Maintaining Your Chevy’s Hybrid Engine: Eco-Friendly Performance Tips

A hybrid vehicle provides the best of both worlds, as you have a regular engine and a high-voltage battery pack. While the high-voltage battery doesn’t require regular maintenance and usually lasts over 100,000 miles, the mechanical systems in your vehicle require the same types of maintenance a non-hybrid does. As your Chevy dealer, we’d like to tell you about some of the Chevy hybrid maintenance we provide.

Examples of Chevy Hybrid Maintenance Available at Your Chevy Dealer

Brake Servicing

As a hybrid driver, you’ll be happy to know you need fewer brake services on average. A non-hybrid vehicle should have a brake service two times a year, but your hybrid’s brakes will last much longer between service intervals. Your Chevy manual will give the exact brake servicing time for your model. The reason you need fewer brake services is regenerative braking.

When you brake, half the power comes from the braking system and the other half from the high-voltage battery. The kinetic energy produced by braking is captured by the system, converted to electricity, and then used to recharge the battery. This reduces wear and tear on your brakes. Our technicians will still check and replace brake pads, test the braking system, replace brake fluid, and perform all other servicing tasks as we do on a non-hybrid.

Tire Rotations

Rotations are an essential part of tire maintenance, as they help reduce wear and tear. Your tires gradually wear down due to surface friction. As the tread level drops, your braking distance increases, and fuel consumption increases as the worn tread provides less traction. The tires also develop additional wear on specific tread sections depending on their position on your vehicle.

If tires remain in their original positions, continued friction on the same small areas will cause leaks. Our technicians will move each tire to a new position on your vehicle, depending on your drivetrain. On an FWD, for example, the rear tires move to the front on the same side, while the front tires move to the rear but cross over to the opposite side. Regular rotations will dramatically extend tire life.

Coolant Replacement

Your engine uses coolant to absorb heat and transport it to the radiator, where it’s removed by cooler outside air blowing in through the radiator grille. Heat removal is essential, as a high engine temperature can cause the head gasket and other engine seals to fail. Coolant needs replacement after 30,000 to 100,000 miles.

Older coolant becomes corrosive and can damage your engine. It also slows down, and slower-moving coolant can cause your engine to overheat. We can quickly fix this problem by draining the coolant, flushing the cooling system, and filling it with new coolant.

If you want to learn more about hybrid maintenance or book your next maintenance, call us today at Service Chevrolet in Lafayette, LA.

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