Services
General services involve maintaining any part of your vehicle that is at risk for regular wear and tear. This includes maintenance services for items such as brakes, wheels, tires, wiper blades, timing belts, and much more. Oil changes are the most frequent preventative maintenance service for any vehicle.
However, there are numerous scheduled preventative maintenance items that are recommended by your vehicle’s manufacturer. At Car Doc, we divide our services into different categories to make it easier for the customer to understand the systems that make up their vehicle:
Fluid Services
Maintaining your vehicle includes checking its fluid levels and regularly changing fluids and topping up as necessary. Each fluid serves a vital purpose to ensure your vehicle is operating at its optimal performance. But it's important to remember that these fluids do not last forever. They must be replaced with new liquids at various intervals in your vehicle's life cycle, many of which are recommended by your vehicle's manufacturer.
Engine Oil
Oil keeps your engine lubricated and reduces heat. Your oil filter helps prevent engine damage by removing contaminants that build up in the oil. Carbon, dirt and debris become suspended in the oil and cause it to lose effectiveness, which leads to increased engine wear and decreased fuel economy. Regular oil and filter changes keep your engine clean and lubricated.
Your transmission transfers energy from the engine to the wheels to get your vehicle moving. Transmission fluid lubricates, cools, and cleans the inside of the transmission while maintaining the necessary pressure inside the transmission, required for it to function properly. Whether your transmission is automatic or manual, the transmission fluid will eventually break down. If it isn’t replaced components inside can overheat which will cause transmission failure.
Transmission Fluid (Automatic/Manual)
Anti-Freeze (Coolant)
Anti-freeze, or coolant as it’s commonly known, ensures your engine doesn’t freeze or overheat. Coolant works by removing heat from the engine block, protecting the engine and lubricating the water pump seals. Over time coolant loses its ability to protect vital engine parts and as a result, must be changed at regular intervals.
Differential Fluid
The differential works with the transmission to deliver power from the engine to the axle to rotate the wheels. Like engine oil, heat causes wear on differential fluid, which can lead to the fluid’s breakdown and excessive wear on the gears and bearings.
Transfer Case Fluid
(4-wheel and all-wheel only) The transfer case is the heart of a vehicle’s 4-wheel or all-wheel drive system. It provides power to both the front and rear differential assemblies, which turn your wheels. It also allows you to switch between gears, such as 4High and 4Low. Like engine oil, the fluid that lubricates the transfer case will begin to break down over time and lead to excessive wear on bearings and gears.
Filter Replacement
Replacing fluid filters and air filters are part of regular maintenance. Oil, transmission and fuel filters must be replaced according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Engine Air Filter
Your air filter plays a key role in preventing contaminants like grit, dust, and dirt from entering your engine. Air is drawn through the filter and into the cylinders where air and fuel combine to power your vehicle. A dirty air filter can lead to poor fuel economy and performance. Our mechanics at Car Doc will check your filters with every oil change and recommend replacement when needed.
Cabin Air Filter
Cabin air filters help to protect your personal health by improving the quality of the air you breathe while in your vehicle. With increases in traffic congestion and longer commuting distances we spend more time in our vehicles than ever. These filters trap a broad range of microscopic particles, harmful gases, and unpleasant odors. Regularly replacing your cabin air filter can offer relief for asthma, allergies and hay fever sufferers. They also help to protect the performance of your air conditioning system.
Fuel Filter
When you press down on your gas pedal your fuel system controls the amount of power you get from your engine by moderating the flow of fuel and air. Unfortunately, fuel isn’t perfectly clean. This is why it passes through a fuel filter that picks up any dirt that might interfere with the engine’s performance. Over time, dirt and particles build up in the filter. The fuel filter needs to be replaced or it will reduce the flow of fuel to your engine, affecting your vehicle’s performance and fuel economy.
Electrical Systems
In order to operate many of the basic and advanced features your vehicle is equipped with, it relies on an electrical system which essentially provides power for all of those components. This system starts with the battery. The battery is essential to the healthy operation of your vehicle, but it has a life expectancy. There are a number of other electrical based components; such as your alternator and starter which also both play vital roles in the successful day-to-day use of your vehicle. Scheduling an electrical system inspection will allow us here at Car Doc to check your vehicle’s vitals, replace burnt out bulbs, and provide you with insight into the electrical health of your vehicle.
Brakes
Very vital to your vehicle in making sure that it can stop properly when needed to do so. All vehicles have brakes on all four wheels which are operated by a hydraulic system. The brakes may be disc type or drum type. The front brakes play a greater part in stopping the car than the rear ones because when braking the vehicle's weight is forced onto the front wheels. Many cars, therefore, have all-disc brakes which are generally more efficient, some old vehicles have disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the rear. All brakes are inspected during every service to provide you with updates and we also perform maintenance procedures to ensure the longevity of them.
Suspension
The job of a car suspension is to maximize the friction between the tires and the road surface, to provide steering stability with good handling and to ensure the comfort of the passengers. A vehicle's suspension consists of many parts for example ball joints, tie rod ends, control arms, stabilizer links, shocks, and many more. Suspension components not only play a part in how smooth your ride is but also in how your tires wear. Having suspension components that have a play (loose) is one of the main reasons tires have uneven wear which leads to tire noise, high-speed vibration, and frequent replacement. Suspension components having played (loose) can also be very dangerous as they are breakable and lead to accidents or breakdowns at any time. Your suspension is always inspected at car doc with any services and any issues will be brought to your attention.
Battery
The battery in your vehicle performs many functions. The most obvious is to provide electrical energy to crank the starter and get the engine running. It must also provide energy to the lights, heater, radio, air conditioning and other electronics. Your battery has the ability to last several years because your vehicle’s alternator works to replenish it with electric current while driving. However, over time the battery will lose its ability to store and hold an electrical charge, making it difficult to start your vehicle. Car Doc can check your battery and help identify a change in the condition and state of the charge so that you never have to worry about being stranded with a dead battery. We also offer battery replacement for when the time comes around.
Serpentine Belt
A serpentine belt is a single, continuous belt used to power multiple devices in your engine. These include the alternator, power steering pump, water pump, A/C compressor and air pump. If your serpentine belt breaks it will cause numerous components in your vehicle to stop working and lead to costly repairs. Your Car Doc technician will check your belt every time you get your oil changed and alert you if they see signs of wear.
Fuel System Cleaning
The makeup of gasoline varnish tends to accumulate inside the fuel lines, rails and injectors. Over time this varnish will begin to cause problems in the fuel system. By cleaning your fuel system on an annual basis you’ll help to restore vehicle performance by cleaning the fuel injectors, intake valves and combustion chambers of deposits. This service improves sluggish starts, rough idling, fuel consumption, and reduces exhaust emissions.
Wheel Alignment
Consists of adjusting the angles of wheels to the car manufacturer specifications. The purpose of these adjustments is to reduce tire wear and to ensure that vehicle travel is straight and true (not pulling to one side). Alignment angles can also be altered beyond the maker's specifications to obtain a specific handling characteristic. Most newer vehicles have advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) such as electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control and traction control. These systems can be affected by mechanical alignment adjustments, most which are reset when your alignment is done with us!