Cars can be some of the most expensive things we buy, something we spend tons of time in. One study says the average American spends 1.1 hours a day in their car.
It is in our best interest to make sure our vehicle preventive maintenance is taken care of regularly. Not only with this help, our cars last longer, but it also saves time from breakdowns and can keep us safer with all the traveling.
Today, we will go over a solid vehicle preventive maintenance checklist that you can put into play now.
What regular maintenance should be done on a car?
Oil Change
The engine oil should be changed every 3,000 miles or 3 months, whichever comes first. This will help keep the motor lubricated and make sure the engine is always using clean oil.
Coolant Levels
Keeping your coolant levels topped off will help keep your engine running cooler. When your coolant gets too low, the coolant is being pumped through the radiator quicker, which makes the engine run hotter.
Air Filter
Keeping your air filter clean lets the engine get enough air to keep it running well. A dirty air filter can also decrease your fuel mileage, and nobody wants that.
Tires
Your tires are the only part of the car that has contact with the road, having good tires is a must! Rotating your tire every other oil change is good practice. Also, check the tire pressure every oil change, making sure your tires have the proper amount of air in them. Keep an eye on the tread thickness, when you see the tread getting close to the warning mark that runs perpendicular to your tread. When your tread and the warning mark are close to the same height, it’s time for new tires.
Transmission Fluid
Transmissions are expensive to replace, but luckily the maintenance doesn’t need to be performed too often. You should have transmission drained every 30,000 miles, or if you are driving a new car, you could make it 100,000 miles before having to service your vehicle. Double-check your owner’s manual.
Shocks and Struts
Your shocks keep you riding smoothly when you are hitting the bumps in the road. If you have ever been in a car with bad shocks, you will know it! The car bounces extremely hard and you can’t control it. Shocks tend to last a long time, have them checked every 50,000 miles.
Check Your Battery
You want to make sure there isn’t any corrosion or damaged wires connecting to your battery terminals. If something goes wrong with the battery, your car won’t start.
Belts
Not the belt around your waist :), the belts under the hood of your car. Your motor uses multiple belts to keep the car running, and after time these belts will start to wear down and could snap causing a lot of damage to the motor and car. It is a good idea to check these at each oil change, especially if you are driving an older vehicle.
What Are The Benefits Of Regular Maintenance?
Keeping your vehicle maintenance up, not only helps keep you on the road longer, but it can help keep you and the drivers on the road safe. The last thing we want is to cause an accident because preventive maintenance wasn’t done. Ideally, an auto mechanic can help your car benefit from regular maintenance, but if you experience negligent work by an auto mechanic, you may be able to hold him or her responsible for your accident.
Keeping up your maintenance can:
Prevent serious damage
The damage could occur to your vehicle, like a blown motor, or potentially to another driver on the road. Both things could be limited with a preventative maintenance schedule.
Improve fuel mileage
It seems gas prices keep going up! Who doesn’t like getting a better fuel economy? This is a nice byproduct of properly maintaining your vehicle.
Keep your car on the road longer
As fuel prices, car prices keep up too. Financing a new vehicle every few years can sure keep you strapped for cash. Nothing wrong with driving an older car, and the more you take care of it, the longer it will last.
Wrapping It Up
There you go, a vehicle maintenance checklist that you can also follow to keep your car on the road and keep you and other drivers safe. Remember maintenance is always cheaper than neglecting it and fixing the damages.