
Most cars come to the end of their days when the engine finally packs in. If you carefully maintain your Volkswagen’s engine, you’ll extend your car’s lifespan by many years and enjoy smooth, trouble-free drives each day. Here are some key engine services and maintenance guidelines to follow. You can schedule all vital engine care at your local VW dealership.
Give Your Engine Time To Warm Up
This one simple habit can make a huge difference to how rapidly or slowly your engine wears down. When you start your car in the morning, simply give the engine a minute to 90 seconds to warm up before driving.
Change the Motor Oil Twice a Year
Motor oil is at the heart of engine health. Most drivers should have their oil changed every six months. However, if you regularly put your car through more severe conditions, such as stop-and-go traffic, towing heavy trailers, or daily short drives, consider changing your oil quarterly.
Avoid Short Drives of Under Five Miles
Short trips to the local school or grocery store often take less than five minutes. If it’s possible, try to avoid daily short drives like this, which don’t give the engine time to grow sufficiently warm. Combine errands to lengthen your trips, if possible, and if you must make a short trip, at least let the engine warm up first.
Have Your Engine Tuned Up Yearly
Once a year or more, have a trusted technician inspect and tune up your engine. One of our professionals can inspect every component, including the spark plugs, ignition coils, and fuel injectors, to ensure that everything’s in good shape, adjusting or replacing parts as required.
Maintain the Cooling System and Coolant
Short of a collision, overheating is the greatest hazard any car’s engine can face. And the number one defense against heat is the cooling system. You can keep your cooling system in tip-top shape with inspections once a year and coolant checks once a month.
Replace the Engine Air Filter Yearly
The engine’s air filter prevents airborne contaminants from entering the system. In doing so, the filter gradually dirties and becomes clogged up. You’ll typically need to replace the air filter once a year, and more frequently if you often use dusty, dirty, salty, or sandy roads. Regular commutes in heavy urban traffic also take their toll on air filters.
Schedule Regular Engine Service at Your Local VW Dealership
All of these services can be conveniently scheduled with us. Our technicians provide diligent, prompt, personalized automotive care and can ensure your engine runs smoothly and powerfully for its full potential lifespan.
Visit Onion Creek Volkswagen in Austin, TX, today to arrange any essential vehicle maintenance.


