Creating a Service Plan that is reasonable for your vehicle is very important to make sure that when you do spend the money to get items serviced, that you are replacing the items that are most beneficial to replace before failure. Here is a run down of some of the most common items that you should consider planning a regular inspection of and general intervals for replacement.
| Service Item |
Maintenance Schedule |
Risk |
| Oil Change |
Every 3,000 Miles for Standard Oil, ~5,000 for Synthetics. If you exceed this, make sure you check your oil level to make sure your oil level is full until you make it to a service station. |
Serious Engine Damage |
| Spark Plugs |
Standard - Every 15k Miles or Yearly
Platinum - Every 60k Miles
|
Reduced Engine Performance,
Reduced Gas Mileage |
| Air Filter |
Standard - Every 15k Miles or Yearly. Don't exceed 30k miles before replacement. |
Reduced Engine Performance,
Reduced Gas Mileage |
| Fuel Filter |
Depends on vehicle, ask your service technician. Every year is ideal, if the placement is reasonable which doesn't make the replacement labor excessive. |
Reduced Engine Performance,
Reduced Gas Mileage |
| PCV Valve |
Every 50k Miles or Bi-Annually |
Reduced Engine Performance,
Reduced Gas Mileage
|
| Spark Plug Ignition Wires |
Distributor/Rotor HEI Ingition - Every 50k Miles
Distributorless - Every 60k Miles |
Reduced Engine Performance,
Reduced Gas Mileage |
| Timing Belt, Water Pump, & Seal Replacements |
Check your Service Manual. In interference engines Do not exceed 90k miles. |
Serious Engine Damage |
| Drive/Sepentine Belts |
Every 3 Years or After Drying has set in |
Should not cause engine damage, but will likley require you to tow vehicle to service center to get replaced. |
| Transmission Fluid & Service |
Recommended Timelines vary by model. Every 30-50k miles is a good rule of thumb. |
Additional wear & Deposits in Transmission, Reduced Life. In some cases, usually high mileage vehicles transmission damage. |
| Rear Differential Service (RWD Vehicles) |
Every 60-80k miles in vehicles with minimnum towing or mountainous driving.
Every 45-50k miles for vehicles in more strenuous circumstances. |
Additional wear & Deposits in Gear Box, Reduced Life. High mileage vehicles or vehicles that are towing any significant loads can cause Differential Damage requiring replacement. |
| Tire Rotation |
Every 6 months or 7,500 miles |
Reduced Tire Life,
Reduced Handling |
| Tire Balancing & Alignment |
Everytime tires are replaced, Every 2 years, and Every 40,000 miles. Whichever comes first. |
Reduced Tire Life,
Reduced Handling |
| Tire Rod Ends, Struts, Shocks, CV Joints, Etc |
Inspect yearly, Replace struts/shocks every 50-100K miles depending on vehicle weight and size. Replace CV Joints & Tire Rod Ends when out of tolerance. |
Reduced Handling,
Steering Failure in extreme cases |
