Back to all

Make Your Vehicle Last

September 22, 2022


We live in such a disposable society. It's amazing all the stuff we throw away. New stuff comes out so fast, we just toss the old and move on. In the old days, Florida folks were real sticklers about taking care of their things. If something got lost or ruined by neglect, tough - they had to do without. Most Ocala drivers couldn't afford new vehicles very often, so they had to make them last as long as they could.

It's a good thing that vehicles are more reliable these days. They just don't break down as often. And the good news for us Florida penny pinchers is that a modern vehicle can easily go 200,000 miles/320,000 km with proper care. The engineering and the manufacturing quality is tremendous. The missing ingredient is us Ocala vehicle owners making sure we follow the vehicle manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedules.

Every time you go a little farther between recommended oil changes, you have created an opportunity for sludge to be formed and for clogged passages. Then some vehicle parts don't get properly lubricated and they start to wear out faster. Skip a cooling system service and the corrosion inhibitors become depleted; the radiator starts being damaged - one step closer to a failure. Same thing is true for transmission service, power brakes, fuel system cleaning - really everything on your schedule.

It is probably even more important for older vehicles. Those engines and other systems have had more time to get dirty, so they are a bit more stressed anyway. But it is never too late to get back on track with your auto maintenance and to hold off further damage.

And it really does start with the oil change. When you get a full service oil change in Ocala at Tuffy Ocala, we top off all your fluids and check for other items that are on your maintenance schedule. It's like your safety net. Go in for an oil change on time, and let your service advisor at Tuffy Ocala help you keep track of the rest.

Some things are going to wear out along the way, things like alternators, water pumps, etc. But fixing those at Tuffy Ocala is cheaper than a new car  payment for Ocala drivers. And taking care of problems early means they have less time to mess with other things. It is like having high cholesterol - you don't want to wait for a heart attack before you address it.

Tuffy Ocala
2105 Southwest College Road
Ocala, Florida 34471
(352) 690-6111

More articles from Tuffy Ocala

Let?s Shift Gears (Transmission Fluid Replacement)

April 14, 2024

If you have a vehicle with an automatic transmission, you probably never think about gear shifting. When motor vehicles were invented, all of them had to be shifted manually. But that wonderful self-shifting transmission, referred to these days as simply an automatic, changed everything. Automa... More

The Little Valve that Could (PCV Valve Replacement)

April 7, 2024

It's easy to get letters like PVC and PCV mixed up. PVC is a plastic that's used in a lot of things, especially plumbing pipes. And PCV is a valve that helps your engine burn off excess fumes rather than having them pollute our atmosphere. PCV stands for positive crankcase ventilation. When y... More

Slipping into Fall (Driving with ABS Brakes)

March 31, 2024

As the weather changes over from hot to colder, drivers will have to deal with more slippery streets. And it's important to know how to drive with the brakes you have on your vehicle. In the 1970s, anti-lock braking systems (ABS) started to be installed on vehicles and they've been a game chang... More