American Tire and Service
4520 Arrowhead Ridge Drive, Rio Rancho, NM 87124 505.891.8951

Busted In Rio Rancho: The Maintenance Free Myth

Last Updated: Apr 29, 2019

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Quality surveys report fewer problems with new Rio Rancho cars than ever before. So does that mean that modern vehicles have become maintenance free?

Back when cars spent more time in Rio Rancho repair shops, NM drivers were more mindful of routine service. Now, it's much easier to put it off.

Take Rio Rancho tune-ups for example. In the days of mechanical ignition systems, an engine needed to be tuned-up every couple of years. If your engine was out of tune, you knew it. It ran poorly and got bad fuel economy driving on NM streets and highways. Now, the ignition system is electronic and controlled by the engine management computer. Spark plugs rarely get fouled and will last for as much as a 100,000 miles/150,000 kilometers. So vehicle tune-ups used to force you in for service, and while you were there, you just took care of whatever else was on the list.

So what's the benefit to keeping up with factory scheduled maintenance at American Tire and Service? Well, your vehicle will perform better and return better fuel economy. Those benefits pay for the service as you go along. The big plus is that major repairs – and the associated breakdowns – are prevented. And these aren't just repairs that are a long way off. Modern engines are far more sophisticated and have many parts that are in critical need of proper lubrication. Missing just one oil change at American Tire and Service can allow oil sludge to start forming. Sludge clogs small engine passages, robbing vehicle parts of the lubrication they need. An expensive failure could easily occur within two or three years.

Taking care of the little things at American Tire and Service prevents big problems with your vehicle later. No Rio Rancho motorist wants to be stranded by a breakdown. Your vehicle still needs to be taken care of – it's just that some of those points of care have changed with automotive advancements. The need for proper maintenance at American Tire and Service in Rio Rancho did not go away.

Give us a call.

American Tire and Service
505.891.8951
4520 Arrowhead Ridge Drive
Rio Rancho, NM 87124
americantireandservice.com