The Importance of Preventative Maintenance for Your Volkswagen

Whether you drive a new VW or your Volkswagen is a few years old, good tire maintenance is key for excellent vehicle performance. Tires with adequate treads offer a better grip on the road, which can improve fuel economy, safety, and overall handling. Learn about how to properly take care of your tires and when you need to purchase new tires from your VW dealer. Expert Tips for Volkswagen Tire Maintenance and Replacement One of the best ways to ensure your tires have a long life is to schedule regular tire rotation service at your local dealership. Ideally, you should rotate your tires at least twice a year to ensure the tire tread wears down evenly on all four tires. The front tires on your vehicle tend to carry more weight, so it's best to rotate those tires to the back of the vehicle frequently for better vehicle performance. You can save time on your routine vehicle maintenance by scheduling a tire rotation at the same time as other key services, such as an oil change, air filter replacement, windshield wiper replacement, and other routine services. When you book a tire rotation, make sure that you also ask for a wheel or tire alignment to ensure proper wheel balance and vehicle handling when you're on the road. more When to Buy New Tires at Your VW Dealer The tires on your vehicle should last for a few years, although the specific type of tire may impact the longevity of the rubber. For example, all-season performance tires offer excellent grip in all weather conditions, but these tires also tend to wear down more quickly. You can refer to your VW owner's manual for guidance on the best replacement tires for your model. While time might be a good indicator of when to purchase replacement tires, there are other signs you can look out for. Most mechanics will recommend replacing the entire set of tires when the tread wear runs too low. If your tires can't pass the quarter or penny test because the tread depth is too shallow, then it's time for tires. Replacing your tires when the tread wear runs low will ensure your vehicle has enough traction on the road. Cracks, Bubbles, and Bulges Visible defects in the appearance of the tires are a sign that you need to replace one or all tires. Cracks on the sidewall and bubbles on the tire spell trouble like blowouts, flats, and air leaks. If your tire is ever visibly damaged after hitting a curb or a pothole, you should replace the tire immediately. Routine maintenance for your tires means frequent rotations and replacing tires when the tread is worn down. Keep yourself safe on the road by scheduling tire service at Tom Bush Volkswagen in Jacksonville, FL.

AC not working? It might not be because your car battery is failing. There are several reasons why your Volkswagen's air conditioning system might be blowing out hot air, which is why it's best to take your car to your local VW dealership for service. Check out how to maintain your AC system and more. Keeping Cool: Volkswagen Air Conditioning Maintenance Tips Your VW owner's manual outlines the routine maintenance for your AC system to keep things running smoothly. Some of these key maintenance tasks include inspecting and replacing air filters, cleaning the condenser, topping up the coolant level, and inspecting belt fans. Most of these maintenance tasks should be performed once a year to ensure good air conditioner performance. Other AC Service at Your VW Dealership Other maintenance tasks will need to be performed less often, such as flushing the radiator. A radiator flush should be done every few years to clean out any debris from the radiator that could reduce the efficiency of the AC unit. This is also a good chance to check for leaks, corrosion, or other issues that could hamper your air conditioning system. more Common Causes for AC Not Working When your AC system runs into performance problems like blowing out hot air, the most common cause is low coolant levels. The coolant or refrigerant in your vehicle ensures your air vents produce cold air, so when levels are low, your AC unit won't function normally. A quick fix for this is topping up the coolant level or correcting any leaks in the radiator that are causing coolant levels to drop. Best Practices for Good AC Performance If you want your air conditioner system to perform well throughout the year, there are things you can do when you're behind the wheel to maintain good AC performance. For example, you can roll down your windows when it's hot outside to vent out hot air that accumulates in the cabin before turning on your AC system so your air conditioner doesn't have to work as hard to cool down the car. It's also a good idea to occasionally turn on the defrost mode, even when it's hot or you don't need to defrost windows. This is because the defrost mode can reduce moisture buildup in your AC unit, which prevents the development of mildew and musty air vent odor. You can run the defrost mode for at least 10 minutes once a week to keep your air vents fresh. In Florida, it's essential to have a functional air conditioning system to battle heat and humidity throughout the year. To keep your AC in good shape, you should schedule routine service for coolant level top-offs, air filter replacement, and other AC inspection services at your local dealership. Book service at Tom Bush Volkswagen in Jacksonville, FL.

Routine vehicle maintenance can protect your vehicle from major damage by addressing mechanical defects early on. Performing preventative maintenance at your VW dealer will ensure your VW lasts a long time while also reducing your vehicle repair costs. Learn about the recommended Volkswagen maintenance intervals and how pre-paid maintenance may be a good option for your car ownership goals. Navigating Your Volkswagen Maintenance Schedule for Optimal Care Volkswagen generally recommends your first service interval after purchasing a new car to be scheduled at 10,000 miles. During this appointment, the condition of your brake pads will be assessed, along with a routine oil change and a replacement of your oil filter. All of your other service intervals will also be scheduled in 10,000-mile increments to optimize the care of your VW vehicle. more Minor, Standard, and Extended Maintenance Minor maintenance is a repetition of the three services performed during your very first 10,000-mile maintenance appointment. Minor maintenance services are included in your standard maintenance appointments, which are scheduled every 20,000 miles. Standard maintenance includes services such as testing the car battery, topping up fluid levels, assessing exterior lights, balancing the suspension system, and checking the tires. Extended maintenance services are scheduled every 40,000 miles. Tasks such as checking body panels for corrosion, assessing the performance of the exhaust system, and looking for underbody damage are added to your minor and standard maintenance services during extended maintenance appointments. Should You Ask Your VW Dealer About Pre-Paid Maintenance? Volkswagen can simplify the cost and scheduling of your vehicle maintenance with a VW Care pre-paid maintenance plan. Under this plan, most of your recommended maintenance services are covered at regular intervals. Your elegibility for certain VW Care plans is dependent on your model year. You can discuss plans available for your VW model when you visit your dealership's finance department. A pre-paid maintenance plan is a great option if you are on a budget and want to have predictable routine maintenance costs. VW Care plans lock in the price of routine maintenance, part replacement, and labor costs. You also get the benefit of knowing genuine VW parts are used for all of your vehicle repairs when you sign up for a pre-paid maintenance plan. What Is VW Carefree Scheduled Maintenance? For additional savings and peace of mind, your local dealership offers a scheduled maintenance plan for your first two years of ownership at no additional cost. The VW Carefree Scheduled Maintenance plan will cover the recommended services outlined in your VW Maintenance Booklet. Volkswagen makes it easy to care for your vehicle with high-quality routine service with pre-paid and scheduled maintenance plans. Learn more about these low-cost routine maintenance options when you call Tom Bush Volkswagen in Jacksonville, FL.