Many people don’t see a car as an investment; they actually see it as a commodity. This means that they use if giving it minimal care and then when it’s done they stop using it and either sell it or carry it to the dump. The truth is a car that is kept in good condition will always yields a much higher price than a car that is not.

This means that it is imperative to service your car and that just does not mean parts but interior and exterior as well to ensure that you can sell the asset for a reasonable value.

We’ve all heard the old saying that you need to get your oil changed every 3,000 miles. The question is how much truth is there to that statement?

The best place to start when searching for an answer is your vehicle’s maintenance manual. This booklet should outline the services needed at each mile increment. A typical car service includes an oil change, tire rotation, and fluids check. And, for the most part, all three of these can take place about every 5,000 miles. Any more, most cars can make it nearly 7,000 miles before oil service needs to be done. Many people even feel comfortable changing their own oil.

Many other services should be checked seasonally. Twice a year, have your fan belts checked. In the summer, ensure that your air conditioner is working properly and when the winter months arrive, check your tire pressure and radiator. It’s also recommended that you have your car serviced before taking a long road trip or during times when your mileage is higher than normal.

The key points here are that vehicles equipped with computerized service monitors will still need to be reset if the service is done at home and some dealerships may deny warranty service is none of the other services have been done there.