Transmissions, like engines, are a major component of your vehicle, and very expensive to replace. Transmissions often go out for very preventable reasons, and sometimes replacing one can be troublesome and expensive enough that it’s not even worth doing, depending on the vehicle. With the right maintenance, most transmissions are extremely reliable; it simply boils down to how well a transmission is cared for. Follow these tips to make your transmission last as long as possible, courtesy of Zarin Truck & Automotive in South Heights.

If you're prepping to go on a road trip, you need to be sure that your vehicle is ready for the journey. An unmaintained vehicle could be the difference between a good trip and a trip that goes south really quickly. Here at Zarin Truck & Automotive, we want to remind you of some things to do so you and your vehicle are ready for the road. 

1. Get a Pre-Trip Mechanical Inspection - Is it overkill to have a technician give your car a pre-trip once over? Not if it saves you from disaster on the road, and we'd rather be safe than sorry. Here at Zarin Truck & Automotive, our mechanics should be able to identify any significant components that are on their last legs. Even if your car comes back with a clean bill of health, there's a lot of value in having that peace of mind.

Like anything else on your vehicle, keeping various systems clean and in good shape is essential to long life and reliability. Your fuel system is especially important - parts are expensive, problems can be difficult to diagnose, and it doesn’t take much contamination to cause a huge issue. It’s much easier to keep your fuel system clean than it is to clean a dirty or problematic system. Performing regular fuel treatment can prove very beneficial to the life of your vehicle.

True safety starts with being able to see where you are driving. Your lights and wipers play a major role in safe driving and the chance of an accident increases if you can't see or be seen. No matter what time of year, it's important to make sure your vehicle's lights and wipers are working properly so your visibility is not compromised and you can be seen by others. From the driver's seat, you may not notice a light that isn't working, but when a big rain comes it becomes easier to see what you are missing! When wet weather hits your roads is not the time for you to discover limited visibility problems. Here at Zarin Truck & Automotive we take our South Heights drivers' safety seriously and inspect their vehicles when they come in for service.

We’ve all been there: You start your car in the morning and begin to back out of the driveway. You hear an unusual noise coming from your car, and it sounds bad. How do you know if it's something you should bring in to us here at Zarin Truck & Automotive to get looked at? Questioning the severity of the sound is a smart immediate response because the difference between a squeaky joint and near-catastrophic engine failure can be a big one.