A well-maintained car means a smooth and safe ride. Many things go into keeping your auto in tip-top shape, and if you aren’t a gearhead in the slightest, it’s hard to be on top of everything. There’s always the option of going to your mechanic regularly, but as your vehicle’s owner, you should also know the basics, so you’ll know what to do in the event your car breaks down.
Below are some essential car maintenance tips that will be helpful for novice and seasoned drivers.
Keep Fluids at Ideal Levels
Fluids help keep your car’s engine running correctly, making it imperative to maintain them at proper levels. In addition, you should be mindful of your coolants, breaking, and engine oils since these can significantly affect how you drive. Finally, you also ought to be on the lookout for leaks because this might indicate an issue in your engine.
Inspect Your Air Filter
Given the places you are visiting, air filled with dirt and other particles constantly bombard your car, which can be highly damaging to your engine. Your ride’s air filter works to keep said particles out, helping maintain a clean engine by preventing contaminants from entering your car’s grill.
Replace Your Battery
Your car’s battery works the same way as your PC or phone, overtime its quality decreases, which can lessen your drive’s safety and efficiency. Smooth rides depend on the performance of your car’s engine and battery, and for you to continue experiencing safe travels, you should change your battery every two to four years. When you faithfully check your battery and have a new one installed at the ideal time, you can avoid a total breakdown.
Keep It Clean
Aside from your engine, you should also pay attention to your car’s interior and exterior parts. If you use your vehicle daily, it most likely has a decent layer of dust settling on its outer surface. Besides dimming the shine of your auto, this can also damage its paint and interior space. To avoid being spoiled by dirt, you should regularly have your car cleaned, consider waxing its exterior, and use seat covers and floor mats.
Change Your Oil
Another way to keep your engine clean is by changing your oil every ten thousand miles because with a clean engine comes long-lasting engine life, which will save you the cost of getting repairs in the future. Once you know what to do, changing your car’s oil by yourself and determining the suitable oil for your engine is pretty easy and can even save you money from going to a service center.
Use Only the Proper Fuel
Fuel powers and supercharges a vehicle, which is why loading your car up on the recommended fuel type is ideal. When you use a different kind of fuel for your auto, chances are it will not start and compromise your safety since there’s a reasonably high chance that you’ll damage your engine. However, if it does run, you’ll have to deal with excessive amounts of smoke, and the only way to fix the situation is to have your tank drained — a service that costs a fortune.
Rotate Your Tires
Considering the number of drives you have, your tires will wear out quickly, especially when you frequently drive on rough roads. When you are not careful, you’ll be damaging your tires within a short period, and that will need costly replacements. One thing you can do to extend the life of your tires is by rotating them. When you rotate them, you make sure that wear happens evenly and not only on a single spot.
Buy New Wipers
Wipers are essential in keeping your rides safe, especially during inclement weather. They help keep your windshield clear and clean of snow, dust, and rain, giving you a visible view of the road. During your regular car checks, if you spot some damage on your wipers, it’s best to have them replaced right away than putting them aside since this is a matter of safety. For this, it’s alright to splurge a little, even if it means ordering it from a different state and having a reliable transport company deliver it to you, especially if it’s premium-quality made.
Test Your Brakes
Being able to brake smoothly or at a moment’s notice is imperative in a vehicle. It’s an essential factor that makes your rides safe. With well-functioning brakes, you can travel to and from places safely. To check your brakes, you should pay attention to sounds, shudders, and vibrations, and if you find anything unusual, you should contact your mechanic right away.
Driving is more than a way for your to reach places, it’s also a sport, and recreational activity, making it all the more vital for you to keep your ride in optimum condition.