Car maintenance is not an option. Even if you know nothing about how a car works or have no mechanical aptitude whatsoever, there's a few simple steps you can take to keep your car running in top form. This simple maintenance will save you time and money, as well as making for a safer, better performing vehicle.
--Wash your car regularly: Keeping the exterior clean may not be as important as taking care of what's under the hood, but it still has a number of practical upsides. A clean car looks better, of course, and its much more enjoyable to drive a clean car than a dirty car. More significantly, frequent washing will keep your headlights and windshield clean, as well as preventing rust and corrosion.
--Wash underneath your car: Washing the undercarriage of your car is a good idea in any case, and downright essential if you live where it snows a lot. The salt, sand and other chemicals used for snow removal collect underneath your vehicle and will cause rust damage faster than anything else. Even during the winter, its important to wash your car at least once a week paying special attention to the wheel wells and undercarriage.
--Rinse your engine: Keeping the engine clean helps your car run cooler, and washing away crusty oil, battery acid, etc, will help prevent damage to engine parts.
--Clean your air filter and change it often: Change your air filter every time you change your oil filter. Some might argue that changing it so often is 'overkill' but filters are so cheap why not err on the side of caution? In between filter changes its a good idea to give your filter a good spray with a compressed air hose and blow out the filter chamber at the same time. The clean air will help your car's engine run cooler and more efficiently.
--Check and change your oil: Back in more civilized times, a full service gas station would check your oil every time you filled up. You should do the same. Change your oil frequently"at least every 5,000 miles and better still, every 3,000 miles. Change your filter when you change the oil or youre going to be pumping clean oil through a dirty filter which doesnt do you a bit of good. Oil changes are a pretty easy job even for those without much of a mechanical background, and drive thru oil change businesses are ubiquitous in any decent sized market. Most of these places do a decent job and charge a reasonable fee. Many also take care of several other of the maintenance tasks on this list.
--Check other fluids: Change your anti-freeze/coolant every year, and check the reservoir every week or so to make sure it's full. Also check transmission, brake and power steering fluids at least once a week. Top them off if necessary.
--Take good care of your tires: Check your air pressure levels with a tire gauge at least once a week, keeping them filled to manufacturer specified levels. Check the spare tire--if you have a 'real' tire as a spare make sure it's properly inflated, and even if you have a 'donut' temporary spare make sure it isn't damaged. Rotate your tires every few months or more frequently if you drive a lot of miles. This will insure even wear, and along with proper inflation will prevent countless problems as well as saving you time and money.
Emergency tools and equipment: The specifics of what you should have in your car for emergencies will depend on the type of driving you do and where you do it. Everyone should have the basics--a tire gauge, pliers (slip joint and needle nose), adjustable wrench, flat head and Phillips screwdriver. Buying quality tools will be more expensive up front but will save you money in the long run. Jumper cables aren't a bad thing to have, and a flashlight is also essential. If you live or travel somewhere it snows frequently, you'll also want to keep salt, sand, a small shovel and a blanket just in case you get snowbound and have to sleep in your vehicle. An emergency cellphone charger is also a good idea.
--Get an auto club membership: AAA is the best known and they offer a wide range of services but there are other options. If you have a credit card or gas card, youll probably be offered a membership through them. They should give you free towing, trip continuation insurance, lockout service, free maps, and some other bells and whistles. Some cellphone providers also offer roadside assistance memberships billed to your telephone. A growing number of car manufacturers also include lifetime roadside assistance, and not just luxury brands--Mini Cooper and Volkswagen offer new car buyers 24 hour roadside assistance free of charge. Even if you have to pay for it, it's well worth the money that youll pay for it every year. Keep in mind, however, that all roadside assistance companies aren't created equal--in a decent sized city you'll be fine but if you live or frequently travel in less populated areas you might want to stick to AAA or another major company. There's nothing more infuriating that learning that your auto club doesn't have providers in Mesquite, Nevada or Vernal, Utah.
These tips are all things that anyone can do, even without more than a basic knowledge of how a car works. Regular car maintenance will prolong the life of your vehicle and help maintain its value, provide a safer and more enjoyable driving experience and save you money in the process.
