Proper vehicle maintenance should be a top priority for car rental operations.
As a car rental operator, proper vehicle maintenance plays a vital role in the success of your business.
Proper maintenance provides safer transportation with fewer breakdowns and lower costs. Poor maintenance practices age vehicles quicker, make them less desirable to operate, reduce renter comfort and satisfaction and, ultimately, puts your company at a competitive disadvantage.
There are two ways to maintain a vehicle: preventive maintenance or "running" repair. With preventive maintenance, vehicles are on a set maintenance schedule, and parts and components are routinely replaced on a time or mileage-keyed basis to prevent potential problems and maximize vehicle availability. Running repair is fixing only what is broken when it breaks, which typically occurs at inconvenient times and locations. While running repair is initially cheaper than preventive maintenance, it is by far more expensive over the long run.
What to do from a maintenance standpoint and when to do it varies by vehicle. Fortunately, every vehicle comes with an owner's manual that includes specific guidelines for maintaining it. Oil and lubrication at regular intervals are just the beginning; owner's manuals provide details and should be carefully reviewed at regular intervals.
Using the Senses to Detect Automotive Issues
In addition to preventive maintenance, rental vehicles are inspected before they are handed over to customers and also upon return. But, there is a basic level of diagnosing that your employees can also perform each and every time they drive your vehicles for the purposes of cleaning, fueling, moving, etc., and it involves using their senses:
Hearing – Sounds can tell a lot about a vehicle’s health and performance. If a vehicle thumps, squeaks, squeals, rattles, rumbles, or makes other unusual or abnormal sounds, then this is a good indication that something is wrong.
Smell – Some problems may be right under their noses. The sense of smell can detect burning rubber, insulation or hot fluids and can lead to an early diagnosis of trouble.
Touch – The sense of touch should be used to feel changes in vehicle response. Difficult handling, a rough ride, unusual vibration, and poor vehicle performance almost always indicate a problem.
Sight – The eyes can observe warning lights and spot potential issues. For example, small stains or an occasional drop of fluid under a vehicle may not mean much, but wet spots deserve immediate attention.
Importantly, be attentive to renter comments or complaints regarding your vehicles. Customers are often the first ones to identify mechanical issues, and any reports should be checked out and addressed promptly.
Tire Maintenance Tips
Of course, the engine is not the only thing that should be maintained. Tires are among the most important, yet most often overlooked, vehicle component. Consider the following procedures as part of your overall vehicle maintenance program:
Because starting, moving, turning and stopping all involve the tires, the importance of properly maintaining them cannot be overemphasized.
Verify tire inflation with an accurate gauge regularly.
Check tire/wheel alignment according to the vehicle owner’s manual or whenever there is an indication of trouble, such as pulling or vibration.
Routinely examine tires for uneven wear, looking for high and low areas or unusually smooth areas.
Scan treads regularly for any sharp objects that may have punctured the tires. Clean out rocks or debris lodged in deep tread. Check sidewalls for gouges, cracks, cuts, bulges or other irregularities.
Replace damaged tires immediately.
Follow the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations for correct tire inflation, appropriate rotation timeframe and pattern and replacement tire specifications.
Proper Care Produces Multiple Benefits
Vehicles are designed to provide thousands of miles of excellent service. But for maximum benefit, they must be properly maintained. Car rental operators who adhere to a preventive vehicle maintenance program will experience far fewer headaches and will find that their vehicles last longer and have a higher resale value. Most importantly, proper vehicle maintenance will keep your customers happy and profits in your pocket.
