When it comes to automobile maintenance, 24-year-old Natalie Dionne is seemingly out of step with her age demographic.
A third year agriculture student at the University of Manitoba, Dionne takes her 2001 Nissan Sentra into the shop for maintenance - inspection, oil change, tire rotation, etc. - on a regular basis.
"I certainly try to get it done on time," says Dionne, who drives 30 minutes out of town for her summer job as an agronomist's assistant. "I certainly don't want to screw that car over."
Other young adults in Canada, however, may not be as conscientious when it comes to car care.
According to a recent study by Car Care Canada, drivers of Dionne's age group - 18-24 - had "alarming vehicle maintenance habits" when it comes to their vehicles.
Of those surveyed, 22 per cent had no idea when they should change the oil or waited until they saw the oil warning light. Less than a quarter never bring their vehicle in for maintenance unless it breaks down, and 34 per cent say a strange noise is an indicator to them that trouble is afoot under the hood.
Perhaps that's one area that Dionne still has in common with her peers. She recently had her brake pads replaced and her rotors repaired.
"My car was pulsating when I was braking," said Dionne, adding she thought she had driven it for a couple of weeks before some of her more mechanically-inclined friends suggested she take it in for repairs.
Bill Gardiner, the host of Quaker State Garage on TSN's Motoring 2008, says he isn't altogether shocked that those in their early 20s aren't necessarily that keen on car maintenance.
"I'm really surprised the numbers aren't actually higher," says Gardiner, a car care guru, who has dished out auto advice for more than 25 years.
May is Car Care Month, and Gardiner is once again on cross-country mission of maintenance, this time focusing in on the 18- to 24-year-old set.
He says getting the word out that a healthy car not only means less vehicle-related headaches - like being stranded on the highway, late for work with your car spewing smoke from under its hood. It also makes for a healthier planet. Regular maintenance will ensure your vehicle is maximizing fuel efficiency and running cleanly, releasing less harmful pollutants into the air we breathe.
Gardiner suggests that even taking your car to 10-minute oil change is a good place to start. Spending a few dollars now for bi-yearly maintenance - like an oil change and inspection - can help you avoid paying a huge bill for major repairs a few months from now, he says.
Gardiner also offered a list of 10 spring maintenance tips for drivers of all ages to live by that will keep their vehicles purring instead of sputtering.
There are the basics like getting the oil changed twice a year and choosing synthetic oil because it stands up to harsh conditions - like -40 C - better than regular oil.
But he also offers other advice that most of us may never consider.
Tip #8 suggests inspecting and testing the battery to make sure five months of Winnipeg winter hasn't drained all the life out it.
"It's amazing how many cars will fire up with a bad battery," says Gardiner, adding it is a recipe for being stranded somewhere cold, dark and possibly scary. "Let's say you ran out of fuel, you'd want to make sure your hazards worked."
It may be a tough task with a shoddy battery.
Other tips are equally as vital to the smooth operation of a vehicle and promoting road safety in general. Take brake maintenance, for instance.
"Most cars have an audible sensor when the brake pads start to run out," Gardiner says. "It gives you a bit of time before it starts grinding the rotor."
Drivers have usually a few days grace to book an appointment with the mechanic before any real damage occurs, he adds.
You don't have to tell that to Natalie Dionne twice. Next time she feels her car begin to "pulsate" when she hits the brakes, she won't just keep on givin'r as she did for a couple weeks the last time. She'll call her mechanic for an appointment.
"I don't want that money I spent (on my car) going to waste. I pay for it every month."
Getting the mostout of your car
Top 10 preventative maintenance tips for your vehicle
1. Spring oil and filter change. Check all fluids under the hood: power steering, brake, transmission and coolant levels. Top-up with correct fluid as specified in the owner's manual.
2. Wash the exterior of the vehicle, including tires and wheels, and repair chips with touch-up paint to eliminate rust from forming. Protective wax is recommended. Clean the interior also to get rid of road salts and sand from winter.
3. If you can't see out your windshield, it's a bad sign. Replace worn, cracked wiper blades. Fill windshield washer reservoir with bug wash. Clean inside of windows as well because it reduces the glare from the sun.
4. A clean air filter allows your engine to breathe and improves fuel economy by up to 10 per cent.
5. Check the cabin air filter. Often neglected, a clean one keeps road grime, pollen and debris from entering the interior cabin.
6. Remove the winter tires or rotate the all-season radials and re-balance the wheels. Check tire conditions and adjust air pressure including the spare.
7. Check the vehicle manual for when the cooling system needs to be serviced. Examine tightness and condition of belts, clamps and hoses. A broken belt means a broken car, going nowhere.
8. Perform a battery inspection and load test to see how it survived the winter. Make sure terminals are clean of any corrosion.
9. Routine brake inspections and service are a matter of safety. Warning signals include grinding, squealing, chatter or "pulsating."
10. Inspect all lights and bulbs and replace burned out bulbs. Running with just one brake light is "a formula for whiplash when the other light burns out," car care expert Bill Gardiner says.
*Courtesy of Pennzoil-Quaker State Canada Inc.
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