Back To School : Put Car Safety On Your To-Do List

Whether you’re a parent driving your kids to school or a college student making the long drive back to college, you should make sure to get your car checked out before school starts. Oil changes, brake checks, engine tune-ups, the whole car should be inspected before school is back in session to ensure that you don’t miss an important test due to a flat tire or overheated engine. Here are a few reasons why you should take your car to a body shop today:

Oil Changes

Generally speaking, if you do stop-and-go city driving or if you drive on the freeway during hot summer days, then consider having your oil changed every 3,000 miles or every three to six months. If you don’t get your oil changed often enough, unburned fuel will slowly mix with your oil, causing all kinds of problems with the engine.

Car Brakes

Getting your car brakes checked regularly is also a good idea. Every time you get behind the wheel of a vehicle, you are piloting a very heavy, exceptionally powerful piece of machine that can travel over 60 miles per hour: For safety purposes, make sure that you can stop it quickly. There are some obvious signs that your car brakes need to be checked. Warning signs include:

• Illuminated brake light on the car dashboard.
• The feeling that your car is taking too long to stop.
• Strange sounds and vibration as you come to a stop.

The Check Engine Light

Perhaps the biggest reason to get your car checked before the school year starts is to address any problems as indicated by the check engine light. The check engine light can indicate any problem, ranging from a loose gas cap to a bad catalytic converter. Whatever the problem, get your car inspected by a professional to make sure that you don’t end up stranded on your way to school.

At Michael J’s Body Shop, we do collision repair and auto body repair. Our technicians can perform the repairs you need at a price you can afford. Call us at 408-279-2070 to set up a check-up today!