What’s the best way to save money on car repairs? The answer of course is proper car maintenance. If you practice good car care, you will save yourself money in the long term, and you won’t have to worry about your vehicle breaking down and stranding you somewhere. Here are some essential car care tips that every driver 
should be aware of.
1. Check Your Oil
Ideally this should be done every time you fill the car with petrol, as oil is like life blood for an engine. This sticky black liquid lubricates the engine and ensures that the parts do not wear down. However, if you feel like every time you fill up may be a bit too much to handle, then at a minimum you should check your oil at least every time you clean your windscreen.
2. Conduct a Regular Oil Change
Hot on the heels of checking your oil comes changing your oil. The frequency with which you change your oil does depend on driving conditions, but as a rule of thumb you should change your oil once every 7,500 miles. It’s a fairly painless procedure if you want to do it yourself, or you can have a mechanic do it for you.
3. Listen to Your Brakes
If your brakes are making a strange sound, then it’s important to get them checked. Often it means the brake pads are wearing down to the point where they need to be replaced. If you leave this one too long, then the brake pads will wear straight through and you will start rubbing metal on metal. If this happens then you’ll be up for a big expense as you will need to get your brake discs machined.
4. Check Your Brake Fluid
Brake fluid is fundamental to the proper functioning of your brakes. Without this fluid, your car might not stop as it should, and no one wants that. If your levels are low, this could be an indication of a leak, so keep a regular eye on this.
5. Check Your Coolant
Engine coolant is one of the main elements of the vehicle cooling system, all of which stop your vehicle from overheating. If your engine overheats then it can warp your cylinder head and/or seize your engine, so it’s important to top up your coolant levels when they get low. The level of coolant may be indicated on the bottle itself, which is kept underneath the hood. You can also take off the radiator cap and check the level directly, but WARNING only do this when the engine is cold or you might get badly burnt by a superheated exploding geyser of hot water.
6. Check Your Tyre Pressure
You may want to do this every time you fill your car up with gas, but after a while you can get a feel for the tyre pressure by monitoring the look of your tyres. This is important because flat tyres can damage the rims of a car and they will also decrease the car’s efficiency, which means you it will consume more petrol, and hence zap more coin from your wallet!
7. Check Your Battery
Your battery contains acids that could leak out and damage the mechanism and the wires surrounding it. If acid is found it should be cleaned off immediately. However, a leaking battery is also a fairly good indicator that it is about to fail, so you may want to get it replaced as a preventative measure. You can also check the voltage of your battery to make sure that it is still providing sufficient output.
8. Change Your Transmission Fluid
Transmission fluid is used both as a hydraulic fluid and as a lubrication fluid, depending on the type of transmission. Either way, it is an important part of a healthy transmission system and should be monitored and changed in accordance with the recommendations contained in your car manual.
9. Refill Your Power Steering Fluid
Check your power steering fluid every few months to make sure that the levels are still acceptable. You can obtain a reading off of the power steering fluid container, which is located under the hood of the vehicle.
10. Top Up Your Windshield Washer Fluid Levels
Your windshield washer fluid levels should be inspected every few months and topped up when they are getting low. You may also need to change the type of fluid on a seasonal basis, using different liquids for summer and winter, depending on the climate where you live. Certain washer fluids are specifically used for the summer and others have been developed so that they don’t freeze during the depths of winter.
11. Inspect Your Wheel Alignment And Balancing
This is usually done with the help of a mechanic as they have access to the special machinery that is able to perform a proper inspection. It is important to make sure that your wheels are properly aligned and balanced for two main reasons. Firstly, it helps to make sure that your car travels in a straight direction when you take your hands off the wheel; you don’t want the car lurching to the side through poor alignment. Secondly, properly aligned wheels help to make sure that your tyres are wearing evenly on the road and aren’t developing a bald spot on the inside edge. This is essential because unevenly worn tyres need replacing more often, are dangerous to drive, and may attract the wrath of the traffic police!
12. Check The Lighting On And Inside Your Car
Your headlights and taillights should be checked frequently to ensure that they are in working order. The same goes for indicators and interior lights too. A poorly illuminated car is a hazard to both the occupants and other people on the road.
13. Windshield Wipers And Blades
Do you love the sound of finger nails on a chalk board? Didn’t think so… That’s why replacing windshield wiper blades should be done once every 6 months or so, as worn windscreen wiper blades are notorious for making this sound. Plus, worn windscreen wiper blades can also be remarkably ineffective as they tend to leave your windscreen covered in streaks of water.
14. Check The Wiring In Your Car
This is a little tricky to check unless something has gone wrong. However, the wiring in your vehicle is related to a range of safety and comfort functions. So if you notice something out of the ordinary then make sure you take your car to an auto electrician.
15. Replacing Your Air Filter
Your air filter allows the engine to access clean air. It filters out all of the impurities and makes sure that sand and grit doesn’t enter the cylinders. However when it gets dirty it can restrict the flow of air, and when the engine does not get enough air, the car might feel sluggish. Changing your air filter should be done at least once a year or every 15,000 miles.
16. Replacing Your Fuel Filter
Fuel filters operate in much the same way as air filters – they remove the impurities from the fuel system. A dirty fuel filter can impede the flow of fuel, so you should replace your fuel filter about once a year.
17. Replacing Spark Plugs
If your car is misfiring then there’s a really good chance that your spark plugs are to blame. They’re not very expensive but they are central to the function of your engine. Check your manual for guidance and make sure that you replace your spark plugs in accordance with manufacturer recommendations.
18. Replacing The Timing Belt
This is actually a pretty big job, but it is one of the most important preventative maintenance jobs you can perform. The timing belt ensures that the valves of the engine open and close at the right time, depending on the position of your pistons. All timing belts have a use by date, and if they break then it will lead to catastrophic engine failure that can damage your camshaft and pushrods. It is therefore crucial to replace your timing belt on a regular basis. Check your manual for recommendations, as it will probably recommend replacement every 60,000 – 80,000 miles. Although it may be expensive to replace, it is much more expensive if you leave it too long.
19. Inspecting Your Car Water Pump
The water pump in your car is the little solider that pumps the coolant through your cylinder block, into the radiator, and back again. It ensures that your engine stays cool and does not overheat. Water pumps are vulnerable to corrosion so check the pump for leaks on a semi-regular basis.
20. Stay Alert
One of the best ways to take care of your car is to simply listen to it and feel how it drives. Don’t ignore funny sounds you hear or a flashing light on your dashboard unless you want to spend lots of your hard earned cash at the garage. Just remember, good car care each day keeps the mechanics away!
Brought to you by Car Care, Australia’s largest mobile car detailing network. For further reading, take a look at their article on Car Polishing Tips That Will Make Your Car Shine.