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Show By Greg Hall Car maintenance has changed a bit over the years. Virtually gone are the days when a car is taken in for a conventional conven-tional "tune up." Engines are more efficient with the advent of fuel injection and electronic ignition, and computers monitor many of the engine components compo-nents in today's cars. In recent years, cars have become much more reliable, and it's now fairly common for many domestic cars to still be on the road after being driven 150,000 to 200,000 miles. However, even though most cars now last longer, neglecting maintenance on your car can be costly in the end. According to Scott Burton, owner of Certified Auto in Pleasant Grove, the most common things people are concerned with are car noises and fluid leaks. These are warning signs, but a regular maintenance main-tenance program will help keep your car on the road for as long as you own the vehicle. Changing the oil is still the most basic, and perhaps most important maintenance item to schedule. Depending on how and where you drive your car, oil should be changed every 3,000 miles. If over 50 percent of your driving is "normal," "nor-mal," or highway miles, changes could be less frequent, but if the majority of your miles are around town, or "severe duty" miles, set a schedule to change the oil every 3,000 miles. "A good rule of thumb is to change the oil each time the seasons change," added Burton. Every 3,000 miles or quarterly: Oil and fluid changes Every 12,000 miles or annually: Oil, Safety inspection, lights, brakes, tires, exhaust Every 24,000 miles or bi-annual- ly: Coolant flush, belts, hoses, ignition tune up Every 60,000 miles or every five years: Replace timing belt, check water pump Unless you drive an older car, tune-ups nowadays don't require checking the points and condenser, setting the choke and idle speed, and adjusting the timing. Computers now monitor mon-itor all of these functions. More recently, tune-ups are more about checking and replacing items that wear down, such as spark plugs and spark plug wires, changing fluids, and checking other non-engine components. In Utah, because of the requirement of a safety inspection, tires and brakes are looked at annually, but a once-a-year check of these items generally isn't enough. More frequent checks are recommended. Tires and brake pads should be replaced before the minimum of 232 of an inch remains on the brake pad, or on the tire tread. Engine coolant is also easy to overlook, but should not be ignored. Newer engines that are made from aluminum heads and cast iron blocks cause anti-freeze to break down more quickly, requiring engine coolant to be flushed at least every other year. Wiper blades are also easy to forget. If wipers are not replaced at least every other year, they get dry and less pliable, leaving water and residue on the window when used. All in all, preventive maintenance on a regular regu-lar basis is better than having to make larger changes when something breaks down. "People who bring their cars in and have maintenance done save in the long run. They spend less money than those who do crisis management," concluded Burton. In general, if the following maintenance schedule is followed, you'll be driving your car for years to come. Every 3,000 miles or quarterly: oil and fluid changes Every 12,000 miles or annually: oil, safety inspection, lights, brakes, tires, exhaust Every 24,000 miles or bi-annually: coolant flush, belts, hoses, ignition tune up Every 60,000 miles or every five years: replace timing belt, check water pump Fertilizer Bedding Plants Seed Soil Condition Lawn Care Products Trimmers All kinds of Garden Implements Plumbing, Electrical, Paint & More itGE ALLRED'S 300 south main pl grove HOURS: MADniAfARr 785-2221 Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. HARDWARE CiS Sat.8a.m.-6p.m. PEDIC Mattress Space Age PRESSURE RELIEVING ICWII ivivy I I viu SWEDISH MATTRESS AND PILLOW - ... me space znuuie. ALLHED'S Sleep & Furniture Center Serving the Community for 17 Years A ft ? 4 rft v .s x 1 W,l,fllYM.r.,,.n.W.Ml.,. A ") SOFT STOP PLAYGROUND WOOD CHIPS clean A sefl far all ? pieygrotmd areas C V Water Savings 24 - 50 with Enviromoist '-Polymers '-Polymers Injection HIGHEST QUALITY AND GREA T PRICES Call for Free Estimates Q Shredded bark (I" Supreme) Med. bark chips Sm bark chips Bark fines (OGC) Soil pep (soil conditioners) Garden mix Topsoil Rainbow rock White marble rock Purple jasper rock Jericho rose rock Soma rock Pea gravel (Tan & Gray) Cobble rock (6 Sizes) Red, Gray, Tan River rock Washed sand r tuu Mir-- '-jm jk. famsw - "z . r isctw .- 1 KfowJedgeabJe FnendJy staff A J t V Jill |