Essential Maintenance Tips That Will Extend Your Vehicle’s Life
It is essential to keep your vehicle well-maintained. The best way to do this is by doing a little bit of work on it every month. The average car owner spends less than an hour per week on maintenance! If you’re one of those people who already take care of their vehicle, then you should be aware that there are some essentials that everyone needs to know about. Let’s take a look at these essential maintenance tips and what they can do for your vehicle.
- Check your coolant levels regularly
The coolant helps keep your engine from overheating. If you notice that the color is getting darker, there might be a leak in the radiator. The only way to fix this problem is by replacing the radiator entirely. Coolant can also protect and lubricate the metal parts of your engine and protect them from corrosion and rusting. What’s more, it can also help things like belts and hoses last longer by keeping them pliable and free of harmful chemicals brought on by wear and tear. It can even prevent ice from forming inside your cooling system during cold weather! That’s why checking your coolant levels should be at the top of every driver’s list regarding essential maintenance tips for their vehicle.
- Check your battery
This goes without saying: a dead battery will make even the best driver stranded on the side of the road. Keep an eye out for things like corrosion and cracks because if it gets too bad, you’ll need to replace it instead of getting it recharged. It’s also important to keep in mind that batteries don’t last forever. If you’ve had yours for more than five years already, then you might want to consider replacing it with a new one before it dies completely and leaves you stranded.
- Replace worn-out belts and hoses
Belts and hoses can affect everything from performance to safety features like airbags. The most common thing they do is help regulate engine temperature to ensure it’s running at the right temperature. If you notice belts and hoses breaking or becoming seriously worn, then don’t wait too long before getting them replaced.
- Take care of minor repairs early
When it comes to more minor repairs like replacing a light bulb, you don’t want to put off taking care of this for too long. This is because the longer you wait, the worse your problem will get and the more difficult it will become to fix later on when it becomes a full-blown engine problem. Replacing broken lights can be easy enough if you have someone who knows how to do simple electrical work guide you through it, so what does that mean? It means if something breaks or goes wrong with your car, then take care of this as soon as possible. If you wait too long, the problem will only get worse and more expensive to fix. There are mechanical services in the Sutherland Shire that can take care of major and minor repairs for your car.
- Learn how to replace your tires yourself
It’s not hard to do it if you know what you’re doing, but you should be careful nonetheless. You can find a great deal of information on the Internet about changing your tires and plenty of guides that’ll walk you through each step one by one. Don’t forget: adequately inflated tires last longer and drive better than those that aren’t correctly maintained! Tires are an essential part of any vehicle, so keeping them in good condition is vitally important. Without them, your car won’t go anywhere.
- Get regular oil changes
This is a key part of any essential maintenance tips list. Without engine oil, everything from the engine block to the pistons and even the wheel bearings will wear down faster than they should. If it’s been more than three months since you got your last oil change, then it might be time for another one.
- Get new windshield wipers
The average life cycle of windshield wipers is about six months or so. They start to get worn out very easily once their life cycle has ended, and they won’t do their job properly after this happens. This means that if you can’t see through them properly and they smear and smudge instead, don’t wait too long before getting new ones! It makes sense: you don’t want to drive around with smeared windshields, do you?
- Check your brakes
Your brake pads have two levels by which they should be replaced: when you notice them wearing down too much or when they have a certain number of millimeters left. If you wait until the last minute to get new ones, it becomes more difficult to control your car and maintain safety features like ABS. Keeping them in good condition is also important for keeping rust off of other components that can become damaged from this. Replacing parts like brake rotors and drums is expensive, so staying ahead of the game with regular maintenance is a great way to save yourself money.
- Change spark plugs at the right time
The life cycle of a spark plug varies from car to car, depending on how it’s been manufactured, but the average is about 20,000 miles. This means that if you have a vehicle that you drive around this much on an average basis, then it’s probably time to get new spark plugs before they become more difficult to replace. If your engine starts misfiring or idling roughly, this can signify spark plug problems. Don’t wait too long before getting them replaced.
- Keep your tires properly inflated
Keeping your tires under-inflated by more than 10% results in increased wear and tear on your tires’ tread area and sidewalls, which will shorten their life cycle. In addition to being wasteful, this is also dangerous and can lead to serious accidents with other vehicles or even pedestrians. Maintaining proper tire pressure will also ensure that your car performs better and gets better gas mileage.