Find the one expensive line in the schedule
Most of a maintenance schedule is small, frequent items: oil, filters, a look at the brakes and tires. Somewhere in it, usually far down the mileage column, there is often one item that costs real money, and it is the one most likely to be put off.
On many engines that item is the timing belt. Not every engine has one; some use a chain designed to last much longer. On those that do, the belt keeps the engine's moving parts in step, and the manufacturer sets an interval, in miles or years, for replacing it before it wears out.
The reason it matters so much is what happens if it fails. On some engines, often called interference engines, a broken timing belt lets parts collide inside the engine, and a maintenance job becomes a major repair. On others the engine simply stops. Either way the vehicle is going nowhere.
What to find out about your own vehicle
- Does it have a timing belt or a chain? The owner's manual or the store can tell you.
- If it is a belt, what is the interval? Both the mileage and the age limit.
- Has it been done? On a used vehicle with no records, that is a question worth settling.
Other components driven by the same belt, or sitting behind it, are often replaced at the same visit because the labor to reach them is already being done. Ask about that when the job is quoted.
The rest of the schedule
The regular items continue alongside: oil changes, filters, fluids and inspections. A vehicle due for a state inspection can have it lined up with a maintenance visit here. The national scheduled maintenance page explains how manufacturer schedules work.
Nearby stores
Fenton and Washington also offer scheduled maintenance.
About this store
The De Soto store stays open until 5:30 PM and is managed by Cathy Bequette.
See the national scheduled maintenance page for all 33 locations.