You’ve just left the dealership with your dream car feeling exhilarated. At that moment you would do anything to keep it as clean and fresh as you bought it. However, several months down the line complacency kicks in and you disregard proper care for your once beloved machine. This often is the beginning of most car-related problems. It is easy to forget that proper car care and maintenance enhances your car’s reliability and longevity. So this post not only reminds you to take care of your car but also explains the best way to do it.
1. Check Tire Pressure
Properly inflated tires improve your car safety. They provide optimum traction for braking and proper handling in corners. You are also less likely to experience blow-outs if you maintain the right tire pressure. Therefore, confirm whether all the tires are inflated to the recommended psi regularly. You could use the gas station near you or purchase a budget-friendly tire pressure gauge from a local car dealer.
2. Checking Your Dipstick and Topping Off Accordingly
It is good practice to pop out the dipstick occasionally to check the oil levels. Oil helps to maintain optimum car performance. It is responsible for cooling the engine, flushing out combustion residue, and lubricating moving parts. Therefore, insufficient or contaminated oil can be detrimental to your car’s health. Always park the car on a level ground to get the accurate reading. Top off if necessary but watch out not to overfill. An oil change every 5,000 to 7,500 miles is recommended.
3. Follow the Manufacturer’s Maintenance Schedule Faithfully
Just as you plan your time to achieve optimum productivity, follow a well-planned maintenance schedule to achieve excellent car performance. Regular maintenance should involve oil changes, tire rotations, and transmission fluid replacement among others. Manufacturers often indicate the extent and frequency of servicing on the owner’s manual.
When purchasing a car, particularly second-hand, ensure that you get the manual containing the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule. For the car leasers, ensure that you get the schedule from the car lessor. Although when you deal with a professional brand like ICL, who provides class-leading contract hires across the UK, you can rest assured that all the necessary documentation will be availed to you.
4. Examine the Brakes
Examining the brakes is another important safety consideration to make. However, this exercise might require some technical skills. For the savvy drivers, unscrew your wheels occasionally to check the rotors, pads, drums, and calipers for any apparent or developing problems. Replace worn out parts if necessary. New drivers can consider visiting the servicing shop to have this done.
5. Keep Your Car Clean
This might seem a no-brainer but most drivers still leave their cars chocking with dust, bird poop, acid rain, oil residue, and grease. Such elements destroy your car paint while others labor your engine big time. The cabin also needs a thorough scrub down once a month to fend off unfriendly odor. So be thorough when washing your car by covering every inch inside and outside.
These tips will help you avoid unnecessary accidents and associated insurance costs as well as save you from injuries. Practice them to ensure that your car attains its life expectancy.