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If you owned a car and lived at home, your parents were likely responsible for its maintenance. They may have even given reminders when to take it in for service. Car maintenance is your responsibility when you are on your own. It can be costly and time-consuming, but it will pay off in the long run.
Your car will not magically take care of itself. You can’t expect your car to take care of itself magically. Get into the habit of regular car maintenance.
We’ll walk you through the basics of maintaining your car in top condition.
Do These Three Things
Instead of waiting at the gas station to read the ads for credit cards while you wait, give your car a quick inspection and cleaning by doing three simple tasks.
1. Keep your windshield clean.
Please give it a good cleaning now and again. Use the gas station squeegee’s sponge to soak the entire windshield in the cleaning fluid. Next, use the gas station squeegee to clean the entire windshield. Pull the squeegee tight from the middle to the sides. Finish any streaks by pulling the squeegee top to bottom. This is particularly important after a long drive on the highway. If your windshield is clogged with insect carcasses, you can’t use your car’s washer fluid or wipers to clean them. It will create a huge mess that blocks your view.
Give your headlights a good scrub if they are dirty.
Your windshield wipers play a part in keeping your windshield clean. But we’ll discuss them later this week.
2. Check tire pressure.
Proper tire pressure can keep you safe and save you some money. Tires that are improperly inflated, which could be either under-inflated or over-inflated, don’t stop or handle as well as tires that have the right pressure. You also have a higher chance of getting blown out. Tires with the right pressure will last longer and be more efficient.
The sticker that indicates your recommended tire pressure will be found inside your driver’s door. This number is the best, as car manufacturers have spent a lot of time creating it.
It would be best if you were vigilant about your tire pressure. It changes with temperature fluctuations and tires logging miles. It’s important to inspect your tires regularly and add air if necessary. Experts recommend that you do this at each gas fill-up. However, like with the oil check, every other refill should be sufficient to detect any problems before they escalate into major problems.
It takes less than 2 minutes to check your tire pressure. Here’s how you do it.
- Always check your tire pressure before you drive around on them. My tire pressure is checked at a gas station only when I am filling up less than a mile away from my home in the morning. After driving for a while, allow the tires to “rest” for at most four hours before checking the tire pressure.
- The recommended tire pressure for your car is found in the owner’s manual or on the panel located inside the driver’s door (see above). No matter what brand of tires you have, make sure to fill your tires to this recommended level. This number is not the ideal PSI but the maximum tire pressure that can carry the tire’s heaviest load.
- Check your tire pressure using the tire pressure gauge.
3. Make sure to check your oil level and add more if necessary.
Motor oil is vital to the performance of your car. Motor oil’s primary function is to lubricate every moving part of your engine so that they don’t wear themselves into failure. It transfers heat from the combustion cycle, traps and holds the harmful byproducts of combustion and sends them to the oil filter. Your car could go kaput if it doesn’t have enough oil.
Regular oil checks are a good way to ensure that your car has enough oil. Although it is recommended that you check your oil level at each gas station, most people do it every other fill-up. It’s easy to check your car’s oil levels. It takes only three minutes to check your car’s oil level.
Many car manufacturers recommend consuming one quart of oil every 1,000 miles. Leaks and the fact that the engine burns oil and gasoline can cause cars to lose more oil than this. You should bring your car in to check it for leaks and external damage.
Use the Maintenance Schedule outlined in your Vehicle’s Owner’s Manual.
You also need to perform maintenance tasks less often, but they are essential to ensure your vehicle has a long and productive life. These include tire rotations, oil changes, changing transmission fluid, and other maintenance tasks.
Do not follow the mechanic’s recommended maintenance schedule. Many mechanics will recommend visiting your dealer more often and doing maintenance you don’t need. Most quick lubricants and dealership service shops recommend that you bring your car in for an oil change every 3,000 miles, even though most modern engines can run for at least 5,000 miles without one. Coolant replacement is another example. Many mechanics recommend that the coolant be replaced at 30,000 miles. However, many vehicles won’t require this service until four years. Manufacturers recommend that coolant should be changed every 60,000 miles after 120k.
Instead of waiting for Larry at KwikLube’s advice on when to service your car, open your glove box (or “jockey box” for those who live in the Mountain West), and grab your owner’s manual. It should have a section that lists the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule. This will tell you how often you change your oil, rotate your tires, and replace any damaged parts. A quick Google search can help you find the owner’s guide. You can avoid costly repairs and replacements by following the recommended maintenance schedule for your vehicle. This will help you keep your car running smoothly for many years.
DIY Car Maintenance
Because newer vehicles are more complex and feature high-tech gadgetry and onboard computers, it is important to have a qualified mechanic who can complete maintenance tasks correctly.
There are still some maintenance tasks that most men on most models can do. Below I list three of them. Although these tasks won’t save you much time or money, they are satisfying and worth it.
1. Every 5,000 miles, change your oil.
Here’s a guide to changing your car’s oil. This might not be possible for people who live in apartments or dorms. Regular oil changes are essential to keep your car running smoothly, whether you do it yourself or hire a mechanic.
2. Every 12,000 miles, change your air filter.
This is one of the easiest jobs you can do for your car. How to do it is what we wrote. Regularly changing your car’s air filter can increase fuel efficiency, extend the life of your engine, and reduce emissions.
Although changing your car’s oil can be a hassle because you have to find a way of disposing of it properly, there is no such problem with changing the filter. Doing it yourself will save you at least half the cost of hiring a professional.
3. Rotate your tires every 5,000-10,000 miles.
Rear and front tires wear differently. Rotating your tires regularly equalizes their natural wear patterns and ensures a smoother, safer ride. Rotating your tires regularly will prolong the life of your tires and save you money on expensive replacements.
Keep your car clean.
Maintaining your car’s health is not only important, but it is also crucial to keep it clean.
1. Regularly wash your car.
Our cars are exposed to the sun, salt, grease, grime, tree sap, acid rain, acid rain, and even bird poop bombs every day. These substances eat away at the paint and eventually eat the metal in your vehicle. Although it won’t cause immediate damage, failing to wash your car will eventually lead to rust and decrease its value.
How often should your car be washed? It depends. It all depends on where you live and what the climate is. You will need to wash your car at least twice a month if you live in a polluted area and have high levels of sea salt. A once-a-month car wash is sufficient if you live in an area with little pollution. Winter can be more challenging than summer because of the accumulation of snow, salt and mud as you drive on icy roads.
2. You shouldn’t treat your car’s interior as a trash can.
You shouldn’t treat your car inside as a garbage container. Regularly clean out your car to make it look less like a dump. Maintaining a clean car interior can help reduce stress and make driving more enjoyable. You never know when you might have unexpected passengers. You won’t have to apologize for the mess if you keep your car clean.
