Since I was a small child, I have had the importance of automotive maintenance drilled into my head. Now that I've reached adulthood, I appreciate the sound foundation I had in this discipline of critical importance. I cant imagine the time and money Ive saved and headaches Ive avoided. If you didnt have this background, and dont have a clue about how to maintain your car, dont despair. There are a number of simple car maintenance tasks that anyone can do even if you know nothing about how a car works.
--Wash your car often: While the exterior of your car isn't as important as what's under the hood it's still necessary to take care of it. A clean car looks better, of course, but it also helps in a few practical areas. Keeping your windshield clean inside and out, obviously, is crucial for safety. Washing you car often keeps your headlights clean. And, of course, frequent washing helps prevent rust and corrosion extending the life of your vehicle.
--Wash the undercarriage of the car: This is particularly important if you live anywhere it snows. The salt, sand and chemicals that are used for ice and snow removal accumulate underneath your car and will rust out the body faster than anything else. Even in the coldest weather, its a good idea to wash your car at least once a week giving special attention to the wheel wells and undercarriage of your car.
--Clean your engine: Wash your engine, complete with soap and water, every time you wash your car. Not only will a clean engine run cooler, but washing it also cleans off crusty oil deposits, battery acid, and grime collected from the road. Let your engine run at idle to dry off before you start driving again. This is less of a problem with modern fuel injected cars, but still a good idea.
--Clean your air filter: Change your filter every time you change your oil filter. In between changes, give the filter a good spray with a compressed air hose and blow out the filter chamber as well. Filters are so cheap that you have no excuse to be running around with a dirty one.
--Check and change your oil: Back in more civilized times, a full service gas station would check your oil every time you filled up. You should do the same. Change your oil frequently"at least every 5,000 miles and better still, every 3,000 miles. Change your filter when you change the oil or youre going to be pumping clean oil through a dirty filter which doesnt do you a bit of good. Oil changes are a pretty easy job even for those without much of a mechanical background, and drive thru oil change businesses are ubiquitous in any decent sized market. Most of these places do a decent job and charge a reasonable fee. Many also take care of several other of the maintenance tasks on this list.
--Check other fluids: Change your anti-freeze/coolant every year, and check the reservoir every week or so to make sure it's full. Also check transmission, brake and power steering fluids at least once a week. Top them off if necessary.
--Take good care of your tires: Check your air pressure levels with a tire gauge at least once a week, keeping them filled to manufacturer specified levels. Check the spare tire--if you have a 'real' tire as a spare make sure it's properly inflated, and even if you have a 'donut' temporary spare make sure it isn't damaged. Rotate your tires every few months or more frequently if you drive a lot of miles. This will insure even wear, and along with proper inflation will prevent countless problems as well as saving you time and money.
Emergency tools and equipment: Despite your best efforts to the contrary, things will eventually go wrong. When in does, youll be glad that you planned ahead. These items should be in your trunk at all times: tire gauge, pliers (slip-joint and needle nose), adjustable wrench, flat head and Phillips screwdriver. Dont buy cheap tools"theyll break and the least opportune times. Invest in Craftsman tools or another premium brand, and youll be set for life. Youll also need a flashlight, and if you live somewhere it snows its also a good idea to have salt, sand, a small shovel, and a blanket just in case you get snowbound and have to sleep in your car. A cellphone charger is also a good thing to have, since a cellphone doesn't do much good if your batteries are dead. There are also 'emergency' cellphone chargers that don't require a power source.
--Auto club membership: Just a great investment that will pay for itself the first time you lock your keys in your car or need a tow. AAA is the best known, but there are many others. Most credit card and cellphone providers offer this type of service, and a growing number of car manufacturers including VW and Mini Cooper offer it free of charge for new car buyers. At minimum, they should offer free towing, trip continuation insurance, lockout service, free maps, and some other bells and whistles. Keep in mind, however, that all roadside assistance companies aren't created equal. Compare what they offer, and consider the type of driving you do--if you frequently travel through remote areas you're better off going with a bigger company due to their larger network of covered providers.
None of these tips require any significant mechanical competence or even more than a basic knowledge of how the car works. Still, they can help save time and money, extend the life of your vehicle and provide a safer driving experience.
