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Vehicle maintenance is more than a suggested service schedule by manufacturers, it's a necessary part of vehicle ownership. Neglecting to follow your maintenance schedule can result in additional expenses in the future and can shorten the life of your vehicle.

It may be tempting to skip a service or prolong it, but understanding the recommended maintenance helps to put each service in perspective.

What's Involved in Vehicle Maintenance

A vehicle recommended maintenance schedule identifies specific services that should be done at regular intervals, such as every 15,000 miles. The work ranges from the routine services to larger undertakings like replacing the engine timing belt.

Many of these services are fairly simple:

• oil changes
• rotating tires
• replacing various fluids
• inspection of systems and parts

The upkeep of these services keeps your vehicle in its best working condition and helps keep you safe.

Maintenance Makes Financial Sense

Costly repairs can often be avoidable when routine maintenance is performed. For example, failure to replace your car’s timing belt on the recommended schedule could result in the belt failing and causing extensive damage to your engine.

Scheduling a simple visit for service is worth the short time it takes over being without a vehicle for an extended period of time for large repairs. Worse yet, the time it takes to recover from an injury due to system failures.

Refer to Your Owner’s Manual

Some repair shops promote their own maintenance schedules that call for more frequent service than the manufacturer’s recommendations – but those schedules might be more about generating business for the shop than protecting your car. What's more, each car's maintenance needs are different. That's why you should always refer to your vehicle's owner's manual for the correct maintenance schedule. If you don’t have it you can look for it on the manufacturer's website.

Source: Bankrate