How to Maintain Your Pre-Owned Vehicle

Vehicle maintenance is one of the most important, if not the most important, thing you can do to keep your vehicle on the road. And nowhere else is that more important than with your pre-owned car or truck. At Donohoo Auto in Pelham, AL, when we receive a pre-owned vehicle, we thoroughly inspect it to make sure that it meets our stringent standards and exceeds our guidelines for sale. Then we recondition it to make sure it’s road-ready.

Maintenance Recorded on Carfax and AutoCheck Reports

Each of our pre-owned vehicles comes with not one, but two vehicle history reports—Carfax and Experian AutoCheck. We do this so you can rest assured, knowing everything there is to know about your pre-owned vehicle’s history, especially how it was maintained by the previous owner. We provide these services and information because, at Donohoo Auto, we know how important proper maintenance is to the longevity and roadworthiness of a pre-owned vehicle. With that in mind, we’d like to suggest a few points on how to maintain your pre-owned vehicle.

Oil Changes are Most Important to Maintaining Your Pre-Owned Vehicle

First, and most importantly, you must change your engine oil and filter at regular, manufacturer-recommended intervals. Your pre-owned vehicle's engine is usually the most expensive part of your pre-owned car or truck. Changing the oil and filter according to the manufacturer's recommendations will not only help your engine last longer, but it will prevent catastrophic, engine-related failures that may leave you stranded with a costly repair bill.

Maintaining Your Pre-Owned Vehicle Tires

Along with regular oil and filter changes, you should have your tires rotated. This is essential to getting the most life from your tires, which represent a substantial investment when they need to be replaced. If every oil change seems too soon, then they should be rotated at every other oil change. You should also check the tire pressure every week or two, to make certain they are inflated properly. This also extends the life of your tires and alerts you to any issues, such as a slow leak or irregular wear that may require a service visit.

Checking Other Filters and Fluids to Maintain your Pre-Owned Vehicle

Following all other maintenance operations spelled out in your vehicle’s owner’s manual is also a vital step in ensuring peak performance for your pre-owned vehicle. Changing your transmission fluid, replacing fuel and air filters, and checking your brakes, spark plugs, battery and drive belts are all considered routine maintenance and are necessary to keep your pre-owned vehicle safe, smooth-running, and out of the repair shop. Performing recommended maintenance may cost a little in the short run, but in the long run, it will save you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in repairs. Think of regular maintenance as an insurance policy. When it’s time to maintain your pre-owned vehicle, sure, there’s an expense involved. But it’s not nearly as large as the repair bill would be to repair or replace a high-cost part to keep your pre-owned car or truck roadworthy.

Cabin Air Filters Are Part of Maintaining Your Pre-Owned Car or Truck

An overlooked filter, that plays a large role in keeping your drives comfortable and sneeze-free, is your vehicle’s cabin air filter. This oft-forgotten filter cleans the air you breathe of dust, allergens, and other contaminants as you drive, keeping your allergies in check on the road.

Take Care of Your Pre-Owned Car with Help from Donohoo Auto

We hope this small maintenance guide is informative and helpful. With proper maintenance, your Donohoo Auto pre-owned car or truck will give you many years of safe, comfortable, and worry-free driving.