Maintenance is the key element of owning a car. If you really want to get the most out of every mile, it’s imperative to keep up with vehicle maintenance.
Here’re some useful tips to keep your vehicle in good shape and have it functioning properly.
Keep Engine Lubricated and Running Smooth
Changing the oil and filters are common vehicle maintenance checks, as these are essential for a car’s engine. Your engine’s oil plays an important part in the functioning of the car’s engine. Engine oil contains chemicals that keep metal parts lubricated and keep the engine’s moving parts clean.
It may seem like they’re unimportant, but they significantly contribute to the engine’s life. So to eliminate dirt buildup in the engine and keep it moving, it’s necessary to get oil change regularly. If you do fail to do so, then most probably, your vehicle’s engine will not perform to its full potential.
Various other fluids like transmissions, brake fluids, and power steering should be checked regularly and should be replaced after regular use of 1 or 2 years as their level go up and down depending on the usage.
Keep Cabin Air Filters Clean
The cabin air filters of a car help keep harmful pollutants at bay, which include dust particles and pollen. It’s important to keep it clean so that no pollutants from the air could enter your body through breathing. Similarly, engine filters play a crucial role in determining the performance of your vehicle and so should be replaced after approximately 30,000 miles. Otherwise, the vehicle’s engine performance would be compromised.
The cabin air filter also affects the performance of the air conditioning system. If you find air conditioning is not working properly, then most probably one of the reasons would be dirty and clogged cabin air filter.
Checking Brake Pads
Brake maintenance is among the crucial vehicle checkups. A good rule of thumb to determine is to check your brake pads every 12,000 miles and try replacing your fluid every 25,000 miles. The braking pads are of the utmost importance when it comes to safety and could be worn out due to regular and prolonged usage.
However, upon worn out, you could experience a noisy sound while applying the brake, which is the indication that these should be replaced now. Continuous usage without maintenance could damage the disc rotors, so make sure you get your brake pads checked once a year.
Timing Belt
The timing belt is the most important in your car’s engine. It’s a toothed belt that runs the engine camshaft.
The timing belt is a durable rubber material, which includes cords that are nylon-reinforced. That way, the timing belt’s lifespan can be preserved with a little maintenance. However, if your car has a worn out timing belt, you may probably experience rough idling of the engine, a misfire of the engine, oil pressure decline, smoke from the engine, weird noises, and things like that. So it’s necessary to keep it in good condition with routine maintenance.
Car Battery & Tyres
While talking about a car battery, it doesn’t require a lot of maintenance, but don’t forget about it entirely. It may need a degree of care and attention to ensure that its contacts are clean. Similarly, keep an eye on the tires, and have them rotated and keep them balanced.
All these parts of your car require your attention and proper maintenance to keep your car running with you for years.
