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For those of you who don't live in Michigan, have your alignment checked according to the manufacturer's recommendations. If they tell you it needs an alignment you may want to get a second opinion. If you are confident in the skills and honesty of the first shop then just do it. Your tires will last longer, your car will be easier to drive, and you will get better performance in an emergency.
For those of you who don't live in Michigan, have your alignment checked according to the manufacturer's recommendations. If they tell you it needs an alignment you may want to get a second opinion. If you are confident in the skills and honesty of the first shop then just do it. Your tires will last longer, your car will be easier to drive, and you will get better performance in an emergency.
Do you think a competent, experienced auto mechanic can tell simply by taking a test drive? The reason I'm asking is that I've been living in Western NC for 1-1/2 years and have used the same shop for repairs and regular maintenance. IMHO the owner has always been fair & honest. Before I left for a road trip in July, I asked him to perform a general inspection to make sure everything was running well. He checked all my belts and hoses, oil, fluids, etc. and took my car on a test drive. No noticeable problems.
As I wrote in my last post, today I had an oil change where I'm staying in Florida and was told my car needed an alignment. The shop's computer printout showed too much tilt. I was going to just pay for the oil change and leave, but after seeing the colorful images of the cambers, I was concerned that a long drive on the interstate might wreck my tires. So it's true that a picture is worth 1,000 words (or in my case $99 plus tax) Now 4 hours later, I'm wondering why they checked the alignment during a standard oil change. Is that customary in some shops?
I have a 2007 Toyota Camry with 187,000 miles and have...NEVER..had the front end aligned. I can let go of the steering wheel at 70mph and it goes straight down the road.
Your vehicle will tell you, if it's pulling to one side or the other. And the tires will tell the tire salesman at the tire dealer who will tell you if there is uneven wear, cupping etc. Then you align the wheels. An all 4 wheels alignment is usually recommended.
i do alignments when i replace suspension parts, or when i feel the need to have it done. usually when i start seeing weird tire wear or the car pulls one way or another.
tires get balanced when i replace them, and when i get a vibration.
I'm wondering why they checked the alignment during a standard oil change. Is that customary in some shops?
Probably.
They have to put vehicle up on a dedicated lift. Set up some expensive equipment. Have a qualified technician. And check.
This is a known scam for many chain shops such as Sears Automotive and many other local chains. Just to tell you that you need an alignment without really checking.
Now if it has been over a year with no alignment it was probably a good idea to get one anyway. But did they check the vehicle on the machine before they advised you it needed one. Probably not with caveat that if the shop had a real slow day and the alignment guy/gal was not busy they could have put it on dedicated lift.
For something such as an oil change it's best to stay with the vehicle and keep an eye out as to where it goes in the shop. And to speak with the mechanic who actually does the oil change. Follow the car at shop.
I drive about 15,000 a year, I check the alignment every year.
This is the best answer.
Those that state that they wait for a problem . . . well . . . at that point it is probably too late . . . as they have screwed up a good set of tires.
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I check my tires for unusual/uneven wear weekly, and have it aligned when needed, at the first sign of a problem. That seems to be maybe once over the life of a car, which I'll normally trade in at about 120-130k miles. I'm not about to waste money doing something not necessary to help fatten the wallet of an alignment or tire shop. It's like the oil change places putting 3,000 miles for the next change reminder on a windshield sticker when you have used synthetic blend, which will last 7,500 miles.
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