Wow, what a year 2008 has been; full of ups and downs, strange weather, changing economics, and a new President. I am excited to see what 2009 brings.

One thing for certain this next year is that all of us are paying a little more attention to how we spend our money. In the automotive industry, less new cars are being sold and overwhelmingly people are hanging on to their car longer.

Realistically, most cars should be able to last for at least 20 years and up to 200,000 miles as long as maintenance and repairs are kept up. Keeping up with preventative maintenance also helps to minimize catastrophic repairs.

When you bring your car in for an oil change and the car seems to be running just great, having the service advisor recommend $300 or more in maintenance can seem overwhelming and certainly surprising. The temptation is to think, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

While I certainly understand that feeling, the idea is to "fix it" so the car doesn't break. There are mileage indicators that are based on testing and experience about how long fluids, timing and drive belts, ignition components and other parts of the car last. The service advisor will make recommendations based on those mileage markers and also based on the results of a basic inspection performed by a technician each time the car is in for service.

A little know fact is that when car companies put service requirements into the owner's manual, they will only put the bare minimum needed. That allows their consumer reports rating on maintenance costs to be low, which helps to sell cars. Don't be surprised if your service provider recommends a service that is not in your owner's manual. The car manufacturers count on us making recommendations for service.

The best advice I can give you is to find a shop that you like and feel comfortable working with, make sure they keep records of work performed; the shop should have access to information from the manufacturer via computer and, bring your car in regularly for oil changes and inspections. Although spending $300 or more on a car that seems to be running fine may seem unnecessary, doing so will greatly add to the value and lifespan of your vehicle.

While making your new year's resolutions, I would encourage you to think about how you are maintaining your vehicle so your car can continue to be reliable and take care of you for many years down the road.

To our current customers, thank you for your ongoing support and dedication to our business. We wouldn't be here without you (really!). Take care and Happy New Year.

Questions? Post comments here or contact Ridge McCoy, service manager at Alki Auto Repair, at ridgealkiauto@comcast.net or 935-8059.