BUTLER TWP — In the age of technology, vehicle maintenance is no longer something the average owner can do on his own, according to Rick Bennett, auto teacher at Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School.

“Vehicles have gotten so advanced technology-wise and with some of the safety features that go along with newer cars,” Bennett said, “I think it’s important that people know how their vehicle operates.”

In fact, most dealerships are even steering customers away from doing their own maintenance, he said.

For a new vehicle owner, the biggest issue is knowing the timeline of maintenance for your car, SUV or truck. Nearly every new one sold comes with a guide for when certain services should take place in addition to the annual inspection, he said.

“The average consumer doesn’t check their fluid levels, doesn’t check their tire pressure levels,” he said. “If I’m your average consumer, I don’t think about those things until it comes to inspection time.

“It’s hard (to maintain a car) whenever you only see a car once a year. There are a lot of cars out there on the road that need some degree of maintenance on them, and the people driving them don’t even know.”

Bennett, who previously worked at a Mercedes-Benz dealership, said that in his experience, vehicles follow a mileage timeline of when certain maintenance services should be done.

Every 10,000 miles, cars should have an oil change done, and technicians should check the brakes and tire pressure. Every 20,000 miles, customers should have the brake system flushed and replace the old oil.

Every 36,000 miles, the vehicle should have transmission fluid and filter changes, Bennett said.

Of course, all of these are estimated guidelines, depending on the vehicle’s make, model and starting mileage.

For instance, vehicles that have fairly high mileage may need maintenance more often to stay in good running condition, Bennett said.

The biggest action that needs to be done is maintaining the many fluids necessary to keep the vehicle running well, he said.

The oil is important because its helps clean and cool the engine, Bennett said. A vehicle’s oil is typically a brown and semi-transparent liquid, so if it is dark when checked, it needs to be replaced.

“If it looks really dark, it’s doing its job. It’s cleaning things,” Bennett said. “But if it’s really dark, then I say don’t wait another 5,000 miles to get it changed. As oil breaks down and gets dirtier, it loses its ability to cool and to clean.”

Brake fluid is also crucial, and because condensation can build up in the fluid, brakes become susceptible to rust.

The transmission fluid, which plays a complex role in vehicle mechanics, is often forgotten, Bennett said.

“Most people say, ‘I’ll change my transmission when it starts to slip,’ but at that point, it’s pretty much too late,” he said.

Transmission fluid has to be a certain thickness, and over time it will lose that thickness, which enables the fluid to keep clutches of the engine lubricated and cooled, Bennett said.

Another main component is the battery, which must stay charged to keep it in good condition, Bennett said.

The battery should be checked during every service, at least at every oil change, he said.

This only requires a simple test on the technician’s part, and it should include checking for corrosion around the battery terminals.

While tools like cell phones should be discharged and then recharged, this is the exact opposite of how a battery should be maintained. The trick is to keep the battery charged at all times, which is done with the charging system, Bennett said.

The charging system relies on magnets to produce power that ultimately keeps the battery charged, so making sure the battery charge does not run down is key.

“One of the bad things you can do to a battery is leave your lights on or sit with your radio on for a long time,” Bennett said. “Those will kill a battery pretty fast. The charging system is only actually working when the battery is running.”

Bennett also wants people to make sure they know that tires are a huge safety concern.

“Check your tires, check your pressure, check your treads,” he said. “If your tires are almost bald and it rains tomorrow, you’re in trouble. I think it happens too often.”

Bennett said tread should be checked about once a month, especially since replacing all four tires at once can be quite costly.

“Probably whenever you got in your car this morning, you probably didn’t check your tires to see that all of them were inflated,” Bennett said. “Look at your car a bit before you drive away. Do (the tires) look flat, does one look different from the others?

“I’m not saying check the tread every day, but check the tread once a month.”

Finally, as simple as it may sound, Bennett wants people to clean their vehicles.

“I think washing is a big thing,” he said. “I know it’s kind of silly, but the more you take care of your car, the better it’s going to serve you. The salt that they put on the road is really bad for your car.”

Road salt can often cause rust on vehicles, especially if multiple layers build up.

The final thing that Bennett wants young or new car owners to be aware of is cost and not just the ticket price of a vehicle.

“I think that there’s a few things to take into consideration. Obviously, can I afford it, and what is the maintenance going to cost?” Bennett said.

For instance, some vehicles may take eight quarts of oil during a change, but the average car takes five quarts.

Also, some car dealers or repair shops charge more for basic services like oil changes than others.

People should be aware of what type of tires the vehicle needs because some tires are more expensive than others.

However, the biggest cost young buyers often forget about is insurance, he said.

“I have a lot of high school guys, and they want all these cool cars,” Bennett said. “I tell them it costs money to look cool.

“You have to ask what is this going to cost me? Insurance companies see a young guy or a young girl looking at a sports car, and it’s just impractical.”

Bennett said a call to the insurance company can let young buyers know how much in insurance costs a driver is looking at each month to help make a decision.