Your car is most likely one of the most important possessions that you have; it enables you to freely travel at your own convenience whenever you need to. It can also be one of the most expensive purchases you can make. For those reasons, it’s critical that you know how to properly take care of it, how to make it last, and how to avoid the car maintenance mistakes you might be making.
Video Overview
Neglecting Your Tires
Your tires put up with the most wear and tear on your car. They are constantly running against all kinds of rough surfaces to get you to where you need to go. It can be easy to forget them until something goes wrong. So, always keep a few tire basics in mind, such as:
Keep Them Filled
Always make sure that you keep the air pressure in your tires at the recommended level, which you can find you your vehicle’s VIN sticker. Deflated or deflating tires can lead to poor gas mileage, rim damage, and tire blowouts.
Keep Them Uniform
While there are different tires on the market with different qualities, you need to pick one style and stick with it. Problems arise when you mix tires, and there are few positive benefits to doing so. If you must, know how to properly mix tires beforehand.
Keeping up With Your Car’s Fluids
Your vehicle uses several different fluids to keep it safe and running, and you need to keep all of them in mind. Fluids such as coolant, brake fluid, transmission fluid—to name a few—are all needed to keep your car in top condition. Failing to maintain the fluids will only result in expensive breakdowns and repairs.
Oil Changes
While you’re keeping track of the other fluids, always be aware of your car’s oil. While older cars typically need their oil changed every 3,000 miles, newer ones can go roughly 8,000 to 10,000 miles before they need a change. Know your car’s limits and have the oil changed regularly; otherwise you risk engine failure.
Old Windshield Wipers
This is so simple, yet so vital to driving safely. Windshield wipers can mean the difference between visibility in harsh weather conditions and flying completely blind. Older and frayed wipers can be unable to completely clear your view, which can easily result in collisions and other accidents due to low visibility. Wipers are cheap to purchase and easy to install, so don’t neglect to put on new ones when your current ones become inadequate.
Constant Maintenance
Usually, a car isn’t going to need to see the mechanic every other day or require you to always buy new parts. But you will always need to be on the lookout for potential problems and be ready to take your car in for repairs. Constant awareness will keep you from falling prey to car maintenance mistakes you might be making.
