Buick service intervals: Keys to a longer, healthier life

At Jim Schmidt Chevrolet Buick in Hicksville, OH, we know how much you depend on your Buick SUV. It's the kind of fundamental American transportation that takes people from Bryan and Defiance OH to the grocery store or the hardware store. Buick can also take families on road trips a long way from Bryan and Defiance OH. But your Buick depends on you for regular, factory-recommended maintenance. Here are some examples worth noting.

At 7,500 to 10,000 miles: It all starts with an oil change

The foundation for just about all automotive maintenance is the humble - yet absolutely essential - regular, factory-recommended oil change. So how often does the factory recommend an oil change for your Buick? With today's more refined synthetic motor oils, the rule-of-thumb for a Buick like an Encore or an Enclave SUV is every 7,500 to 10,000 miles. If you do a lot of stop-and-go driving in the city, you might need oil changes more often.

Additional maintenance worth doing every 7,500 to 10,000 miles

It's a great idea to build several other valuable maintenance tasks into your regular oil changes. These are things that will help maximize the longevity and the safety of your Buick Envision or Buick Regal. We're talking about having the experts in our service center rotating your tires to help them wear more evenly. We're also talking about lubricating your suspension and also inspecting your tires, brakes and battery.

At the 15,000-mile mark

Since this is a multiple of 7,500 miles, owners from communities like Fort Wayne IN will want us to provide a basic oil and filter change plus a tire rotation. This is also the right interval to have us examine your windshield wiper blades and replace them if that's needed. This is an inexpensive task that can pay off in terms of safety for you and your family when your Buick has to take you through one of those intense Midwest rain storms.

At 30,000 miles

Your 30,000-mile Buick service visit is when you should have us repeat most of the same things we did for you at 15,000 miles. That means, of course, an oil and filter change along with a rotation of your tires. In addition, ask us to check and top off the level of key fluids like transmission fluid, power steering fluid and your coolant. Ask us to check shocks, suspension and your fuel filter.

At 60,000 miles

Given that this is a multiple of 30,000 miles, it's safe to say this is a repeat of many of the services we did for you at that earlier point. At the 60,000-mile mark, we recommend an oil and filter change plus a tire rotation. The 60,000-mile interval is a major one so it's also the time to have us do additional services like these:

• Have us check your battery's power, clean your cables and terminals
• Ask us to do a brake check to include brake pads, rotors and brake shoes
• Have us replace your coolant
• Ask us to check for wear-and-tear on your Buick's belts and hoses and replace if needed

One of our service managers can give you a comprehensive schedule

As you can see, we've just listed some highlights of the factory-recommended services your Buick Encore, Enclave or Envision should have over the first 60,000 miles. We encourage you to schedule maintenance in our service center and ask for a complete recommendation for regular maintenance at Jim Schmidt Chevrolet Buick in Hicksville OH.