What if you have trouble with the car now as McHenry schools open up for the fall? That’s not a pretty picture, is it?

Summer is winding down. Of course, summer may have kept you busy in its own way – vacations, trips to the McHenry pool and park on Green Street, summer camp and other such activities. But autumn is different. 

With the approach of autumn, you need to prepare to modify your schedule. Will you drop off and/or pick up the kids from school? Are your children involved in after school activities – sports, band, chorus, school clubs, etc.? Then there are all the trips to the stores for class materials – trips to the stores for their new school wardrobe.

And while all these trips are added to your daily agenda, you still have all the other trips you take regardless of the school year. To and from your job, to the grocery store, date night with your spouse: you’re counting on your vehicle to get you there and back reliably.

Reliable transportation is not something you can take for granted. This is particularly true if you have an older vehicle. But it’s also true even if your vehicle is brand new. If you don’t maintain them, who can you blame if they breakdown?

Maintenance starts with the lifeblood of your vehicle – changing the motor oil on schedule. Changing the oil when it’s due is your way of ensuring the engine has the lubrication it needs to avoid undue wear and tear. If you want the engine to run smooth and solid in years to come, change the oil on schedule for the life of the engine.

Maintenance also considers other aspects of the vehicle that could result in breakdowns. How are the tires and alignment? Have you had your steering and suspension components checked. How are your brakes?

Think about those brakes; if you’re bringing a child to or from school, you’ll be driving around other children. It’s comforting to know that, if some young one runs out in front of you, you’ll have the ability to stop.

Then you have the charging system and battery. It’s time to pickup your child or children from school but the car won’t start. What will you do?

You have belts that need to turn pullies on the front of the engine. You have coolant that keeps your vehicle from overheating. Your fuel system is calibrated and controlled by computers these days. Is it operating properly?

The gist of all of this is that, as school opens in McHenry, you want to prepare and be prepared. The best way to do this is to perform due maintenance and have your vehicle checked out so you know it’s ready for the additional use you can expect.