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But seriously. If you have questions, take a look at the FAQs below. Often, we hear similar questions from different customers and so we ve taken some time to answer some of the most common ones here:

1. How Often Should I Change My Oil?
2. How Often Should I Receive a Tune-up?
3. Do I really Have to Rotate My Tires?
4. My Car Is Making A Pinging Sound. What Does It Mean?
5. Are There Any Special Signs I Should Look For When Purchasing A Used Car?
6. Do I have to Go To The Dealership For Regularly Scheduled Maintenance?
7. How Often Should Belts and Hoses Be Replaced?
8. What Should Be Included In A "Complete Brake Job?"

1. How Often Should I Change My Oil?

It depends on how you drive. If your car always (or nearly always) gets warmed up and you don't drive it very hard and keep the revs down, the manufacturer's recommendation is probably fine. If, however, you drive it hard, drive it at high revs, or alternatively, if you only drive it to and from the supermarket so that it doesn't get up to temperature, then you may wish to change oil much more often, perhaps at 3000 mile intervals (given that most manufacturers are now specifying 7500 mile intervals). If you don't drive your car much at all (say 7500 miles a year), then you probably want to change oil every six months anyway. If you are storing a car during the winter, then change the oil before storing it and change the oil when you bring it out of storage. TOP

2. How Often Should I Receive a Tune-up?

Most cars require regularly scheduled tune-ups yearly and require major maintenance at 30,000 miles. TOP

3. Do I really Have to Rotate My Tires?

It’s advisable on some cars, but not on others. Factors which may indicate whether tire rotation is necessary are independent suspension, radial tires as well as other factors. To be sure, ask your auto professional. TOP

4. My Car Is Making A Pinging Sound. What Does It Mean?

Most likely, a pinging sound coming from your engine indicates timing problems. Sometimes pinging is caused by poor quality or low octane fuel. Pinging can cause damage. We strongly advise that to have your car checked out by a professional to determine what whether it’s causing damage. TOP

5. Are There Any Special Signs I Should Look For When Purchasing A Used Car?

Have the car checked out. If you do not have a car checked out by a professional you are making a big mistake. The cost is very minor and we always give a buyer more ammunition for bringing the price down. Money spent on checking out a used car is well spent. TOP

6. Do I have to Go To The Dealership For Regularly Scheduled Maintenance?

ABSOLUTELY NOT! Your new car warranty can and be applied to any independent automotive shop. We often hear dealership horror stories where customers have to keep going back to the dealer time after time to complete a simple repair. Why waste time and money! At Import Performance, we have qualified, trained technicians that listen to you and most importantly,
GET THE JOB RIGHT THE FIRST TIME! TOP

7. How Often Should Belts and Hoses Be Replaced?

Most hose manufacturers recommend replacing hoses every four years. With V-belts, every three years or 36,000 miles. The incidence of failure rises sharply after the forth year for hoses and third year for belts. A typical serpentine belt lifespan is about five years or 50,000 miles. Serpentine belts are thinner and more flexible than V-belts. They run cooler and last longer, but they cost about twice as much to replace. TOP

8. What Should Be Included In A "Complete Brake Job?"

A complete brake job should restore a vehicle’s brake system and braking performance to good-as-new condition. Anything less would be an incomplete brake job. Brake components that should be replaced will obviously depend upon the age, milage and wear. There is no guess answer to which items need replacing and which ones don’t. It’s a judgment call. A complete brake job should begin with a thorough inspection of the entire brake system; lining condition, rotors and drums, calipers and wheel cylinders, brake hardware, hoses, lines and master cylinder.