Whenever you buy a vehicle, new or used, it is important to familiarize yourself with how your vehicle works and how to maintain it to keep it working. And the owner’s manual is your personal reference guide.
Every car comes with an owner’s manual and there is a wealth of information to be found in this resource. The owner’s manual contains maintenance schedules, specifications on lubricants and fluids as well as the basic information on operating your vehicle.
You may be concerned about the maintenance requirements of your vehicle, due to the unknown but if you take 15 minutes to go through your owner’s manual you can put that concern to rest. Most manuals are laid out in sections with an index in the back so you can quickly go through it and see the basic maintenance requirements needed to keep your vehicle warranty intact.
There is also information on where the different fluids go if you have to top up any fluids like windshield fluid, brake and power steering fluid and what kind of fluid to use. The manual also provides information about your vehicle’s information center that indicates when it is time to change your oil.
Most importantly, your owner’s manual contains service schedules for such things as oil changes, helping you to know what has to be serviced when so you can budget for servicing your vehicle; it is a gateway to information, answering a lot of questions about your vehicle. Manuals are printed for the North American market and driving conditions vary throughout this vast area. Temperatures and local driving conditions dictate that you should follow the “severe service” schedule if one is posted.
Owner’s manuals are produced and printed by the car manufacturers and they suggest that the dealer is the best place to service your vehicle, but that is not your only choice. Any licensed technician, like the members of the Guelph Garage Owners Association, can service your vehicle without affecting the warranty; all you have to do is provide the manufacturer with proof that the maintenance has been done.
Automechanix at 79 Monarch Rd., Unit B in Guelph, a member of the Guelph Garage Owners Association, is a full service licensed garage with trained professionals who can provide you with the regular maintenance you need to keep driving trouble-free.