Who needs arbitrary mileage schedules when your shop can scan a vehicle’s sensors to monitor a customer’s part condition in real time? In this Tire Review Continental Tire Garage Studio video, we talk about condition-based inspection intervals.
Mileage-based replacement and service intervals are disappearing for tire shops. Onboard monitoring systems now assess a parts’ condition and recommend service accordingly straight to the customer. Condition monitoring started with oil change intervals, where sensors measure oil properties and engine conditions to estimate remaining oil life. This expanded to air filters, using data like airflow volume and fuel trims to calculate filter life.
Coolant, belts and hoses – traditionally tied to mileage before modern upgrades to vehicles – are also now inspected for the condition of the part rather than just automatically replaced. For shops, the risk is neglecting inspections not tied to key services. If you only perform the scheduled oil change but skip inspections, 10,000 more miles could pass before checking those items again.
Miss an inspection, miss an opportunity. Be sure to check your customer’s service schedules diligently and perform inspections even when no replacement is prescribed. This lets the customer know you have their vehicle’s care on your mind and could potentially uncover service opportunities.
Stress the value of keeping up with inspections and following OEM schedules to your customers, not just oil changes. Show them worn parts during multi-point inspections and remind customers to follow indicated services.
As a shop owner, communicate the importance of inspections tied to condition, not just mileage. There is no set replacement interval anymore for many parts, so stress following OEM guidance to identify issues early before small problems become major repairs.
This reinforces the value of qualified shops with robust diagnostic capabilities. You have the tools and training to make judgment calls on part conditions that customers can’t. Performing the right maintenance at the right time based on actual condition saves customers money in the long run and your expertise pays off when you spot issues others would miss.
Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more tire, service and shop operations videos.
