Those Wheels Rolling: Preventative Maintenance for High Mileage Vehicles

Written by the Motorplex Team

Any vehicle with over 100,000 miles on it is considered a high-mileage vehicle. We see our share of these in our shops in Auburn and Spokane. While high mileage can indicate the end of a vehicle’s life, investing in preventative maintenance can keep that old truck or car rolling for years to come.

In this article, we’re going to share some key recommendations for keeping high-mileage vehicles running smoothly, efficiently and safely. First, we want to tell you about an older vehicle that came into the shop that inspired us to share these tips!

2007 Chevy Making Read End Noise

Recently, we had a 2007 Chevy truck come into our shop in Auburn. It had 250,000+ miles on the odometer. The customer said they could hear noises from the rear end while driving. Our technician hopped in for a test drive and confirmed those tell-tale noises. We ran diagnostics and confirmed a few issues that could contribute to that noise.

• The rear differential was leaking oil, and that oil was contaminated with water.
• The dust shield that protects the rear brakes from debris was shot.
• The rear rotors and brake pads needed replacing
• Damaged parking brake shoe, causing the brake cable to be loose. We needed to weld and rebuild the park brake anchor.We addressed those issues and completed a few other preventive maintenance tasks for the customer. These included performing a power steering flush, installing a new air filter, and installing a marker light.

Preventative Maintenance Checklist

While serving this customer and taking care of their Chevy, our experienced technician provided some preventative service recommendations. Whether you have a high-mileage vehicle or a new one, following these tips can help you extend the lifespan of your vehicle and ensure it runs efficiently.

• Oil Filter – Replace every 5,000 miles
• Fuel Filter – Replace every 10,000 miles
• Cabin Air Filter – Replace every 10,000 miles
• Air Filter – Replace every 10,000 miles
• Brake Fluid – Flush every 2 years
• Power Steering Filter/Flush – Service every 30,000 miles or 3 years
• Transmission Filter – Service every 30,000 miles or 3 years
• Differential Fluid – Replace every 30,000 miles or 3 years
• Extended Life Coolant – Replace every 60,000 miles or 5 years

If you’re unsure when the last time your vehicle has had these services, bring it into Motorplex in Auburn or Spokane! We offer courtesy inspections for all vehicles, including light-auto passenger vehicles, fleet vehicles, motorhomes and heavy trucks. From there, we can make recommendations for immediate repairs and a preventative maintenance program moving forward.

Serving Light Auto Customers and Fleet Owners

Motorplex is a multifaceted shop, which means we can work on any make or model. We have a reputation for serving heavy-duty fleets, offering fleet repairs and maintenance, but we are also a full-service auto repair shop for every type of customer. So, whether you want to get on a fleet maintenance program for your delivery trucks or have a trusty mechanic for your daily commuter, we’re here to help.

Final Thoughts

In the end, we sent that 2007 Chevy rolling with all the repairs completed. We hope they get another 50,000 miles or more in that truck. If they keep up the preventative maintenance, it just might be possible.

Contact us to book a service appointment.

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