Simple Car Maintenance Tips
You drive your car everyday. Do you pay attention to it? Do you
feel that slight shimmy in the front end? Is there a new
knocking sound under the hood? Is there a rattle in the
dashboard? No one knows your car better than you do. If you feel
something different, or if it isn't handling correctly take it
to your mechanic. It could be something as simple as a tire out
of alignment, or perhaps a loose belt. It's always best to find
any small problem before it becomes a large one.
Here are some simple maintenance tips that you can follow to
help prolong the life of your car, and help save you money.
Notice where you park your car and get into the habit of looking
to see if there are any leaks when you pull out. This can be
very tricky in a public garage with lots of stains from leaks
from other cars, but if your car is leaking any type of fluid,
transmission, radiator or brake the leak will look "fresh". If
you see any fluid leaking have your car serviced as soon as
possible.
Keep an eye on your tires. When you have your oil changed every
3,000 miles have your tires rotated. At this time the technician
will inspect your tires for any wear. Keep your tires aligned.
Check your tire pressure once every month. It's easy enough to
read tire gauges and they even have electronic ones. Keeping
your tires properly inflated helps increase gas mileage too.
As mentioned above, change your oil at least every 3,000 miles.
The oil is the life blood of your car and keeping fresh oil in
your car can extends it's life by many, many miles. At this time
the technician will check your air filter, hoses and belts.
Keep your windshield washer reservoir full and carry an extra
gallon with you. You don't want to be caught without washer
fluid, and you don't realize how quickly you use it up,
especially in the winter months when we get salt spray on the
windshield. Replace your wiper blades once a year.
Following these simples steps can go a long way in prolonging
the life of your car.