10 Essential Car Maintenance Tips for a Smooth Ride

Having a car is a great convenience, but it also comes with a lot of responsibility. To keep your car running smoothly and safely, it's important to stay on top of regular maintenance. Proper mechanical maintenance, including replacing spark plugs, drive belts, timing belts or chains, and changing air and fluid filters, is necessary to identify problems and keep the engine running as it should. Every month, or every few refuels with 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. Your engine's air filter is what regulates the air that flows into the engine and helps prevent debris and particles from entering. 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. Oil and Oil Filter Engine oil and oil filter should be changed regularly, because as the engine runs, small pieces of metal, dirt and carbon end up in the oil and can cause excessive wear on the engine.

Non-synthetic oil that was traditionally used in the past always had a general rule of 3,000 miles, but most cars today run on synthetic material, which can safely last between 5,000 and 10,000 miles between oil changes, depending on the type. Remember to also check the engine oil level regularly. Once every two weeks and before any long road trip should be enough. Air filter A clogged air filter makes it difficult for the engine to breathe and that can negatively affect performance. Changing your air filter every 15,000 to 30,000 miles is a good rule of thumb; if you park or drive in a dusty environment, change the air filter closer to 15,000 miles.

Your car will likely have two different air filters. The cabin air filter is through which air is filtered when it circulates inside your vehicle. Making sure your cabin air filter is clean and working properly is an easy solution, and you can even do it at home. Many people know that they need to check their oil, but not so many remember that it is just as vitally important to check the transmission fluid. The Toco warranty reports that, like engine oil, transmission fluid becomes contaminated as your car ages.

You'll know that your transmission is in poor condition if you hear unusual noises, such as squeaks or knocks, when you change gears, or if you see red liquid seeping through the underside of the car. However, regularly checking the transmission fluid should mean that it never reaches that point. All you need to do is locate the transmission oil dipstick near the rear of the engine. However, you should consult the owner's manual for placement before opening the hood. You can easily restore your engine's performance with a fuel system clean.

This is done twice a year and can be done at home or in the auto shop. All you need is to pour a fuel additive into the gas tank and give it time to clean up all that build-up. Vehicles are machines and, like any machine, they need maintenance. 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. Now that you know car maintenance 101 basics , you are on your way to ensuring that your car continues to safely navigate the road for miles. Tyre pressure, engine oil, and brake oil tests are examples of tests you should perform regularly.

Change engine oil filter and brake pads as often as recommended by the car manufacturer. Let's look at 10 maintenance services you should have performed at least every year:

  • Oil Change
  • Tire Rotation
  • Air Filter Replacement
  • Transmission Fluid Check
  • Fuel System Cleaning
  • Brake Pad Replacement
  • Timing Belt Replacement
  • Interior Cleaning
  • Exterior Cleaning
  • Vehicle Maintenance History
Not only that but maintaining a detailed vehicle maintenance history can also help improve the resale value of your car. We offer a full range of maintenance services designed to help your car perform at its best including oil changes filter checks tire rotation and replacement brake services and everything in between. Driving in the city tends to be more difficult in cars than on the road and many of the elements in your car are designed to wear out so you should keep these consumable parts in mind. Driving your car around town on different terrains can often mean that the car has small marks and scratches everywhere due to a not-so-great driving style from you or other road users. But do you need to pay a mechanic to service your vehicle? You can take care of a large part of basic maintenance by following these tips: Sticking to a car maintenance schedule 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. Preventive maintenance not only keeps cars in top shape for optimal performance but it also saves you a lot of money by avoiding total damage. It is widely known that having a car that looks clean well-maintained and new has a positive psychological effect on its owner.

And of course it's important to remember that car maintenance costs while not always cheap can help you avoid costly repairs in the future. Cars that use a timing belt instead of a timing chain need to worry about this little maintenance too. The condition of interior of car does not determine or affect its performance by chance but it does determine and affect how pleasant or prolonged stay in car will be. Now that you know what necessary car maintenance entails ,you are on your way to ensuring that your car continues to safely navigate road for miles!.