Basic Car Maintenance For The Uninitiated
Around here we seem to be saying one thing quite often. In fact, we say it so often that we are starting to sound like a broken record. Of course, that one mantra that we repeat so incessantly is: don’t neglect your car maintenance. There’s a reason why we keep harping on this point, however. That is that it is important! Cars, like other machines, run under significant pressures and need to be taken care of (maintained) in order to last. So, one more time with feeling. Don’t neglect your car maintenance! If you do, you could very well end up at your local auto shop looking at the bill for an auto repair that would have been unnecessary if you just would have kept up with your regular maintenance.
But, there are some of you out there that aren’t intentionally neglecting your vehicles. You just don’t know what you should be doing to maintain your car (or how to get it done). Well, if you want some help (or want to make sure that it is done right), you can always come visit us at your local auto shop. We do all manner of maintenance, and all kinds of auto repair jobs as well. In the meantime, let’s go through a crash course in basic maintenance jobs that are essential for every vehicle:
The oil change: Oil is your car’s lifeblood. Without it, your engine would seize up and burn out. That’s why it is important to monitor oil levels and get your oil changed at the recommended interval for your vehicle (check your owner’s manual).
Tires: Another important maintenance job is to check the inflation and wear on your tires periodically. Your tires should not be under or overinflated. They should also not exhibit signs of irregular wear (or have very worn treads in general). If they do, bring your car into the local auto shop for a diagnosis.
Check your fluids: Oil may be the most important, but there are a whole range of fluids that allow your car to operate normally. These need to be checked, flushed and replaced at regular intervals as well. Again, refer to your owner’s manual to figure out the best timing for checking these, or head into your local auto shop to ask.
That’s just the basics. We could go on with more advanced stuff, but we’ll save that for another post. In the meantime, just remember that maintaining your vehicle is the best way to make it last longer and limit the likelihood of a costly auto repair.