Regular maintenance is a cornerstone of responsible car ownership. While you may have to dedicate some money toward a car maintenance routine, view it as an investment. Regularly attending to your vehicle’s needs can save you thousands in repair costs each year. Let’s look at five of the most important car maintenance tips that can help save you trips to the repair shop.
1. Conduct Regular Oil Changes
Regularly changing your oil at the right intervals is vital to maintaining the health of your vehicle’s engine. You may have heard how important oil changes are, but maybe you are unsure of how to develop the right oil change schedule.
The right oil change interval depends on the vehicle. Check your vehicle’s owner manual to determine how often you need to change the oil. One common mistake is to stick to the same oil change schedule for all vehicles. Always evaluate your oil change schedule based on the specific vehicle.
Many modern vehicles have service reminder alerts that let you know when they are due for an oil change. When you receive such an alert, don’t hesitate—get an oil change as soon as possible. However, we don’t recommend relying on these alerts alone. It is best to regularly check your vehicle’s oil levels yourself, ideally at least once per month. If the oil level is below the minimum mark, make sure to top it off.
You should also evaluate the oil’s color when you check it. Healthy oil will look brown or black, while light-colored or milky oil could be a sign of coolant leaking into the engine. Additionally, metal particles in the oil can be a sign of internal damage to the engine. If any of these warning signs are present, you should take your vehicle to an experienced car mechanic right away.
2. Regularly Check and Clean the Battery
Keeping your battery clean will keep it running well and can prevent potentially expensive issues. Corrosion is a common problem in car and truck batteries. When this happens, you will notice a white or bluish powder forming on the terminals of a battery. This can lead to cracks and other issues that cause the battery to stop working correctly.
To keep a battery running optimally, it is best to test the battery at least twice a year and inspect it for signs of corrosion. You can use a wire brush to regularly clean the battery. This maintenance could save you significant money, as replacing a car battery can be expensive. A standard car battery can cost anywhere between $50 and $120, while a premium battery will run you between $90 and $200.
3. Take Good Care of Your Tires
Tires are one of the most expensive car parts to replace. An all-season tire can cost between $50 and $200, and you can expect to pay anywhere between $400 and $800 to replace a set of all four tires. However, there are a few regular maintenance techniques you can use to extend the life of your tires.
Regular rotations are crucial for maintaining the health of your tires. Regularly rotating your tires ensures that wear-and-tear is even across all four tires and helps maximize tread life. An even tread can help optimize traction and handling, which in turn makes the vehicle safer to drive.
Like oil changes, tire rotations should be done according to the recommendations in the car manual, or a minimum of once every 5,000 miles. The tire rotation schedule will line up with the oil change schedule for most vehicles.
4. Keep the Engine Clean
You may already be committed to a regular cleaning schedule for the exterior and interior of your car, but don’t forget to clean under the hood as well. Even though your engine is not exposed to the elements, it can get surprisingly dirty. Debris and dust can make their way into the engine bay through openings in the front end of the car.
Keeping your engine clean helps it continue to run at optimal conditions. A clean engine is also easier to inspect for leaks and other issues that may require repairs.
You can clean your engine yourself or hire a professional to do so. If you decide to take a crack at it on your own, make sure to protect sensitive electrical parts like the battery, wires, and the engine control unit. Use plastic bags to cover these parts, along with other sensitive parts like exposed engine air intakes.
5. Speak with an Experienced Mechanic
These are just a few of the most common types of maintenance that all car owners should keep in mind. It is by no means a comprehensive list, as there are dozens more maintenance tips that can help extend a vehicle’s lifetime. Consider speaking with a professional mechanic if you have additional concerns regarding car maintenance.