When you take up a driving career, your car becomes your lifeline. However, driving for services like Uber, Lyft, Postmates, DoorDash, UberEats, and more can take a toll on your vehicle. The auto mechanics at Chapel Hill Tire are here with insight on how you can keep your car protected with these 5 services.
Regular Oil Changes
As a delivery or rideshare driver, one of the most important services to maintain is your oil changes. Oil is essential in keeping your engine parts working together smoothly. It also helps keep your engine clean, prevents winter battery failure, and so much more.
While oil changes are the most prominent and frequently needed service, it is also important to keep up with other routine maintenance flushes—including brake fluid changes, radiator flushes, transmission fluid flush, and others.
Battery Services
If you drive your vehicle for Uber, Lyft, taxi, or other rideshare services, you may frequently find passengers using your car’s battery-powered features. This includes turning on your interior lights and plugging their cellphones into your charging ports. It is essential to unplug any chargers and turn these lights off each time you exit your vehicle. Otherwise, you may find yourself with a dead battery upon return. However, even the most careful and energy-conservative driver will need a new battery on occasion.
To avoid getting stranded with a dead battery, it is best to keep an eye out for signs that your car battery is due for replacement. Additionally, you can extend the lifespan of your battery by protecting it from the effects of warm summer weather and cold winter temperatures.
As a rideshare driver, it is best to keep jumper cables in your car—just in case your battery dies. Better yet, battery packs are easy to order online and allow you to jump-start your car without needing help from a second vehicle. Our mechanics offer an 8-step guide to jump-starting your car here.
Check Breaks
Naturally, your brakes are essential for slowing and stopping your vehicle on the road. When you drive for services like Lyft, Uber, Postmates, and others, you will find yourself stepping on the brakes more frequently. This is especially true if your routes often involve driving on busy city roads rather than long highway or country stretches. Each time you press your foot against the pedal, the friction material of your brake pads wears away. When taking up a driving career, you will likely need more frequent brake pad changes.
Wheel Alignment
Tire and wheel alignment troubles can happen quickly when you drive your car frequently. This issue is especially prominent for drivers in areas where the roads contain lots of bumps and potholes. When your wheels are out of alignment, they will ruin your tires with uneven wear. Instead of needing a single alignment service, you will now need to also invest in a new set of tires. You might notice your alignment is off if your steering wheel shakes or pulls to one side of the road.
Tire Inspections and Services
Tires are essential to your vehicle’s safety on the road. Additionally, as a driver for Uber, Lyft, or Postmates, you will likely want to save as much gas as possible. Tire issues—like insufficient tire pressure and worn tire tread—can take a serious toll on your fuel efficiency. You should regularly check your tires for:
Tire Pressure Checks and Refills
Over time, your tires will gradually let out small amounts of air. Low tire pressure is an especially prominent issue during the colder months as the air in your tires compresses. Poor tire pressure can lead to low fuel economy, poor vehicle handling, and tire damage. If you visit service experts like Chapel Hill Tire, we check and refill your tire pressure with every oil change visit.
Tire Tread Depth Checks and Tire Replacements
The tread on your tires is what helps it grip the ground. This is essential for braking, starting, stopping, turning, and vehicle handling. When your tread becomes worn, it will seriously impact your safety and fuel economy. If your tire tread is even with your tread wear indicator bars, it is time for a new set of tires.
While investing in a new set of tires is not always fun, skipping this service can put your life, your passengers’ lives, and your career at risk. Chapel Hill Tire helps you meet your budget by making our tire prices transparent in our Online Tire Finder Tool. You can see all of the tires that fit your vehicle in one place, compare their prices and features, and buy the right tires for you hassle-free online. You can learn more about how to use the Tire Finder here.
Regular Tire Rotations
As you drive, your front tires endure more wear and tear than your back tires. Tire rotations can protect your tire set by ensuring the wear and tear is more evenly distributed. It also helps your mechanic catch tire issues early—such as alignment problems and dangerous tread wear.
Chapel Hill Tire Local Mechanic Services
The professionals at Chapel Hill Tire are here to help Uber, Lyft, Postmates, and other drivers keep their vehicles protected. You can find coupons, deals, discounts, and promotions on top of our everyday low prices to keep our mechanic services affordable. We proudly serve the greater Triangle area with our 9 locations across Chapel Hill, Apex, Raleigh, Durham, and Carrboro. Make your appointment here online to get started today!