Smart car ownership involves preventable maintenance, not waiting for a problem to arise before you act. Through regular vehicle maintenance, you can prevent serious problems and save money. In some cases, a lack of preventable maintenance may even cause a severe problem that forces you to give up your vehicle and purchase a new one. Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of preventative maintenance and some simple maintenance tips that can help keep your car in good shape.
Benefits of Preventative Maintenance
Committing to a preventative maintenance strategy can benefit you and your vehicle in several ways, such as:
- Extending Your Vehicle’s Lifespan – Regularly using a vehicle without attending to its maintenance needs can put an unnecessary strain on the vehicle’s vital internal parts, causing it to break down sooner.
- Boosting Performance – Regularly checking and maintaining your vehicle’s moving parts will help it consistently perform at its peak level.
- Increasing Resale Value – If you decide to sell your vehicle one day, preventative maintenance can help increase the resale value. A vehicle with modern functioning parts will naturally fetch a higher price than one that needs repairs. You can also provide prospective buyers with maintenance records to prove that the car was well taken care of.
- Avoiding Unexpected Issues – A maintenance routine can help keep you safer on the road by preventing unexpected issues caused by malfunctioning parts.
- Boosting Fuel Economy – Your gas mileage can vary depending on the current state of your vehicle. When certain parts (like oil and filters) break down, they can hurt gas mileage.
Change Your Oil and Filters Often
All automobiles (other than electric cars) need regular oil and filter changes. However, these changes may be necessary long before they start to cause serious internal issues. This is why it is paramount to regularly check your oil and filters, making sure that they are in good condition.
Vehicle manufacturers provide recommended oil and oil filter change intervals in the provided driver’s manual. These recommendations should be followed exactly, as the required change intervals may vary significantly from manufacturer to manufacturer.
Excess dirt and sludge build up in oil over time. Failing to change the oil and filter as needed can lead to serious engine damage, which may result in costly repairs or even the need for a new engine.
Rotate Tires Regularly
There’s no way to avoid the gradual wearing down of tires, but you can significantly extend your tires’ lifespan by rotating them regularly. Front tires generally work harder and wear down more quickly than the back ones.
Every six months rotate your tires by swapping the back tires with the front. Doing this regularly will help ensure that all four tires wear down at approximately the same pace. You can rotate them more often if you put more mileage on your car, so either every six months or every 6,000 to 8,000 miles.
Wheel Balancing and Alignment
The weight of a vehicle needs to be balanced to ensure that the vehicle’s weight is equally distributed around the axle. An unbalanced vehicle is at risk of having a wobbly tire that could fall out of place while driving.
A wheel alignment ensures that all tires are perpendicular to the road and parallel to each other. In addition to making the vehicle safer to drive, balancing and alignment makes driving more comfortable and can help improve fuel efficiency.
Have a professional balance and align your wheels either every 6,000 miles or six months. You can do this at the same time as your tire rotations.
Change Windshield Wipers Frequently
You don’t want to end up in the difficult position of needing windshield wipers, only to find that they are not working during inclement weather. Wipers wear down over time and eventually stop working correctly, which can drastically hurt visibility.
Wipers in colder climates are especially susceptible to rapid wear down due to regular rain, sleet, and snow, but even sunlight can cause the rubber in your windshield wipers to wear down.
Inspect your wipers regularly and replace them if they show any signs of deterioration, or if they are not doing enough to improve visibility. However, you don’t necessarily need to wait for these signs. Wipers can be replaced every six months for peace of mind.
Regularly Replace All Filters
Your vehicle uses many other filters other than the oil filter, and it is just as important to make sure these filters are in working order.
Air filters trap and remove dust and debris from the air before it enters the engine. These should be replaced according to manufacturer recommendations—typically every 30,000 to 40,000 miles.
The cabin air filter removes dirt from the air before it enters the air conditioner, keeping dust, pollen, and other contaminants out of your vehicle. This should be replaced every year or every 15,000 to 20,000 miles.
The fuel filter protects the vehicle’s fuel lines from dirt, debris, and other contaminants. It should be replaced according to manufacturer specifications, or every 20,000 to 40,000 miles.