Car Maintenance: What Your Mindset Should Be
Whether you have a family car, a luxury car, or a sports car, chances are you’d most likely want to read a lot on maintenance tips. But before your research gets the better of your understanding, it helps to know the basics of car maintenance. A regular routine for your car maintenance will help extend the car’s life, keep its best performance, and save you repair costs. This article will help you understand the so-called “philosophy” phases on how to be better at maintaining your car’s performance.
Fix What Is Broken
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Do repairs as they come. Simply, this means that if a certain part of your car is broken, find time to troubleshoot the problem. Thankfully, this will only come handy if there are occasional malfunctions in your vehicle such as minor repairs of your car’s electrical system. Change the spark plus as many this will make sure engine performance and fuel mileage are at its best. Most manufacturers would recommend changing the spark plugs every 50 thousand kilometre.
The engine oil and filter should also be changed regularly. Your car owner’s manual probably suggests increasing the intervals of oil changes you should make. However, this should not be the case as frequent oil change is important to maintain your car. The reason why frequent oil change is necessary is because abrasive dirt and metal particles are flushed out of the engine, thereby extending the life of your car. Oil filters usually store oil and dirt particles that will remain and mix with the new oil if the they are not changed regularly.
Regular Routine Maintenance
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Much like the food that the body needs, maintenance is what keeps your car live longer. So make sure to perform daily maintenance on your car. You can also take your car to the machine operator to clean the equipment if you don’t have time. The machine operator will mostly do a routine check up if anything is out of the ordinary and do the necessary repairs which are often overlooked, of course with applicable professional fees. Your car engine should be washed for at least once a year. It’s true – a dirty engine will never run better than a clean one. An engine that’s clean will help you spot leaks easily and be able to service the components. You can choose to steam clean your engine or you can just do it yourself. If you choose the latter, protect your delicate engine components such as distributor and electrical parts including air intake with plastic bags. A grease-cleaning detergent and brush would be handy in scrubbing the engine. Once done, thoroughly rinse the engine.
Your car battery should also be regularly maintained. You still have to check your car’s battery to prolong its life even though the manufacturer declares it maintenance-free. You can start on the battery terminals by wiping it with a damp rag soaked in detergent. Make sure to check the battery for signs of damage. If you see cracks or bulges, it’s a sign that the battery needs replacement.
Be Keen on the Nitty-gritty
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Part of the specifics of your car’s regular maintenance should include changing fluids, thorough cleaning of parts buried deep in your car’s body, and a checklist of parts that are about to malfunction. You will know which parts are about to go wrong once the mechanic checks your car. Some things to watch out for are bent parts with possible cracks, obvious signs of wear and tear, or deficient lubrication. Also make sure to avoid accelerating your engine upon start-up since this will contribute to engine wear. Instead, accelerate slowly when you start driving. Shifting to neutral during red lights will give the engine time to rest.
Remember to wash your car’s interior and exterior to keep the parts from corroding. In cleaning the interior, you can use a vacuum cleaner. Wipe the dashboard lenses with soft damp cloth and brush the mats after taking them out. Waxing your car regularly will also protect it from oxidation as well as creating a protection against abrasive particles plus the aesthetic benefit of extra shine.
As much as possible, park your car in the shade to prevent UV rays damage as well as protect the car’s paint job. It will also help to regularly check the tyre pressure inflated. Look out for uneven wear since this indicates that wheel realignment is needed. This also suggests that your car’s brakes or shock absorbers are worn-out or that a wheel is bent. Wheel realignment should also be checked every 50 thousand kilometre to avoid steering problems. Stiffer steering might also suggest a need for wheel realignment.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwhKl22DQaM – Car care and maintenance expert Jeff Wong shows you some maintenance step in cleaning your car in this video.