Owning a car means that you have to be a responsible car owner, and knowing how to drive alone is not enough. If you want your car to be in great shape after putting in a lot of miles on it, you will need to learn how to maintain it properly.
A car that is not maintained properly will likely have problems sooner than expected. The good news is that most new car models don’t need new parts for longer periods, unlike the older models. So, you don’t have to be a mechanic to do some minor car maintenance.
Now, if you don’t want to change cars every couple of years because of poor maintenance, here are some simple tips that you can easily do and click here for more information:
Read the Owner’s Manual
Most people get too excited when they’ve bought a new car. They simply go ahead and take it for a spin. While this is all good, you need to remember to read the owner’s manual not long after you’ve bought the car. You have to keep in mind that not all car models are created equal. Some cars are more sophisticated than others and maintenance could be different. In the manual, you will learn what type of oil to use, signs that you need to watch out for, and how often you need to check some parts of the car.
When you use the wrong parts or products, the car could have serious damage after some time. It may not be apparent at first, but later on, these damages will eventually be visible and could cost you a lot of money for repairs.
Check Tires
One of the most common problems of car owners, when they’re on the road, is tire trouble. You need to regularly check tire pressure as well as the wheel balance even though your driving experience is still smooth. You shouldn’t wait for a flat tire because it’s quite easy to check tire pressure. You can simply go to a gas station and check how much pressure your tire has, especially when you do long-distance driving often.
You can also go ahead and check the power steering fluid, and then see if the belts and hoses have signs of wear and tear. When you feel that steering is not as good as it was and you’ve checked that the power steering fluid level is god, you should have the tires aligned in order to avoid accidents.
You should also schedule to have the tires rotated and balanced as these help them last longer.
Check the Car Batter
People get stranded in the middle of nowhere because of a dead car battery. Avoid this situation by checking your car battery regularly. The first thing you need to do is pop the hood and locate the car battery. Check the cables and the terminals that the cables are connected to. Make sure that they’re not loose. Next, check if there is leakage. If there is, you need to take the battery to a shop and see if they can fix it. If not, you may need a new one.
You should also check the cables and terminals for mineral build-up. If you see a build-up, you can clean the cables and terminals with a battery cleaning brush and you could purchase a dielectric grease and apply it on the cables and terminals as this helps them be corrosion-free.
Know What the Warning Light Indicators Mean
If you have bought a newer car model, there are many warning light indicators, and if you don’t know what they mean, you could have serious car problems later on. Ignoring these warnings could cost you a lot of money. Below are some warning light indicators you should watch out for:
Engine light – when this light is turned on, it could mean a number of things. If you have a scanner that can check what the issue is, you should do so immediately. If you don’t have one, you need to take your car to a technician.
Brake warning light – check to see if your parking brakes are being used. If not, you should check the brake fluid level. If the level is lower than what it should be, add more ASAP. If the parking brakes are not engaged and the brake fluid level is good, check the owner’s manual and see if there are other things that could make the brake warning light turn on. If you can’t find a solution in the manual, take the car to the shop.
Service engine light – when the service engine light turns on, you will need to schedule a maintenance check. However, you will learn in the owner’s manual what types of maintenance the car needs when it has reached a certain mileage. For example, oil and oil filters need to be checked when you’ve reached 3,000 miles. This is also true for other fluids such as coolants and power steering fluid. So, you need to keep track of your mileage so you’ll have an idea of what the problem is when the service engine light turns on.
Check Engine Air Filter
Image source: yourmechanic.com
The engine air filter is oftentimes taken for granted, but it is one of the causes of major car problems. When the car filter is clogged due to dirt and other particles, it could significantly affect the performance of the car. A car engine needs air and if it doesn’t get it, it may cause engine problems.
Check the car air filter each year. If you travel long distances often, have it checked whenever it has reached the recommended mileage. You can find this info in the owner’s manual as well.
Conclusion
The importance of car maintenance is always advised to car owners, but there are still many who do not heed this advice. You shouldn’t wait until you the issues are bigger because not only will this cost you a lot of money, but it could also lead to irreparable damage and accidents. Make a checklist on your mobile phone and adhere to it.
