Out with the Old (Vehicle Parts that Wear Out)
April 7, 2024
Some drivers don't pay any attention to their vehicles until something breaks. Others take them into their service repair facility for maintenance even before a problem develops. Still, even if you fit into the second group, there are some parts on a vehicle that will simply wear out over time.
Your vehicle has gaskets in several places. They use a flexible material to seal the gaps between metal parts that fit together. After time, that material shrinks or gets brittle and fails. Eventually, after time, you will have to get gaskets replaced.
Same goes for belts. Your engine has belts that help take the mechanical energy of the engine to drive other parts such as the generator and air conditioner. Heat and age will eventually cause these belts to wear out or break, so you'll need new ones at some point.
You'll also find yourself buying brake pads. As much as you may try to go easy on them, brake pads work by wearing off a little bit of them each time they help you stop your vehicle. Do a lot of stop-and-go driving and you'll hasten the process.
No battery lasts forever, and your vehicle's battery is no exception. It can only charge and discharge electricity so many times. Count on getting no more than 4 or 5 years out of a battery, fewer if you live in a very hot spot.
Other parts that don't age well? Tires. They can have plenty of tread left on them, but rubber gets old and loses its flexibility. Tires have their date of manufacturer stamped on them for a reason.
Finally, your muffler is being subject to moisture from inside and out: inside because of moisture-containing exhaust and outside from the elements outdoors. Stainless steel or other alloys will last longer, but after a while, either the moisture or constant pounding from vibrations will take their toll.
That's why it's important to maintain every part on your vehicle. You can't wave a magic wand and make everything last forever, but take care of your vehicle and it'll take care of you.
Auto Pro Troy
512 East Maple Rd.
Troy, Michigan 48083
248-270-3002
Need Service?
More articles from Auto Pro Troy Auto Repair
Fuel Saving Tip: Dirty Oil in Your Troy Vehicle
April 28, 2024
If you're a quart low in your vehicle, there isn't enough motor oil to lubricate your engine properly. The extra friction causes drag that reduces fuel economy while you're driving around the Troy area.The same goes for dirty oil; it doesn't reduce friction properly. The result is you get to watc... More
Positive and Negative (Battery Care)
April 21, 2024
You notice when your smartphone's battery starts to go weak on you. It runs out of juice faster than it did when it was new. Bet you pay attention to that pretty closely. Unfortunately, many of us don't pay the same attention to the battery in our vehicles. If your battery got you through the c... More
Catalytic Converter Replacement
April 14, 2024
Many of us have become aware of how important it is to keep our planets air clean, and your vehicle has a key component that helps do just that: the catalytic converter. Its in the exhaust system, and its job is to superheat unburned, harmful byproducts in the exhaust, so they dont get spewed ou... More