Buying a car is one of the biggest investments that a person can make. After purchasing a vehicle, taking good care of it is the best way to protect that investment. Drivers need to maintain their cars regularly in order to extend their life and preserve their value. Also, routine and proper car care ensures the car remains safe and dependable at all times, and it’s a great way to save money, as it helps owners detect potentially serious defects and avoid expensive repairs down the road.
While many owners may think that caring for their vehicles is hard work and takes too much time, the basic car maintenance tasks are actually pretty simple to do and can be completed in a reasonable amount of time. Following is a list of the most important car maintenance tasks and tips on how to complete them properly.
Checking and Changing the Oil
This is an essential car care tip that should be on every car owner’s maintenance checklist. The reason why you have to check the oil regularly and change when necessary is that low oil levels can cause serious damage to the car’s engine, due to a lack of lubrication.
Depending on what type of oil is used, it should be either changed every 3,000 miles or every 5,000 miles. Conventional oil needs to be changed more frequently, whereas synthetic oil, which is more expensive, provides proper lubrication for a longer period of time.
Replacing the Air Filter
Removing a used air filter and replacing it with a new one takes no more than 10-15 minutes, and it costs about $10. Air filters are recommended to be replaced every 12,000 miles or every 12 months, depending on what comes first.
Using the same air filter for longer periods of time than recommended can reduce the car’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system’s efficiency, as the filter gets clogged after a while and can no longer make sure that the air that enters the car’s cabin is clean.
Replacing the Spark Plugs
Like with most other car parts, the interval for a spark plug change is noted in the owner’s manual. However, in most cases, spark plugs should be replaced every 30,000 miles, to prevent poor gas mileage and engine damage.
Changing the spark plugs takes a bit longer than some other maintenance tasks, but it shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes.
Tire Rotation and Replacement
Car owners should check the tires regularly, to make sure they are not too worn and that they still have enough tread on them, and that they are properly inflated. Regular tire inspection helps you avoid uneven tread wear and shallow tread, which are issues that could put your safety and the safety of other road users at risk.
Tires should be replaced whenever the owner detects excessive wear and tear, and they should always be inflated at the recommended pressure to ensure good traction.
Checking Coolant Level
Lastly, coolant level inspections must be performed on regular basis, as well, to make sure that the car’s cooling system is in good shape and is able to perform efficiently. In general, coolant should be replaced once a year, after flushing the radiator to remove the old coolant.
Flushing the radiator and replacing the coolant can be done in about 20-30 minutes, and it’s an investment of no more than $30.