Car Maintenance Tips
More than any other piece of technology, the car represents freedom for the vast majority of people. People value the independence that a car provides. As a result, there is a massive industry for the purchasing and maintenance of motor vehicles. Using professional mechanics can be expensive so it makes sense to ensure that individuals look after their vehicles and keep them in good working order. A key part of that is ensuring that the car is properly maintained and used in a way that does not invite damage. It is important for car owners to understand how to undertake some basic maintenance. Ten relatively straightforward and useful basic automotive maintenance tasks which every car owner should undertake follows.
Maintaining tyres
There are two main features of the tyres that you need to check to get the best fuel efficiency and safety from your car. These are the thickness of the tread and the tyre pressure.
The tread of a tyre is vital for road holding and bald tyres can be very dangerous, especially on wet road conditions. Most countries will have a legal minimum requirement for the thickness of the tyre tread and you should check regularly to ensure that your tyres meet these requirements. It is necessary to remain legal but it is also good sense to ensure that you can drive the car safely. There are tools that will allow you to measure the thickness of the tread (seehere), but a quick eye inspection will identify any bald spots on the tyre.
Tyre pressure is also very important. Your car manual will state the tyre pressure required for the tyres on your car and these are likely to be different for back tyres and front tyres. It is very easy to check the pressure of your tyres when you buy fuel. Most garages will have an air pressure gauge and facility to top up the air in your tyres. This used to be free, and still is in a lot of good garages, but some now charge a nominal fee.
Check brake pads
When the brake pads wear down, they will scrape against the rotors and drums when you apply your brakes and this will cause damage. An early indication of wearing brake pads can often be identified through longer braking distances and sometimes a different feel to the brake pedal. In this state, they are less efficient and could result in damage to the car, or worse an accident. To avoid this, simply have the brake pads checked and changed regularly. Certainly, if you hear scraping or a high pitched squeal when you apply your brakes, you know it is time for them to be changed.
Filters
Oil filters are relatively inexpensive and play a vital role in keeping the lubrication system clean (seehere) thus protecting the engine from premature wear and tear. The oil filter cleans the oil before it passes through to lubricate the moving parts of the engine. It is important to regularly change the oil filter to ensure that it is working effectively. Some oil filters are re-useable after being cleaned where others require replacement. Do not be tempted to try and clean a throwaway oil filter to re-use it, it is a false economy.
It is equally important to maintain the efficacy of the air filters.
These keep dust and dirt from getting into your engine and potentially damaging it. These should be regularly checked and changed when they get clogged.
As a rule of thumb, check the filters each time you need to top up your oil, it is a good practice to get into.
Bulbs
The lights on your car serve a vital role for safe and good driving. They either provide illumination in time of poor visibility, e.g.headlights, or signal to other drivers your intentions, e.g. brake lights. It should be common sense to change any bulb that is blown or no longer in working order. This is relatively inexpensive and straightforward to do and there is no excuse for driving with one or more of your bulbs not working.
Fluids
A car relies on a number of different fluids in order that it can operate efficiently and they are essential to prevent damage, and worse still accidents. These need to be regularly checked as they can deteriorate or deplete over time. The fluid levels of oil, brake fluid, coolant, transmission fluid and even screen wash levels all should be reviewed on a regular basis. Most cars will have warning lights on the dashboard for some of these, but some, like screen wash, you may need to remember to check without prompts.
Most people do check their oil levels and keep that topped up to the levels required to ensure that the engine is well lubricated. Less take the same rigour with the other fluids a car requires. Imagine how devastating it could be if the brakes did not work properly simply through lack of brake fluid. It is relatively straight forward to undertake this check, but If you find it difficult to manage yourself, make sure that you get someone to check and replenish for you on a regular basis. It is a little expense that could save you a large repair bill, or worse, a nasty accident.
Mechanics
There are times when there are strange noises that people notice when they are driving or there is a reduction in the performance of the car. The cause may not be obvious. When this happens, it is time to go to an expert to have the car checked and repaired. Do not avoid seeking professional help when it is needed. Of course, it can be expensive, especially if the fault is major in nature, but not seeking expert help can cost a lot more and in some cases could leave result in the car being dangerous to drive.
Car load
Carrying heavy loads in a car may not be considered a maintenance issue, but it is. Not only will it reduce the mileage that can be obtained from fuel, but it will increase the strain on a car, which may cause damage. Many people use the car as a storage area for heavy and infrequently used items, such as golf clubs. It is a good habit to get into, to empty the car of these items and only load them on the occasions that they will be used. This will extend the life of a car.
Gas cap not tightened
Strictly speaking, this is not a maintenance issue, but failure to tighten a gas cap properly may result in a car’s diagnostic system kicking in and the "check engine" indicator may come on. This is because air may enter and interfere with the fuel intake. If this happens, check that the gas cap is properly tightened before taking the car into the garage to be checked and ending up with a bill that could have easily been avoided.
Wipers
Windscreen wipers do a useful job in ensuring that visibility is good for the driver. When they are not working properly, either leaving smears across the windscreen or not removing water or other obstacles, it can lead to potential blind spots. This is another simple and inexpensive piece of maintenance that can be carried out to ensure safe driving. It is particularly noticeable that poor wiper performance may occur after a hot summer, where the wiper blades have baked in the heat.
Antifreeze
Last, but by no means least, is the use of antifreeze during the winter months, or particularly cold snaps. The coolant system in a car relies on water to take heat out of the engine. However, water will freeze in cold temperatures. When water freezes it expands and this can do damage to the car. Also, clearly, in its frozen state water cannot operate in the coolant system. By adding anti-freeze to the water, the freezing point is chemically reduced (full explanationhere), thus avoiding these problems.
Undertaking these maintenance checks on a regular basis should keep a car in good condition and safe to drive. They will not take long to carry out and could help car owners save money by catching any issues early, before they escalate and require an expensive repair. More importantly, by ensuring the car is well maintained and in good condition, it could prevent an accident and potentially serious injury.
