May 2, 2014
For advice on how to make your SUV last longer, visit us at Tuffy Kentwood (Kalamazoo Ave SE)
Contact Us 4384 Kalamazoo Ave. SE
Kentwood, Michigan 49508
616.301.1436
These days many people in the Grand Rapids area are really committed to making their cars last a long time. First thing: you've got to start with what you've got. It'd be ideal if people started with a brand new car, never missed a scheduled service item, paid attention to the severe service maintenance schedule and had regular inspections. But if you've had the vehicle for a while, or bought it used, its maintenance history is what it is; and that's where you start.
Go through the maintenance schedule for your SUV and see what's been done and when. Have your Kentwood service advisor at Tuffy Kentwood (Kalamazoo Ave SE) do an inspection and come up with a list of stuff that needs to be done. Review the list and prioritize the work, talk about budget and make a plan to get caught up.
Making a plan is so important. Suppose you go in for an oil change and learn you need your cooling system serviced, a transmission service and are coming up on a timing belt replacement in the next 5,000 miles. You might be pretty overwhelmed.
To make it even more stressful, these are all very important systems that are expensive to repair if there's a failure. In consultation with your Kentwood service advisor, you might decide to take care of the transmission on this visit, set an appointment for the cooling system service next month and get an estimate for the timing belt replacement so you'll be prepared for it in a few months.
Having a plan for taking care of these important services will set your mind at ease.
March 30, 2025
Your vehicle is a complicated machine, and yes, it would be nice if you could take care of all of its problems yourself. There was a time when vehicles were simpler and it wasn't too hard for a weekend mechanic to replace brakes, adjust a carburetor or perform a tune-up. But vehicles are far mo... More
March 23, 2025
Few of us ever drive somewhere without encountering some pretty rough roads, and it's amazing how well our vehicles are able to smooth out the ride. Thank your shocks and struts. The two parts are similar. Some cars have shocks in the rear, and struts in the front. Others have struts all around... More
March 16, 2025
Your vehicles engine runs hot. It should, since its a series of little explosions that create the power that gets you going where you want to go. To keep the engine cool, engineers have designed wonderful cooling systems that use liquid coolant, hoses, and a radiator to transfer the heat from t... More