Multipoint Inspection
If you’ve ever wondered what a multi-point vehicle inspection is, we’re here to make it all easy for you. Below, you’ll find all of the essential details about what a multi-point vehicle inspection is, what it covers, and more. Check by heading if you’re looking for something specific.
What is a Multipoint Inspection?
Multipoint inspections involve your mechanic performing a thorough checkup on your vehicle to ensure it runs well for the foreseeable future. A multi-point vehicle inspection generally becomes thorough by using a checklist that covers every critical part of the vehicle. This checklist includes engine components, brakes, fluids, tires, safety systems, and more. After a multi-point inspection, you’ll be sure of the safety and reliability of your vehicle while also knowing what repairs may be needed now or in the future.
Multipoint Inspections: The Benefits
Well-running vehicles don’t get that way for no reason. Sure, they come off the lot that way most of the time, but it can take a lot of work to keep a vehicle in working order for a long time. Multipoint inspections are part of a regular preventative maintenance schedule that checks for future and current problems, allowing you to fix them before they get out of control.
Do Multi-Point Inspections Really Save Me Money?
The crucial part of getting multi-point inspections is that they’re there to diagnose and prevent more costly future repairs. Imagine this: there’s a problem that requires a simple fix, but you don’t notice it in everyday driving. The current fix is currently inexpensive. However, if you let it go on, you’ll definitely notice it while driving, but the fix might cost quite a bit. With a multipoint inspection, you’re spending a little money upfront to prevent spending large amounts later on. It’s value at its very core.
How Often Should I Get a Multipoint Inspection?
The Booklet: Precise Timing
Your vehicle manufacturer actually has the best recommendations on what to get inspected and when to get those parts of your vehicle inspected. The vehicle manufacturer recommended service schedule is found in the often forgotten booklet, sitting in the glove, that came with the car. Most drivers neglect this booklet, though; that’s why multipoint inspections can be so necessary.
Getting Back On Track
Who actually reads that booklet and follows the maintenance schedule?! Luckily, with multipoint inspections, you don’t have to.
If you haven’t been following this schedule, it may not be enough to just start following the schedule to get back on track. Important parts of your vehicle could have been damaged or worn down due to not following this schedule. This is why the multi-point inspection is important to most drivers.
Your mechanic can do a thorough checkup of your vehicle to determine what’s wrong with it now and what will be wrong with it in the future if anything at all. What’s more is that your mechanic can help you determine a new, custom maintenance schedule based on the current status of your vehicle. When it comes to multipoint inspections, your trusted mechanic is the best bet for determining how often they should be done.
If You Notice Anything Fishy
A good rule of thumb for determining whether you need a multi-point inspection done right away is looking at the dash, as well as just driving it regularly. If you notice any lights popping up on the dash or any irregularities while driving, it’s a good idea to get a multi-point inspection done. A multipoint inspection will tell you whether the sign you saw means there’s anything immediately wrong or whether you could prevent costly repairs in the future.
Before Long Trips
If you want to be confident on your next road trip, the best way to do it is with a thorough, multipoint inspection. After your mechanic has given your vehicle a thorough checkup and fixed anything that may have needed fixing, you’ll ride with a peace of mind that’s difficult to put a price tag on. Nobody wants to stop in the middle of their road trip. You shouldn’t have to either. Multipoint inspections ensure you’ll get there smoothly and without problems.
Selling Your Car
Imagine taking your car to the dealership, ready for a new trade-in, only to find it’s worth significantly less than you thought due to lingering problems you weren’t aware of. Are you getting scammed by an unscrupulous dealer, or is your vehicle really in that bad of a shape? The best way to prevent a situation like this is to get a multi-point inspection prior to selling your vehicle. This will give you and the seller an informed picture of what’s wrong with the car before its sale. It’ll also give you bargaining power if an unscrupulous dealer claims there are more problems than there actually are.
A Typical Multipoint Inspection: The Process
The first and possibly most important part of a multi-point inspection process is relatively simple on the mechanic’s end. Your mechanic will use a vehicle code scanner to see if the vehicle’s computer says anything is wrong with the car. Ever have a check engine or other service light pop up on the dash? That’s the vehicle’s computer system that tells mechanics almost exactly what’s going on with a specific code for each problem when they use the scanner.
After doing that, your vehicle technician may perform a visual inspection of different areas of the car to determine whether anything obvious is out of whack before diving in to test different areas of the vehicle. This isn’t done haphazardly, though. Your knowledgeable mechanic will usually use a thorough checklist to ensure every car is inspected to the same standard as the last. After this is done, with tests, checking fluid levels, looking for signs of wear, and more, your mechanic will have a good idea of what could use some work now or in the future.
Things a Multi-Point Vehicle Inspection Can Cover
Drivetrain: Engine Performance
The engine is the powerhouse of the car. A failed engine can also total the car, which can happen if not properly cared for. That’s why every part of the drivetrain should be carefully inspected often and fixed when needed.
Exhaust system
Exhaust systems are important for engine performance but can also prove a nuisance if not properly cared for. Ever drive by a car with a noisy muffler? This system is thoroughly checked for potential problems to prevent inconveinences, improve fuel economy, and care for your engine.
