Taking care of your car is essential for ensuring it continues to safely navigate the road for miles. Vehicle maintenance includes a variety of services, from changing oil and checking fluids to replacing timing and serpentine belts. It's important to remember that car maintenance costs, while not always cheap, can help you avoid costly repairs in the future. Most mechanics agree that timing belts should be replaced approximately every 60,000 miles.
Every month, or every few refuels of gas and especially before any long road trip, it's a good idea to get under the hood of your car and inspect the oil and coolant levels while the engine is cold. Low levels of either can cause engine problems if left unchecked. Consult the owner's manual to find both in your specific vehicle. The engine air filter is what regulates the air that flows into the engine and helps keep debris and particles out.
By ensuring that the air filter flows properly, you can improve fuel efficiency, reduce emissions, and help ensure engine life. This can be easily done at home, so refer to your owner's manual for instructions and how often you should change it. For most vehicles, regular maintenance starts at 5,000 miles and continues from there every 5,000 to 10,000 miles. Of course, checking your car more regularly is even better. The routine maintenance your car will need and its cost depends on the vehicle itself.
But there are some services that almost every car requires periodically. Keep a simple record of your regular maintenance that includes what you have done, where the car was repaired and when. Carefully follow your car manufacturer's recommendations for scheduled vehicle service and use qualified mechanics to perform work on your car. Not understanding what car maintenance includes and how it helps their cars, some drivers think their budget is too tight and their schedule is too busy. Modern cars need less maintenance than ever before, thanks to greater computerization and mechanical improvements in engine design. Taking care of your car by performing preventive maintenance helps ensure you have safe and reliable transportation.
Regular car maintenance is one of the basic components of a long-life vehicle and this starts with routine car maintenance. When you perform car maintenance at regular intervals, it keeps your trip in good working order and helps avoid costly mechanical repairs in the future. But do you need to pay a mechanic to service the vehicle? You can take care of a large part of the basic maintenance of the vehicle by following some simple tips. Any repairs done after the car is damaged due to lack of maintenance will be much more expensive than ensuring that it continues to operate at peak performance. The vehicle maintenance program in your car's owner's manual will tell you what services you need and when. Sticking to a car maintenance program and keeping a good record of what you've done can help extend the life of your vehicle and protect it from breakdowns, costly repairs, and other unwanted surprises. In truth, it's not that bad if you maintain a car maintenance program and learn what to look for.
Some services are needed as part of a strict maintenance program to keep your car running smoothly and safely.
