UTI offers tips to help your customers take care of their cars during tight times

The lack of available credit and desire to spend in today’s economy has caused individuals to hold on to their cars longer. JD Power & Associates recently reported that consumers are keeping their vehicles four months longer in 2008 compared with 2007, up from 67 months to 71 months.

Universal Technical Institute recently released basic maintenance consumers should perform to save cash. These tips are a checklist you can share with your customers when selling maintenance. Bill Spiekerman, instructor at the Avondale, Ariz. campus of Universal Technical Institute, Inc., offers the following tips to keep your car in shape for every budget during tough economic times.

$0 Budget:
• Read the owner’s manual. Educate yourself about your car and follow the maintenance recommendations.
• Park the vehicle in the same spot every day. Look for signs of fluid leaks under the car. Check the fluid levels under the hood regularly, but especially if you see signs of leaks. Identifying minor problems early can eliminate bigger problems down the road.
• Be a kinder, gentler driver. A significant amount of wear and tear is generated by abrupt starts and stops, especially if the car is used primarily for city driving. Take it easy on the brakes and transmission and your car will return the favor.
• Inflate the tires. By simply keeping tires inflated according to manufacturer’s guidelines, the car will operate more efficiently and improve gas mileage.

Less than $100:
• Change the oil. To get better gas mileage and extend the life of the engine, change the oil and filter every 3,000 to 4,000 miles. By doing this, today’s engines should have no problem reaching 200,000 miles.
• Replace the air filters. Air filters stop contaminants from getting into the engine which could cause damage. A clean filter promotes proper, unrestricted air flow and improves gas mileage.
• Keep your the clean. Practice a little psychology. In keeping the vehicle clean, you will be less likely to think of it as old or neglect basic maintenance items. Consider adding an accessory that you have been wanting on a new car, such as a GPS or satellite radio.

Between $100 - $500:
• Keep the engine tuned. A fouled sparkplug or restricted fuel injector can reduce fuel efficiency as much as 30 percent.
• Make belt replacements on schedule. Follow maintenance recommendations for belt replacement. This is often expensive, but more so if maintenance is neglected, which can cause catastrophic damage to the engine.
• Take care of needed repairs promptly. If something wears out or stops working, get it fixed. Neglecting a brake wear warning indicator is not only jeopardizing safety, but can also lead to a domino effect of additional failures. Also, beware of making only partial or temporary repairs. Doing so only addresses the immediate need, but can lead to more serious damage over time.

For more information or tips to share with your customers, visit www.uti.edu.