Need to keep your car healthy? Today I will be giving you some smart ways to do just that. It’s a fact that purchasing a car is a capital-intensive endeavor. This makes it essential to do all in your capacity to get the most out of your vehicle. As a result, one needs to develop the right maintenance habit to keep the car healthy and in top condition.
Optimum vehicle maintenance is a critical process that every car owner needs to follow. It can help prevent continued breakdown and increase the overall useful life of the car. Every car comes with its own recommended maintenance schedule; hence make sure you follow it.
When you pay attention to your car via weekly and other periodic maintenance, you can avoid a significant breakdown and save yourself substantial repair bills down the line. It will also help you identify faults that might need immediate action. Preventive maintenance is a trusted way to keep your car healthy. You do not have to go to the repair shop as they are simple things anyone can handle.
Here are 5 top preventive maintenance tips to keep your car healthy
1. Observe Service Schedules
If you want your car to be healthy in top condition, you must religiously keep to the service schedule. The schedule is often a factor of the miles driven, which makes it different for every car. As a result, some vehicles might need servicing every 10,000 miles or once a year. Some manufacturers will reveal when the car will be due for service and the process required in their manual. Vehicles, these days, come with warning lights that inform users when maintenance is due.
Generally, one needs to schedule a major service once every two or three years, while a minor service comes once a year. For a minor service, the repairer will change the oil and the filter alongside other essential fluids. A significant service might involve replacing the spark plug, air filter, and everything changed during the minor service.
2. Reduce the Weight on Your Vehicle
It is essential to keep your vehicles light as it increases the fuel economy and is paramount to staying within the range of emission requirements. As a result, one needs to try to keep the weight on the vehicle down every time. According to research, a heavy car needs more energy to move. This translates to great inertia, which increases fuel consumption. Increasing the weight on the vehicle might shorten the lifespan as the engine does more work than required.
For roof rack installation, make sure not to carry excessive loads. In addition to reducing your vehicle’s fuel economy, extra weight puts a strain on the tyres, suspension, and brakes.
If you’re in the USA and you need to make some repairs to your car’s body, make sure that you take it to one of those Geico preferred body shops.
3. Maintain Your Car Tyres
The type of vehicle you own, the nature of the roads you drive, and the maintenance habit on your tyre all go a long way to determine when you will change them. Every car owner needs to know how to access their tyres for wear and ultimately change them. Examining the tread on the tyre is an easy way to determine the health of your tyre. If the bars on your tyre and the tread pattern are levels, you should change them.
It is also essential to make sure that your tyre is properly inflated. Both over inflation and under inflation can trigger series of issues over time like wears. Ensure you refer to your car manual to know the right pressure and inflation level essential for your vehicle.
4. Regularly Check, and Change the Brake Fluid When Necessary
One of the essential parts of the engine you cannot afford to joke with is the brake. It is crucial to your safety when driving, which makes it necessary to keep it healthy always. For maintaining the brake, one needs to inspect the brake fluids regularly and change them if necessary. The brake fluid issue is that they attract moisture and dirt over time, which compromises the health and effectiveness of the braking system.
Moisture is not acceptable in the system as it leads to rust and corrosion, which could ultimately lead to the braking system’s failure. A sound braking system is essential to a healthy vehicle, making it necessary to bleed and replace the braking fluid annually. This is essential to your safety while on the road.
5. Regularly Top all Fluids
Fluids are essential to the health of your vehicles. As a result, they need to be in the right quantity and in good condition always. Check your engine oil by parking the car on level ground and checking the dipstick. The oil should be between the maximum and minimum markers, with a yellowish-brown color for a gasoline engine. The combustion of oil in a diesel engine involves accumulating soot, making it normal to have dark oil.
Make sure the coolant reservoir is at the top level and the windscreen washer. Top up your coolant reservoir with 50% antifreeze and 50% distilled water. Ensure not to use a washing liquid for the windscreen washer as addictives might be too hard for the car’s body.
Conclusion
Keeping your car healthy should never be seen as hard work. Whatever it cost you (time and money) to take care of your vehicle will save you thousands of dollars over time. It can also spare you the embarrassment of having your car breakdown in the middle of nowhere. Some of these maintenance tips require being handy. If you are the DIY type, you should lay your hands on many tips here and give your car the best treatment possible.
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