Every vehicle owner needs to know when it is time to take the car to the service, and when they can do some small maintenance on their own. It is said that if you want your car to be in good driving condition, and if you want to drive it for a long time, you need to do regular routine checkups.
In this article, you will be able to learn more about how to take care of your car, how to maintain it, and what you need to know before you take it to the shop. Follow these tips and if you are not sure what’s wrong with it, or if you feel like you don’t have the needed knowledge to do or change something, always contact a professional service.
-
Check the tires
Img source: pexels.com
One of the first things you have to know how to do is to check the tires. If you have a new vehicle, it does not mean that the tires are always going to be good. Sometimes we run over screws or other sharp items without noticing and that can lead to a flat tire.
You should not wait for the tire light to go on before you check them. Experts suggest that you should check them at least once per month, and visually inspect them every week. Did you know that a tire that is not fully inflated can lead to more fuel consumption? So, to save yourself trouble and money, then you should always make sure that your tires are inflated.
If you are not sure what the correct pressure should be, you can find that information in the users manual, on the lid where you pump your gas or you can just look that information up online. You should know that depending on the number of passengers you should put different pressure in your tires. On most cars (but not every vehicle), that number varies between 2.0 for two passengers and 2.2 for three and more.
It is a good idea to learn how to change a tire and to make sure that you have a spare one in your trunk. You should always have the needed tools for this task in your car.
-
Check the oil
Img source: pexels.com
Experts suggest that you should check the oil in your car at least once per month. If the vehicle is new, then you can do that once every 6 weeks. The reason behind that is that this liquid is pretty much what is keeping the engine alive. Do that when the engine is cooled down, and the best time for it is to check the oil in the early mornings before you drive the car.
Depending on the type of engine and vehicle, you may want to use a synthetic based or petroleum oil. Check in the manual which type is better or talk to your mechanic.
According to washatwork.de, you should leave the full oil change and inspection to the professionals, and you should only top it up when you see that there is not enough oil. If you notice that your car is wasting the oil too fast, or if you notice any drips under, the car, you should take it to the service as soon as possible.
-
Don’t forget the manual
Img source: pexels.com
Many owners think that they should read the manual when something seems broken, but you should actually read the owner’s manual before you start driving your car. The first things you need to get acquainted with are the signs and the dashboard lights. You should try and remember what they signal and what you should pay attention to when one of them starts showing.
This is crucial for good car maintenance and it can save you a lot of time. The most common lights that may appear are the oil one and the flat tire one. However, depending on what is going on with your vehicle, other, less common may light up, and you should always know if you should stop the car right away and call your mechanic, or if you are safe to drive it until you take it to the shop.
You should also learn when you should change the oil, the filters, and when is the time to take it to professional maintenance service. Don’t forget to check when it’s time to change belts, hoses and if you are not sure how often you should change your tires, you need to talk to the experts and write down the day or at least the month when you last changed them.
-
Other items
Img source: pexels.com
Other things that you need to maintain regularly are the air filters, the windshield fluid, and the wipers. Don’t forget the coolant in the winter, and always remember the last time you changed the battery.
If you notice that your car has trouble starting and if it makes it more than a few seconds for the engine to start, it may mean that it is time to change your battery. Don’t wait for it to die before you get to it, because that may happen at the worst possible time.
If you want to go one step further with the vehicle maintenance, then you might want to learn how to check the belts that are located under the hood, as well as the hoses placed there. If you see that anything is damaged, or not working properly, you should take it to the service as soon as possible. These things are usually inexpensive to replace, but they can do huge damage if you don’t change them.
These are some of the things you need to pay attention to so that your car is in good condition and safe for you to drive it. If you plan on going on vacation, or if you have to drive it somewhere that’s more than two hours away, you need to make sure that everything is working properly. Don’t try to fix things on your own, because you may risk your and your passengers’ safety. You should always have a trusted service on speed-dial and to keep a good professional relationship with them.