Fuel and Brake Lines
While the brake lines don’t impact the performance of your engine, the fuel lines definitely do. Both of these are commonly checked during a multipoint inspection because each line can be negatively affected by road salt. These crucial parts of your car can be fixed if something is wrong to improve safety and engine performance.
Engine
There are so many components to your engine. Interestingly enough, there are many different codes that could be present when your check engine light is on! This means that your engine can be efficiently checked and diagnosed for potential problems. Whether it’s the engine air filter, sparkplugs, or something more complicated, your trusted mechanic will be able to find and fix problems as they come.
Transmission
With most cars being automatic these days, transmission work has become more straightforward. Very different services are needed depending on whether you drive a standard or automatic car, even though a clutch is present on both. Regardless, any reputable mechanic will be able to service and diagnose problems in both standard and automatic vehicles, if it’s something as simple as transmission fluid or even more involved.
Safety Systems
Lights and Turn Signals
Working lights and turn signals do more than just prevent you from getting pulled over while driving. They’re critical safety features of your car that are commonly checked as part of a multi-point inspection.
Brakes
Brakes are arguably the most critical safety feature of your car. Whether it’s brake fluid, brake lines, or brake pads, each portion can impact your braking power and the safety of you and your family. While it’s often easy to notice problems with your braking systems, this is not always the case. Having your brakes periodically inspected can prevent safety problems and get things straightened out without a problem.
Under the Hood
To many, what’s under the hood can resemble a mess of jargon and different, difficult-to-understand parts. However, your trusted mechanic has this area on their checklist when determining what parts of your vehicle to check as part of a multipoint inspection.
Battery
If you’ve ever had a dead battery situation, you know how crucial this part of your vehicle can be. If not, trust us. You don’t want to experience one yourself. Instead of having to ask a stranger for a jump, you can get your battery regularly checked as part of a multipoint inspection. A quick battery voltage test will determine the life of your battery and whether it needs to be replaced soon.
Fluids
Under the hood is the main place for topping off or refilling all fluids. While everyone’s familiar with needing to refill or change the oil, there’s plenty more under the hood. This includes but is not limited to power steering fluid and transmission fluid. It’s here, too, that your mechanic will notice whether there are any fluid leaks, often because fluid levels are abnormally low.
Motor Oil
It’s not always easy to remember when your last oil change was. Part of a multipoint inspection is to determine whether you need an oil change, but also to check the oil levels to determine whether there are oil leaks as well.
Quality of Life: Interior and Exterior
The interior and exterior of your car are generally included in a multipoint inspection. While not apparently tied to the function of your car, many parts can serve as safety features or hazards if they are not correctly cared for.
Floor Mats
Checking the floor mats is part of many multipoint inspections. This may seem innocuous or like the mechanic is just trying to sell you something. However, it can be crucial. Excessively worn-out floor mats can catch the brake, gas, or clutch on your car and cause dangerous situations quickly.
Windshield Wipers
Windshield wipers serve as a pseudo-safety feature as well. If they’re worn, and it’s raining, you and your car are a hazard to yourself and others on the road. It’s a simple fix and easy to check, but it should be included in your next multipoint inspection.
Cabin Air Filter
This is more of a quality-of-life fix than others in the interior and exterior, but can still be a big deal. Nobody wants to breathe in all the nonsense that’s out there on the road, and the cabin air filter is there to make sure you don’t have to. However, due to its gradual wear, it’s not easy to notice yourself when it needs to be changed. This is why it’s so often included in a multipoint inspection.
Suspension
The suspension is a crucial part of your car and helps serve as your point of contact with the road. Suspension components are commonly included in a multipoint inspection because they can be expensive to fix if left to fester.
Alignment
Most reputable auto care shops will have a computerized alignment machine to properly test the alignment of your vehicle as part of a multipoint inspection. These machines help to ensure your wheels sit at the correct angle and actually demand a suspension adjustment rather than a wheel adjustment.
Tires
Tires should be checked for wear as part of a multipoint inspection. This could mean it’s time for a tire rotation or new tires to ensure you’re safe on the road.
Other Suspension Components
Whether it’s shocks, struts, springs, ball joints, or bushings, all of these pieces can be crucial to the suspension of your vehicle and are commonly checked as part of a multipoint inspection.
Deery of Ames: Why Dealerships Offer Multipoint Inspections
We’re proud to offer a multipoint inspection at Deery of Ames, but you may be wondering: Why do dealerships offer multipoint inspections? We’re a fully equipped auto repair shop and want to ensure drivers who choose us for their auto care have the best care possible. That means finding problems before they grow and get more expensive as well.
In addition, we’re excellent at multipoint inspections because we do them so frequently whenever a trade-in comes to the lot. Multipoint inspections are what we do at Deery of Ames. While we know what to look for at specific mileages of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram models, we’re ready to take care of a multipoint inspection on any vehicle.
When you’re ready, it’s easy to schedule service online. Our service department is prepared to handle any car care situation you may bring to us, and with a smile, too. Check out our Express Lane for quick fixes at convenient times as well!