of years. If your vehicle engine was out of tune, you knew it. It ran poorly and got bad fuel economy.

Now, the ignition system is electronic and controlled by the engine management computer. Spark plugs rarely get fouled and will last for as much as a 160,000 kilometers. So tune-ups used to force you in to your auto repair shop for service and while you were there you just took care of whatever else was on the list.

So, what’s the benefit to Kelowna drivers of keeping up with factory scheduled maintenance? Well, your vehicle will perform better and return better fuel economy. Those benefits pay for the service as you go along.

The big plus is that major repairs and the associated breakdowns are prevented. And these aren’t just repairs that are a long ways off. Modern engines are far more sophisticated and have many parts that are in critical need of proper lubrication. Missing just one oil change can allow oil sludge to start forming. Sludge clogs small engine passages, robbing parts of the lubrication they need - an expensive failure could easily occur within two or three years.

Taking care of the little things now at EUROPRO AUTOHAUS prevents big problems later. No driver wants to be stranded by a breakdown in the area. Your vehicle still needs to be taken care of, it’s just that some of those points of care have changed with automotive advancements. The need for proper maintenance did not go away.

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250-870-8339