The key to having your car for a long time is regular maintenance.
No one likes spending time and money on maintaining their automobile, but it’s entirely necessary if you want to be safe and keep it on the road. Most people are lost when it comes to car repairs and maintenance, so we’re going to give you a hand.
Today, we’re going to give you a basic vehicle maintenance checklist. If you’re taking the time to do the little things more often, you’ll avoid having to do those large-scale, expensive repairs down the road. Make fine-tuning your car part of your routine and your vehicle will reward you with a smooth ride.
Your Tires
Did you know that your tires wear down differently in different positions? If not, you’ve probably never thought about rotating them before, but it’s something that you should be doing every 6 months or so. Regular rotations will ensure that your tires last longer by wearing down equally.
When you do this, you should also take the time to balance and align your wheels. Balancing helps to distribute the weight of your car evenly on the axel, so you’ll never have to worry about wobbly tires when you make turns or hit bumps. Alignment makes sure that your tires are perfectly parallel to one another and perpendicular to the road, making the ride comfier and safer.
Oil Changes
Different vehicle manufacturers recommend different oil change intervals, but you can rely on it being between somewhere between 5,000 and 7,500 miles. If you’re using a full-synthetic oil, then it could be significantly longer between changes.
This is absolutely crucial because oil lubricates all of the moving parts of your engine, preventing it from overheating and helping it run properly in general. Over time, the oil gets dirty, so you need to change it or your engine will wear out. When your engine wears out, you may as well start looking for a new car (follow this link to do that).
Wipers
New windshield wipers aren’t something you’re going to think about until it’s too late. Worn out wipers won’t make proper contact with your windshield and they’ll end up leaving dirt and streaks on it, making it much harder for you to see and drive safely.
It’s a low-cost maintenance thing that you can do every 6 months or so, depending on how much rain, snow, or sleet you’ve had during a season.
Batteries and Spark Plugs
Getting regular battery tests will prevent you from getting stranded on the road somewhere. The sad fact is that it can be difficult to tell when your battery is about to go, so you need to bring it in to have it tested regularly. If you’re being really safe, you’ll replace the battery every few years to be sure.
Something you can do to keep your current battery in good shape is performing regular battery terminal cleanings. All you need is baking soda, water, petroleum jelly, and safety equipment, and you’ll be able to take care of this in a matter of minutes.
Keep Your Vehicle Maintenance Checklist Up to Date
Whether you stick a vehicle maintenance checklist on your fridge or keep it all in your head is up to you. As long as you make sure you’re doing these things regularly, your car will remain reliable and you won’t have to put too much money into it. If you don’t, you could be looking at huge repairs in the short-term and potentially a new car in the long-term.
Did you find this helpful? Come back again for more car tips and facts.