You need an alignment or wheel balancing when:
⦾ Your vehicle pulls to the right or left when driving.
⦾ Your steering wheel is not straight while driving on a level road.
⦾ There is vibration in the steering wheel or through your seat.
⦾ Your tires are wearing unevenly or squealing on turns.
⦾Your steering feels unstable

How can an alignment and wheel balancing improve your vehicle’s performance?

⦾ Improve driver safety
⦾ Maintain a straight steering wheel
⦾ Proper return of the steering wheel when coming out of a turn.
⦾ Increase fuel efficiency
⦾ Maximize tire life
⦾ Keep your car tracking straight
⦾ Improve drive handling
⦾ Improve suspension parts’ life
⦾ Smooth ride

⦾ The easiest way to help ensure satisfactory mileage and performance from your tires is to give them a simple but frequent inspection for proper inflation, even treadwear, and the presence of any damage.
⦾ Proper inflation pressure is necessary for optimum tire performance, safety, and fuel economy. To maintain proper inflation pressure, frequently check tires (when they are cool) with an accurate tire pressure gauge.
⦾ Always maintain inflation pressure at the level recommended by the vehicle manufacturer as shown on the vehicle placard, vehicle certification label, or in the vehicle owner's manual.
⦾ Don't overload your vehicle
⦾ Don't spin your tires excessively
⦾ Do check your tires for wear
⦾ Do check your tires for damage
⦾ Proper tire repair

Check your spark plugs every 30,000 miles and replace them every 60,000 miles.

Spark plugs are necessary for any car to function well, and while most last for a long while, it’s still recommended you make sure yours aren’t affecting your engine as a whole. Every 30,000 miles, get yours checked out by a shop or dealer and make sure to replace them if they failed.

Bad spark plugs can lead to horrible gas mileage and a lack of acceleration, along with a whole host of other problems. Eventually, bad plugs can greatly impact an engine, leading to what could be a lot of troublesome repairs.

Check for any recalls on your car that you may not know about. There have been many recalls because of failures such as power-steering, passenger airbag safety, and fire risk. If you are concerned about your car, it’s a good idea to take your Vehicle Identification Number (usually found on the top of your engine or driver’s side door) and put it on the NHTSA’s website to see if you fall under a recall.

Prevent damage to your car by parking in the shade and using a window shade. Letting your car roast under a hot sun can cause heat damage to your interior and paint job. UV rays from the sun can melt plastics, crack your dashboard, and overall cause fading on your paint job.

Cars are complex machines and you shouldn’t ever force your way into fixing a problem if you don’t know exactly what’s wrong. When in doubt, take your car into a shop to see what’s going on and save yourself the trouble and frustration. Attempting to fix some things by yourself can lead to a bigger problem.

Brakes are more than shoes and pads, they are a system. A proper brake job means carefully checking everything in the entire system, from the pedal to the wheels.

Brake warning signs:

⦾ Vibration
⦾ Low pedal
⦾ Spongy pedal
⦾ Hard pedal
⦾ Noise

Your car relies on drive belts to ensure mechanical parts attached to its engine work properly and perform essential functions such as delivering power (the alternator), cooling your engine (the water pump), helping you to drive more easily (the power steering pump) and keeping you comfortable (the air conditioner compressor). 

Change your oil every 5,000 to 7,500 miles and use a reliable brand.

Why it’s important:

Every car maker has different things to say when it comes to oil, but most experts agree that it’s good to change it out regularly. If you’re confused about what to use, most cars work well with synthetic oil like Mobil 1, and it’s usually easier to get your oil replaced at a shop versus doing it yourself.

Make sure to check your oil every other month or so. If your car doesn’t have fresh oil, dirt will build up and eventually kill your engine, which will cost thousands of dollars.

Keep your engine’s temperature balanced with antifreeze every 15,000 miles.

Why it’s important:

Antifreeze and coolant, which are together in many products, help keep your engine from overheating or freezing in all kinds of temperatures. A reliable gallon of antifreeze usually runs for about $10-$15, making it easy to keep everything running well in your radiator.

Without any sort of antifreeze in your radiator, your engine will overheat, killing its seals and gaskets, causing leaks and leading to a really expensive repair.

Make sure your mirrors are always good to go. A good, clean set of front and rear view mirrors can save you from a lot of trouble on the road.

Change your air filter every 30,000 miles or every year.

Car’s air filter are similar to your lungs: They need to be clean and healthy. A dirty air filter will hurt acceleration and make your car less efficient. It can cause your engine to fail and damage combustion chamber.