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Scheduled maintenance, or preventative maintenance, is important because it, well, prevents major problems from developing with your car.  Some scheduled maintenance items are more important than others, though.  Here is a list of preventative maintenance you really shouldn’t ignore.

• Oil changes.  A lot of people think you can get away with not changing your oil regularly, but I don’t recommend it.  The oil and the detergents that keep your engine’s guts reasonably clean break down over time.  Letting your oil go longer than 3,000 miles means you are filling your engine full of sludge, which is extremely hard on the seals, gaskets, and moving parts inside your engine.
• Air filter changes.  Changing your air filter is also extremely important.  Just like a person, your engine needs to be able to  breathe.  A clogged air filter is like you or me trying to breathe through a plastic bag with a couple of tiny holes poked into it!  Your engine won’t get enough oxygen, which can foul out spark plugs and cause other problems.
• Coolant changes and flushes.  Having coolant in your radiator is better than water for many reasons, among those being that it slows down rust and corrosion inside the system.  This happens because of the Ph balance in the antifreeze/water solution.  However, over time that starts to break down.  You should probably change your antifreeze every few years, more often for older cars.
• Timing belt replacement.  Changing your timing belt on time is crucial.  If you go too long, your belt starts wearing thin and becomes more likely to snap.  Most cars these days have interference engines, which means that when your timing belt snaps, the pistons will smash the valves and possibly even warp the head, as fast as they are moving.  Not changing your timing belt on time could feasibly cost you your engine.
• Rotate and balance your tires.  The key to getting a long life out of your tires is to rotate and balance them regularly.  This helps ensure that they wear evenly, therefore prolonging their life.  Additionally, problems with the tires are often found when rotating and balancing them, perhaps preventing a big blowout and a potentially crash while you’re driving.

In my opinion, these are some of the most important maintenance tasks to do on your car.  As always, be sure to get genuine OEM parts for your car — to do otherwise may compromise its performance or even cause problems.  For instance, when replacing a timing belt, buying anything other than genuine Toyota Camry parts could result in the belt not lasting as long as it should, snapping, and ruining your engine.  It’s just not worth saving a few bucks — for the longevity of your car, be sure to buy real Toyota parts.

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