Anton Poelman at Tillemans told me he really enjoys his job because he likes fixing problems. Solving maintenance issue on equipment so they can last is rewarding work for him. “We get trade-ins with over 400,000 miles” Those cars get regular maintenance service.

All professional maintenance manual says the same thing. “It is important to stick to the schedule. So easy to let what needs to be done slide, I know. Experts all say to “Follow the maintenance schedule in your car’s owner’s manual. It spells out when to take care of every service for the life of your car, including routine oil and filter changes, tire rotations, and more major service such as timing-belt replacement. Simply follow the routine spelled out for you. Even missing one oil change can contribute to premature engine wear, or cause damage and reduce the chances of your car remaining reliable for long.”

“If you’ve neglected following your vehicle’s maintenance schedule, it’s not too late to get with the program. Have a mechanic inspect your vehicle and take care of any apparent problems, no matter how minor.”

If you are like me I realized I need to “consider using what’s often called the severe-use or extreme-use maintenance schedule in your owner’s manual. Most drivers who need to follow such a schedule do a lot of city driving; live in a very hot or cold climate in mountain regions or near the ocean; make a lot of short trips; tow a trailer; or drive in dusty conditions. If that description sounds like it includes a lot of driving, it does.”

“The difference between the regular maintenance schedule and the severe-use schedule can be significant, with severe-use oil-change intervals being much shorter, sometimes twice as often.”

“Many new models from a wide variety of carmakers make it even easier to stay on top of maintenance, with sensors that take into account your mileage and driving habits to determine the optimum time for maintenance. They monitor the miles driven since the last service and record data such as how much stop-and-go driving is done, the engine temperature during each trip, and the time the engine spends operating at higher speeds. The system then calculates how quickly your oil is breaking down and alerts you when service is due, and can even adjust a car’s complete service interval to compensate for your specific use.”

“But don’t over maintain your car; that can be a waste of money. Watch out for dealers or repair shops that add maintenance work not called for in the owner’s manual. That can add hundreds of dollars to a routine service bill.”

Even if you adhere to the schedule, remember that problems can arise unexpectedly. The manual might say how often to inspect belts and hoses for example, but when to replace them can vary greatly by climate and other factors. So get in the habit of opening the hood to look, listen, and smell for anything unusual. Fraying and cracks in belts are sure signs of trouble, along with cracks and bulges in hoses. Look for evidence of leaks, and check the level and condition of coolant and brake and power-steering fluids. They can give you clues about what’s going on inside components. Gritty-¬feeling or burnt-smelling transmission fluid, for example, could indicate the start of internal damage. By catching it early, you could reduce repair costs and increase long-term reliability.