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Make Sense of Vehicle Maintenance With Free Inspections

1 September 1999

Do Belts, Hoses, Filters, Tires Add Up to Confusion? Make Sense of Vehicle Maintenance With Free Inspections From the Auto Club

    LOS ANGELES--Aug. 31, 1999--Computerized engines and other recent innovations have significantly improved vehicle performance and safety, but the responsibility of car maintenance still falls on the driver.
    For the next two months, the Automobile Club of Southern California will help lighten that burden by offering free vehicle checkups to all Southern California motorists.
    The complimentary auto checkups will be offered throughout September and October as part of the Auto Club's program to mark National Car Care Month in October.
    Auto Club members and non-members can take advantage of the free 38-point inspections offered by more than 700 garages throughout Southern California that are designated as "Approved Auto Repair" facilities. These garages undergo annual inspections by Auto Club experts to ensure that they provide quality repair services from highly trained technicians using proper equipment.
    "It's easy to forget a mundane chore like car maintenance when it competes with so many priorities on a busy schedule," said Ed Lindsay, who manages the Auto Club's Approved Auto Repair program. "Our free checkups give drivers a good incentive to make sure their vehicles will keep taking them where they need to go."

    The free inspections will include checks on:

    -- Lubricants and fluids;

    -- The car battery;

    -- Belts, pulley and hoses;

    -- Tires and filters; and

    -- Headlights, turn signals and other lights.

    To schedule an appointment, contact a local Auto Club office or visit the Club's Web site at www.aaa-calif.com to find the closest Approved Auto Repair garage.
    National Car Care Month is an effort to educate drivers and correct misperceptions about car maintenance. A national survey conducted for AAA showed that while three-quarters of all motorists feel they are familiar or very familiar with maintenance requirements for their vehicles, only about half of them regularly follow those recommendations.
    The Automobile Club of Southern California, the largest affiliate of the AAA, has been serving members since 1900. Today, Auto Club members benefit by the organization's emergency road service, financial products, travel agency and trip planning services, highway and transportation safety programs, insurance products and services, automotive pricing, buying and financing programs and legislative advocacy. Information about these products and services is available on the Auto Club's Web site at www.aaa-calif.com.