Your car is a major investment, and it also gets you where you need to go. As such, it deserves proper care and maintenance to keep it running well. Many accidents are due to car problems that could be easily prevented with a little simple vehicle maintenance. You can perform many routine checks on your car yourself, and for many of them, you can also handle them without having to be a mechanic.
When you take the time and effort to care for your car you will extend the life of the vehicle. There are some other bonuses that you receive including better gas mileage, longer tire life and fewer automotive exhaust problems. You should also note that routine checks alert you to small problems before they have time to become expensive headaches. Early detection and prompt repairs of automobile problems will generally keep any repair costs low.
What should you do to take the best care of your car? Here are some things you should keep in mind:
Basics count. Check your owner's manual and follow the recommendations for tuneups, routine maintenance, and oil changes, among other things.
Change oil and oil filters as needed. For many cars, you'll need to change your oil and oil filters about every 3000 miles, while other cars may allow more mileage between changes.
Checking the fluid levels should be a task that you perform weekly. Brakes, oil, transmission, power steering, radiator and overflow tank all need to be monitored to make sure that the proper levels are being maintained. You should also make it a habit to check the level of cleaning solution available for use on your windshield. It only takes a few minutes to do these checks and top off any fluids.
Tires should be checked for proper pressure at least once a week. If your tires are under or over inflated, your car will be less fuel-efficient, and it could even be dangerous to you.
Check tires for wear patterns, the amount of tread you have left, and any cracks; also make sure no nails or tacks have been picked up that could be causing you to have a slow leak. Make sure his well that hubcaps and lug nuts are securely fastened.
Schedule and take your car in for regular tuneups. If your spark plugs or fuel injection are causing problems, your fuel mileage could be reduced by as much as 35%. It may be tempting to postpone tuneups, and a lot of people do especially if their cars appear to be running fine, but don't. Take your car to a professional mechanic so that your engine is thoroughly inspected for any problems that are small now, but that could be bigger later.
Make sure your chassis is regularly lubricated as well. This means your car's suspension is going to remain optimal. Usually, the shop that changes your oil will also perform chassis lubrication as part of the service.
Your battery's an important part of your car and of course can't run without it. Make sure you keep a watch on it, especially the posts and cables. If you notice corrosion building up, you can clean it off with a wire brush. Connections should be secure; failing to do these checks can mean you end up with a dead battery, which of course is something you don't want.
Windshield wiper blades should be changed at least yearly and should be inspected every month to make sure that they are still in good working order and don't have cracks or other problems. You can apply a protective coating like Rain-X to your windshield every two weeks, to improve visibility when it's raining heavily.
Check your headlights, too, as well as tail lights and turn signals, once a week. Replace any burned-out bulbs, because this can cause you to have an accident or other problems.
It may seem like a lot to undertake: to follow a checklist every week to maintain your car well, but doing it on a regular basis will soon have it be second nature to you. And because you're proactive in this way, your car is going to stay running well and in good repair for much longer, which means that it will perform well for you much longer, too.
When you take the time and effort to care for your car you will extend the life of the vehicle. There are some other bonuses that you receive including better gas mileage, longer tire life and fewer automotive exhaust problems. You should also note that routine checks alert you to small problems before they have time to become expensive headaches. Early detection and prompt repairs of automobile problems will generally keep any repair costs low.
What should you do to take the best care of your car? Here are some things you should keep in mind:
Basics count. Check your owner's manual and follow the recommendations for tuneups, routine maintenance, and oil changes, among other things.
Change oil and oil filters as needed. For many cars, you'll need to change your oil and oil filters about every 3000 miles, while other cars may allow more mileage between changes.
Checking the fluid levels should be a task that you perform weekly. Brakes, oil, transmission, power steering, radiator and overflow tank all need to be monitored to make sure that the proper levels are being maintained. You should also make it a habit to check the level of cleaning solution available for use on your windshield. It only takes a few minutes to do these checks and top off any fluids.
Tires should be checked for proper pressure at least once a week. If your tires are under or over inflated, your car will be less fuel-efficient, and it could even be dangerous to you.
Check tires for wear patterns, the amount of tread you have left, and any cracks; also make sure no nails or tacks have been picked up that could be causing you to have a slow leak. Make sure his well that hubcaps and lug nuts are securely fastened.
Schedule and take your car in for regular tuneups. If your spark plugs or fuel injection are causing problems, your fuel mileage could be reduced by as much as 35%. It may be tempting to postpone tuneups, and a lot of people do especially if their cars appear to be running fine, but don't. Take your car to a professional mechanic so that your engine is thoroughly inspected for any problems that are small now, but that could be bigger later.
Make sure your chassis is regularly lubricated as well. This means your car's suspension is going to remain optimal. Usually, the shop that changes your oil will also perform chassis lubrication as part of the service.
Your battery's an important part of your car and of course can't run without it. Make sure you keep a watch on it, especially the posts and cables. If you notice corrosion building up, you can clean it off with a wire brush. Connections should be secure; failing to do these checks can mean you end up with a dead battery, which of course is something you don't want.
Windshield wiper blades should be changed at least yearly and should be inspected every month to make sure that they are still in good working order and don't have cracks or other problems. You can apply a protective coating like Rain-X to your windshield every two weeks, to improve visibility when it's raining heavily.
Check your headlights, too, as well as tail lights and turn signals, once a week. Replace any burned-out bulbs, because this can cause you to have an accident or other problems.
It may seem like a lot to undertake: to follow a checklist every week to maintain your car well, but doing it on a regular basis will soon have it be second nature to you. And because you're proactive in this way, your car is going to stay running well and in good repair for much longer, which means that it will perform well for you much longer, too.
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