How Does Towing Affect Your Service Schedule?

Depending on what you do for a living or simply what you like to do for fun, you might need to tow on a regular basis. If taking a boat out to the river for some fun on the water, towing equipment across a job site, hauling a trailer full of animals on the farm, or even towing a massive RV across the country is a regular part of your life, then your vehicle is working hard. It’s certainly working harder than a sedan that simply commutes in the city or a small SUV that can’t tow anything. As a GMC service center in Cincinnati, we want to empower you with information on caring for your vehicle.

Ultimately, frequent towing is going to affect your service schedule. The standard maintenance recommendations from GMC won’t apply to you because there’s nothing average about how you use your vehicle. At McCluskey Buick GMC, we’re dedicated to helping you take the best care of your vehicle. Below, we’ll cover the ways frequent towing might impact your maintenance schedule. The good news is that there should be a section titled “Severe Duty” in your owner’s manual, which can detail service requirements for frequent towers. But we’re always here to answer all of your questions, too.

Oil Changes

Towing is hard on your engine, which is ultimately hard on your oil. The extra strain that towing puts on your engine may cause your oil levels to get low quicker than someone who doesn’t tow. Towing not only guzzles up your oil but can also cause it to degrade faster. So even if you don’t have low oil, you might have bad oil that needs frequent changing. If you plan on towing often, speak to one of our experienced service technicians. They will be able to help you select the best oil for your needs so you can go further between oil changes.

Tire Rotations

The extra strain that towing puts on your tires can cause them to wear out more rapidly. Because the weight of your trailer is mainly supported by the rear tires, that means those specific tires will wear down much faster than the others. Think of it this way: it’s common for your tires to not wear down at the same rate. That’s why we do tire rotations. However, that imbalance is accelerated when you tow, making it important to come in for more frequent tire rotations. If you have a heavy-duty GMC truck like the Sierra 2500 HD or the Sierra 3500 HD and take advantage of their massive towing capacities, you should probably come in for more frequent tire rotations.

Tire Pressure

Heavy weight can also impact tire pressure—both for your trailer and your vehicle—so make sure to have your tires checked regularly. Our technicians are happy to do this when you come in for service. However, it’s also a good idea to check tire pressure whenever you’re about to head out for a long trip with a trailer in tow. But even if you don’t go far—say you take your boat to the Ohio River every weekend—it’s still important to check tire pressure frequently.

Brake Inspections

When you’re towing a heavy trailer, your brakes have to work extra hard to come to a stop. You know this from a practical standpoint because you know that you need to start braking much (much) earlier when towing than you do when not towing. Your brakes need more time to do their job. That’s why it’s important to come in for brake inspections more frequently if you tow regularly. Overworked brakes can lead to brake fluid that overheats. This can lead to what we call “brake fade,” which you experience as a spongy-feeling brake. Speak to one of our technicians if you frequently tow large trailers. They might recommend some upgrades to your brake system, including high-performance brake pads and fluid, to make sure it can handle your tasks.

Checking Your Trailer

By the way, your trailer needs to be checked from time to time, too! Some trailers have brakes, which can wear out, just like your vehicle’s brakes. The trailer’s tires also wear down over time, and tire rotations might be necessary. Depending on the type and size of trailer you regularly tow around Cincinnati, it could be a good idea to bring in both your vehicle and trailer when you visit us for routine service.

Suspension Checks

Extra weight puts extra strain on important components of your suspension, like the shocks, springs, and bushings, causing them to wear out more quickly. Plus, a really heavy trailer might cause the back of your vehicle to dip slightly. Over time, that imbalance will put extra stress on your rear suspension. Remember that a damaged suspension can affect the alignment of your wheels, so ignoring the maintenance of your suspension can impact how your vehicle handles. If you have a four-wheel drive GMC vehicle, like the Yukon, and you use it to both tow and do some light off-roading, it’s especially important to come in more frequently for suspension inspections since off-road environments are tough on your suspension, too.

Cooling Systems

Because the extra weight of a trailer is making your engine work harder, your engine is generating more heat. That means that your cooling system is going into overtime to keep things, well, cool. So it’s important to have your cooling system inspected frequently if you trailer often. You don’t want your engine to overheat and give up on you while you’re stuck in traffic on Interstate 275 during Cincinnati’s famous rush hour.

Trained Technicians

While this isn’t technically related to your service schedule, it is important that a trained technician inspects your vehicle—especially if you’re towing. Our technicians are highly trained in looking for specific signs of wear and tear and other issues that can arise from frequent towing. They’ll look at the entire picture, including the hitch, wiring, and trailer itself. When your livelihood depends on getting your trailer from point A to point B safely and intact, you need professionals caring for your vehicle.

Find Expert Care for Your Vehicle at McCluskey Buick GMC

Visit our service center in Cincinnati for quality maintenance. Our friendly, knowledgeable technicians will talk to you about how you use your vehicle and make sure to get you on the right maintenance schedule for your particular needs. We always communicate thoroughly, letting you know what needs to be done and why. Plus, we can give you insightful tips on caring for your vehicle when you’re on the road and at home.

We are experts in caring for all of GMC’s vehicles, including those made for towing, like the Sierra series, the Canyon, and the Yukon. We want to see you enjoy your vehicle and the trailers you tow for years to come without issue, and we take what we do seriously. We understand that breakdowns on the road are a pain—and an even bigger pain when you have a huge trailer behind your vehicle. We’re here to help you prevent that from happening with expert, compassionate care for your GMC.

We have the parts and experts you need to keep your vehicle running smoothly. We regularly run service specials, too, because we want to make great care affordable. We also offer fast service for when you’re in a hurry, and our service comes with a free car wash. Whether you enjoy boating, RVing, or ATVing, we’d love to care for your vehicle to enhance the fun. And if you rely on your GMC to tow items for your work, we also want to be your partner in taking the best care of your vehicle to keep your business moving forward. Visit McCluskey Buick GMC for excellent service today!