Dave Seifert

David Seifert

Dave Seifert, owner of Crow River Auto and Truck Repair, said any time his technicians service a vehicle they check the tire pressure and wear.That's a standard service most repair shops offer when the oil is changed, he added.

"If tires are under pressure you'll get poor fuel economy and premature wear," he said.

Auto repair outlets have high-tech pressure gauges, but a simple tool the size of a pen will do the job at home, Seifert said.
...
Rotating tires, according to Meier and Seifert, helps tires wear evenly and extends the life of the tire.
...
Seifert added that if uneven wear is noticed, it can be a sign of problems."You may need an alignment or have worn steering or suspension parts," he said.

To help drivers better understand their cars, Dave Seifert, owner of Crow River Auto in Hutchinson, has taught several preventative car maintenance classes through Hutchinson Community Education.He also taught part time in the automotive department at Hutchinson Area Technical Institute and later at Ridgewater College for five years.
...
Seifert believes so much in the value of preventive maintenance that he's made it part of his shop's oil change package.As part of an oil change, he and his staff conduct a 25-point check of a car's systems ranging from tires and pressure to belts, air filter and lights.

The mechanic marks his findings on an inspection sheet that ranks each inspection point from "needing immediate attention" to marking it as a "future concern."

As a consumer, this is a useful planning guide for current and future car repairs.

"It's important to ask when getting an oil change what is included (with the service)," Seifert said.
...
Seifert is a believer in rotating a car's tires, too.He recommends rotating a car's tires every 6,000 to 8,000 miles, and for a four-wheel drive vehicle every 5,000 to 6,000 miles.

Brakes: Check brake fluid once a month, fill as needed.Also check to make sure brakes are working properly and listen for noises such as squeaking or grinding.Seifert is quick to caution car owners to take extreme care in checking and replacing a car's fluids."It's easy to make a mistake," he said.
...
Just as doctors recommend an annual physical for their patients, Seifert encourages his customers to schedule annual check-ups for their vehicles.

The quality of today's cars are greatly improved from years ago.But they still require tune-ups.Seifert said vehicles should last at least 10 years, if they receive regular maintenance checks.

To be able to provide the proper maintenance and keep up with all the changes in car systems, Seifert, who has six full-time and two part-time employees, has the mechanics attend school eight to nine times a year.They also participate in programs sponsored by local parts stores.

Although mechanics now use high-tech computer equipment to diagnose a car's ailments, it still requires old-fashioned know-how to fix it.Computer diagnostics will only identify the general area of the problem, Seifert said.