Car Batteries & Belts

There are car repairs you will make either too early or too late. The battery is a good example. They say a battery will last 3 to 5-years and that 2-year swing can leave you in a rainy parking lot waiting for a jump start and a trip to the dealer for a battery. That is not an optimal situation unless you just need some new friends who drive tow trucks and sell batteries.

The Timing Belt is another vital accessory that can be overlooked because of its tendency to go bad unexpectedly. The problem may be that the Timing Belt can last anywhere from 60 to 100,000 miles. A 40,000 span can make the belt failure seem like it is unexpected. The bottom line is that you might find yourself on a superhighway wrestling a steering wheel because the power steering no longer works. When the Timing Belt fails a lot of things fail in addition to the power steering. The wipers, the A/C, radio, digital components, and all the wonderful safety technology. Now imagine there is no exit in sight.

Tires can last more than 70,000-miles, but there are so many variables. How you drive and where you drive make a difference. Highway miles are easier on tires than surface streets and stop and go traffic. High performance tires can be softer and not deliver high miles, but they come in handy at Le Mans. Tires are how your car contacts the earth and a F1 driver like Graham Hill would have insisted you have good tires.

Batteries, Timing Belts and Tires are three places where it pays to be early. At least, it pays off if you like to have more control and fewer surprises in your daily drives. Which brings us to warranties.
Warranties, generally, do not cover things like tires, brakes and batteries. These items are usually covered under a separate limited warranty from the component manufacturer. This type of warranty is typically pro-rated. So, if your battery fails prior to the warranty expiration you get what amounts to a discount on the replacement battery. Tires will work that way too. The problem is that the failure has to manifest before you can apply the warranty.

Don’t worry about it. Dealers run sales on batteries and tires all the time. You can find our current service coupons here.  Take advantage of that before you need a jump start in the rain or have to channel your inner Ayrton Senna on a curvy road somewhere with tires that have seen better days.

The existing Timing Belt is just like an old battery. Get a new one before you need it which means before you get to 100,000 miles. Cars last longer these days. You can further their life expectancy by doing some typical maintenance earlier and on your terms.  The Certified technicians at Huston Chevrolet are here to help!

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