--Wash your car regularly: Keeping the exterior clean may not be as important as taking care of what's under the hood, but it still has a number of practical upsides. A clean car looks better, of course, and its much more enjoyable to drive a clean car than a dirty car. More significantly, frequent washing will keep your headlights and windshield clean, as well as preventing rust and corrosion.
--Wash underneath your car: Washing the undercarriage of your car is a good idea in any case, and downright essential if you live where it snows a lot. The salt, sand and other chemicals used for snow removal collect underneath your vehicle and will cause rust damage faster than anything else. Even during the winter, its important to wash your car at least once a week paying special attention to the wheel wells and undercarriage.
--Rinse your engine: Keeping the engine clean helps your car run cooler, and washing away crusty oil, battery acid, etc, will help prevent damage to engine parts.
--Clean your air filter and change it often: Change your air filter every time you change your oil filter. Some might argue that changing it so often is 'overkill' but filters are so cheap why not err on the side of caution? In between filter changes its a good idea to give your filter a good spray with a compressed air hose and blow out the filter chamber at the same time. The clean air will help your car's engine run cooler and more efficiently.
--Check and change your oil: Back in more civilized times, a full service gas station would check your oil every time you filled up. You should do the same. Change your oil frequently"at least every 5,000 miles and better still, every 3,000 miles. Change your filter when you change the oil or youre going to be pumping clean oil through a dirty filter which doesnt do you a bit of good. Oil changes are a pretty easy job even for those without much of a mechanical background, and drive thru oil change businesses are ubiquitous in any decent sized market. Most of these places do a decent job and charge a reasonable fee. Many also take care of several other of the maintenance tasks on this list.
--Check other fluids: Change your anti-freeze/coolant every year, and check the reservoir every week or so to make sure it's full. Also check transmission, brake and power steering fluids at least once a week. Top them off if necessary.
--Take good care of your tires: Check your air pressure levels with a tire gauge at least once a week, keeping them filled to manufacturer specified levels. Check the spare tire--if you have a 'real' tire as a spare make sure it's properly inflated, and even if you have a 'donut' temporary spare make sure it isn't damaged. Rotate your tires every few months or more frequently if you drive a lot of miles. This will insure even wear, and along with proper inflation will prevent countless problems as well as saving you time and money.
Emergency tools and equipment: The specifics of what you should have in your car for emergencies will depend on the type of driving you do and where you do it. Everyone should have the basics--a tire gauge, pliers (slip joint and needle nose), adjustable wrench, flat head and Phillips screwdriver. Buying quality tools will be more expensive up front but will save you money in the long run. Jumper cables aren't a bad thing to have, and a flashlight is also essential. If you live or travel somewhere it snows frequently, you'll also want to keep salt, sand, a small shovel and a blanket just in case you get snowbound and have to sleep in your vehicle. An emergency cellphone charger is also a good idea.
--Get an auto club membership: AAA is the best known and they offer a wide range of services but there are other options. If you have a credit card or gas card, youll probably be offered a membership through them. They should give you free towing, trip continuation insurance, lockout service, free maps, and some other bells and whistles. Some cellphone providers also offer roadside assistance memberships billed to your telephone. A growing number of car manufacturers also include lifetime roadside assistance, and not just luxury brands--Mini Cooper and Volkswagen offer new car buyers 24 hour roadside assistance free of charge. Even if you have to pay for it, it's well worth the money that youll pay for it every year. Keep in mind, however, that all roadside assistance companies aren't created equal--in a decent sized city you'll be fine but if you live or frequently travel in less populated areas you might want to stick to AAA or another major company. There's nothing more infuriating that learning that your auto club doesn't have providers in Mesquite, Nevada or Vernal, Utah.
These tips are all things that anyone can do, even without more than a basic knowledge of how a car works. Regular car maintenance will prolong the life of your vehicle and help maintain its value, provide a safer and more enjoyable driving experience and save you money in the process.
About the Author:
Ross Everett is a freelance writer specialing in hockey, sports betting and mixed martial arts. He is a well known expert on how to successfully bet on UFC fights, as well as a creative consultant for a number of casinos, sports books and other clients. He will be hosting a hockey themed streaming audio podcast starting in late 2009.
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