--Wash your car often: While the exterior of your car isn't as important as what's under the hood it's still necessary to take care of it. A clean car looks better, of course, but it also helps in a few practical areas. Keeping your windshield clean inside and out, obviously, is crucial for safety. Washing you car often keeps your headlights clean. And, of course, frequent washing helps prevent rust and corrosion extending the life of your vehicle.
--Wash the undercarriage of the car: This is particularly important if you live anywhere it snows. The salt, sand and chemicals that are used for ice and snow removal accumulate underneath your car and will rust out the body faster than anything else. Even in the coldest weather, its a good idea to wash your car at least once a week giving special attention to the wheel wells and undercarriage of your car.
--Clean your engine: Wash your engine, complete with soap and water, every time you wash your car. Not only will a clean engine run cooler, but washing it also cleans off crusty oil deposits, battery acid, and grime collected from the road. Let your engine run at idle to dry off before you start driving again. This is less of a problem with modern fuel injected cars, but still a good idea.
--Clean your air filter: Change your filter every time you change your oil filter. In between changes, give the filter a good spray with a compressed air hose and blow out the filter chamber as well. Filters are so cheap that you have no excuse to be running around with a dirty one.
--Check and change your oil: Back in more civilized times, a full service gas station would check your oil every time you filled up. You should do the same. Change your oil frequently"at least every 5,000 miles and better still, every 3,000 miles. Change your filter when you change the oil or youre going to be pumping clean oil through a dirty filter which doesnt do you a bit of good. Oil changes are a pretty easy job even for those without much of a mechanical background, and drive thru oil change businesses are ubiquitous in any decent sized market. Most of these places do a decent job and charge a reasonable fee. Many also take care of several other of the maintenance tasks on this list.
--Check other fluids: Change your anti-freeze/coolant every year, and check the reservoir every week or so to make sure it's full. Also check transmission, brake and power steering fluids at least once a week. Top them off if necessary.
--Take good care of your tires: Check your air pressure levels with a tire gauge at least once a week, keeping them filled to manufacturer specified levels. Check the spare tire--if you have a 'real' tire as a spare make sure it's properly inflated, and even if you have a 'donut' temporary spare make sure it isn't damaged. Rotate your tires every few months or more frequently if you drive a lot of miles. This will insure even wear, and along with proper inflation will prevent countless problems as well as saving you time and money.
Emergency tools and equipment: Despite your best efforts to the contrary, things will eventually go wrong. When in does, youll be glad that you planned ahead. These items should be in your trunk at all times: tire gauge, pliers (slip-joint and needle nose), adjustable wrench, flat head and Phillips screwdriver. Dont buy cheap tools"theyll break and the least opportune times. Invest in Craftsman tools or another premium brand, and youll be set for life. Youll also need a flashlight, and if you live somewhere it snows its also a good idea to have salt, sand, a small shovel, and a blanket just in case you get snowbound and have to sleep in your car. A cellphone charger is also a good thing to have, since a cellphone doesn't do much good if your batteries are dead. There are also 'emergency' cellphone chargers that don't require a power source.
--Auto club membership: Just a great investment that will pay for itself the first time you lock your keys in your car or need a tow. AAA is the best known, but there are many others. Most credit card and cellphone providers offer this type of service, and a growing number of car manufacturers including VW and Mini Cooper offer it free of charge for new car buyers. At minimum, they should offer free towing, trip continuation insurance, lockout service, free maps, and some other bells and whistles. Keep in mind, however, that all roadside assistance companies aren't created equal. Compare what they offer, and consider the type of driving you do--if you frequently travel through remote areas you're better off going with a bigger company due to their larger network of covered providers.
None of these tips require any significant mechanical competence or even more than a basic knowledge of how the car works. Still, they can help save time and money, extend the life of your vehicle and provide a safer driving experience.
About the Author:
Ross Everett writes about sports and recreation topics, though his specialties are hockey, CFL football betting and mixed martial arts. He is a well known expert on how to successfully bet on UFC fights, as well as a statistical consultant for a number of casinos, sports books and other clients. He will be hosting a hockey themed radio show starting in late 2009.
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