10 Steps for Better Car Maintenance
Maintaining a Car properly could have long lasting Benefits on your Vehicle, and more importantly, on your Wallet and Checkbook!
We all the know how difficult it can be sometimes to have to fork out hundreds of dollars on costs to maintain and keep your car perfect and running smoothly.
We’ve created a great list of things to do to keep you from having problems with your vehicle and keep it a well oiled machine!
Auto parts can be purchased from local auto parts store or online if you are interested in doing this yourself.
Small Items: These items should be checked every 3500-3700 Miles or 3-4 Months:
- Change oil and filter (per recommendation from TheVehicleLab.com): This will ensure your vehicle has proper lubrication and filtering system in place to not all gunk to flow through your engine and pick up any metallic shrapnel or shavings from engine components
- Check all fluids and Top them off when needed: This includes the following fluids: Brake fluid, Windshield Washer, Radiator fluid and more.
- Check tire pressure: Tire pressure is essential to good gas mileage and your safety on the roads. Check them regularly to make sure they are at Optimal settings.
- Check all belts and hoses: This is a visual check and do this when your Car is OFF! Do not stick your hands and fingers in the engine bay when its running. You can visually see if the belts are loose and need adjustments.
- Lubricate chassis: Make sure all joints and parts that need to be lubed up are greased completely and are not bone dry. This will aid in their functionality and longevity.
Larger Items: These items should be checked every 10,000-12,000 Miles:
- Change oil and filter: As mentioned in the prior section, this needs to be completed at regular intervals and is the most important part of the whole process of keeping your car healthy and running correctly.
- Replace all filters (air, fuel, PCV): These will need to be changed per the manufacturers specs and recommendations. Check if your owners manual or independent mechanic to see what they recommended.
- Lubricate chassis: Apply grease or other lubes to the necessary parts to keep them mobile and functioning correctly.
- Check brakes and wheel bearings: Brakes and Rotors should be checked at this time and changed accordingly. These are just as important as oil and filter and could save you a lot money if resurfaced at the correct time and not neglected.
- Check and adjust valves if rocker-type arm: This is more integrated that most tasks and ask you mechanic about this.
- Check all belts including timing belt: Timing belt readjustments and replacements may be necessary for some Makes/Models. Check with your Owners manual for necessary time interval.
- Check temperature for engine thermostat: Thermostat regulates the temp of your Engine. This could cause issues if not properly working, such as overheating and more. Ensure thermostat is working correctly.
- Replace plugs, points, cap, rotor, and all necessary tune-up and emission items: Spark Plugs, Rooters, and Caps are essential for a smooth running idle and power when needed. Make sure your Spark plugs are gapped correctly and are not Black or white. Replace as necessary, this small upgrade could save you gas and increase MPG.
- Inspect cooling system hoses and fluid for cleanliness: Ensure no Coolant is leaking and no Hoses are Cracked. If they are, Flush your Coolant and replacement ASAP!
- Check for leaks and other problems: Other leaks, such as Power steering fluid and oil should be attended too at this step.
Ensuring your car is well maintained will keep you safe on the road and keep your car in perfect condition if you ever want to sell it.
When we pre-inspect vehicles for sale, we recommend people keep all their service records for the next owner to see all the maintenance they have completed.
This not only helps with resale, but actually raises the Value of your Vehicle!
