How to Take Care of Cars
Posted Tuesday, Feb 21, 2023
Just bought your first car? Congratulations! Buying a car is a significant investment - one that you need to take care of to ensure it remains reliable for a long time. This is where timely maintenance comes in. In the upcoming paragraphs, we will discuss ways to take care of your car. Following these tips will help you take care of your car and keep it running smoothly for years to come.
Top 11 Car Care Tips: Expert Advice for Keeping Your Vehicle in Great Shape
1. Change the Oil Every 5000-7500 Miles
Different car manufacturers have varying views on when you should change your oil. However, the general consensus is that you should change the oil every 5000 to 7500 miles. When choosing an oil, always opt for a popular synthetic oil like Mobil1. Moreover, it’s better to have your oil changed professionally as opposed to doing it yourself.
Your car needs fresh oil to lubricate the engine. Old oil will cause a dirt buildup and eventually kill the engine, thus costing you thousands of dollars in repairs.
2. Check Tire Pressure and Rotate the Tires
Inappropriate tire pressure causes instability, reduced gas mileage, poor braking, and flat tires. Therefore, always check your tire pressure with a reliable gauge. Also, rotate the tires to see if they wear evenly. Try to get the most out of them before you need to replace them.
A tire replacement costs $300–$700. Conversely, a pressure gauge and tire rotation cost less than $50. For tire rotation, take your car to a nearby auto body shop.
3. Replace the Brake Pads
When your car produces a nasty grinding sound, inspect the brake pads right away. A brake pad holds onto braking power in higher temperatures. The brake pads are delicate and must be replaced by a professional mechanic.
Moreover, neglecting your brake pads will affect your braking rotors. Brake pad replacement costs anywhere from $300 to $600 but replacing them is necessary if they have already started wearing out.
4. Keep Your Mirrors in Good Condition
Since we don’t have eyes in the back of our heads, mirrors are extremely important when driving.
A decent set of mirrors can help you a lot on the road and save you from accidents, some of which can be life-threatening. Moreover, driving with dirty mirrors makes you the least favorite driver in the eyes of the authorities, and chances are you might get pulled over for not driving properly.
5. Maintain the Interior
Grime contains chemicals that destroy your vinyl seats and leather dashboard, thus making your car look incredibly filthy. This is where products like Leather Honey and Meguiar’s Detailer come in.
Besides cleaning, they keep your car’s interior looking good as new. A dirty interior can reduce your car’s resale value, preventing you from getting the best deal on your vehicle when you decide to part ways with it. Keeping the interior clean doesn’t require too much effort, so make it a habit to clean it periodically.
6. Replace Bad Headlights
Driving in the dark can be challenging with malfunctioning headlights, not to mention incredibly dangerous. Nine times out of 10, a faulty headlight is the result of a dead bulb.
It’s always better to inspect your lights periodically as driving with a bad headlight can result in you being pulled over by the cops. On the bright side, replacing a headlight bulb is simple and only needs a few simple steps.
7. Replace the Air Filter Every 30,000 Miles
Air filters do the same for your car what your lungs do for you. A dirty air filter is bad for several reasons.
First, it affects acceleration, and second, it decreases the efficiency of your vehicle. A dirty filter won’t cause an explosion, but it will compromise your combustion chamber.
Replacing an old filter with a new one is simple and doesn’t take up more than 15 minutes.
8. Protect Your Car against the Rain
Driving in the rain can be annoying, but not when you have products like Rain-X. Rain makes two distinct products worth investing in.
First of all, it makes a spray for your windscreen, and secondly, they make wipers for rainy weather. These products will give you peace of mind since they help increase visibility in rainy conditions, thus improving your comfort while driving.
9. Balance Your Engine’s Temperature
Extreme temperatures are difficult to tackle, but not when you have the right combination of coolant and anti-freeze.
A decent gallon of antifreeze costs around $15, and it keeps everything in your radiator under control. Without an anti-freeze, the gaskets and seals will start wearing out because of overheating. You can either have anti-freeze professionally poured in or you can do it yourself by following a series of simple steps.
10. Check for Recalls
Now, General Motors is recalling over a million cars. The reason is a power steering failure. If you don’t want to have to deal with any of the repercussions of faulty manufacturing, it is better to keep tabs on any potential recalls.
The process is simple. Just search for your Vehicle Identification Number on NHTSA’s website to check if your car is being recalled.
11. Check the Spark Plugs
While they mostly last longer, a faulty spark plug can affect your engine. Therefore, make sure to have your spark plugs inspected every 30,000 miles. Replace them right away if they’ve gone bad. A bad spark plug affects gas mileage and acceleration.
Most of all, a bad spark plug can damage your engine significantly, resulting in a series of expensive repairs.
Final Word
A car is a complex machine and keeping an eye on all the nitty-gritties is difficult, especially if you are a busy person; however, these inspections are. We has made your job easier by listing all the things car owners must keep tabs on. Make it a habit to categorically inspect all the aspects discussed in this article, and your car will continue to run smoothly for years to come.
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