Spending a little on maintenance can save a lot on auto repairs

The Performance Unlimited auto repair technicians at 5415 Austin Court, Ringwood, have built a strong reputation for more than quality repair services; they’re also known as mechanics who care for the welfare of their clients.

“We know that, when someone’s car breaks down, at the minimum, it’s an inconvenience,” said owner Denny Norton. “In some cases, it’s a significant problem. In this economy, when someone’s car has a major problem, it can have a catastrophic effect on their budget.”

Norton said they do everything they can to soften the blow in such situations. However, he said the best thing they can do is to help people keep up on maintaining their cars.

“When money is tight, people look for ways to save,” Norton said. “Sometimes, they save by cutting back on auto maintenance expenses. That’s not always a good idea.”

Norton said maintenance expenses are generally a fraction of major auto repair expenses. The prior costs often eliminate the need for the latter saving more money in the long run.

In fact, since more people are trying to drive more miles with their existing vehicles, rather than buying new cars, maintenance is more important than ever.

“There’s no way around it,” Norton said. “If you drive your car you’re going to have normal wear and tear on the vehicle. In some cases, the wear and tear is abnormal.”

Norton described ‘abnormal’ wear and tear as those things you can’t necessarily plan for, such as hitting an extremely deep pothole and damaging your suspension, steering and/or alignment.

On the other hand, normal wear and tear simply happens and maintenance is quite predictable. After a certain number of miles, depending on individual driving habits, brake pads wear out, shocks lose their bounce and sparkplugs fail to sufficiently spark.

In terms of maintenance, nothing is more crucial than timely oil changes. When a car’s oil is changed on schedule it extends the life of the engine.

“We know people are trying to save money,” Norton said. “Our goal is to help people keep that transportation column in their budgets as small as possible.”

To schedule maintenance or repairs at Performance Unlimited for your vehicle, call 815-728-0343 or visit http://www.4performanceunlimited.com.

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