Ideally, when it comes to the maintenance of high-value assets like your home or your car, you would have a professional look into it, every single time. This goes both to protect your assets, as well as to protect it from any damage that may occur due to your lack of knowledge in the field. Still, when it comes to car maintenance, things are not simple. Calling for assistance because you have a flat tire and don’t know how to replace it with a spare is bad from both the perspective of self-reliance and for your budget. There are some simple car maintenance tips that you need to hear as soon as possible. Here are five of them.
1. The basics
When it comes to the basic maintenance of your car, you need to understand the importance of checking your tires and your fluids. This is something that can be inspected visually, without any sophisticated instruments, as well as something that you can easily change on your own. In general, it’s suggested that you should replace tires every six years regardless of the number of miles, while new oil should be poured every 5,000 to 10,000 miles. This depends on whether it’s full-synthetic oil or not.
2. Washing, polishing and waxing
Keeping your vehicle clean is also one of the responsibilities that you might decide to take on, on your own. This often includes washing, polishing and waxing your car. Keep in mind, nonetheless, that taking your car to a professional doesn’t mean that you’re getting a better deal for your car. Sometimes, the professional may not be as professional as they claim to be, while you may have the attention to detail and passion for the task that they may lack. Still, this is something quite time-consuming, which is why it might be for the best to simply outsource it; after checking the reputation of the service, of course.
3. Do the diagnostics
There are some maintenance tips that you can and some that you can’t do on your own. The key to taking proper care of your car lies in knowing how to tell one from the other. For instance, if there’s a light dent somewhere on your car, chances are that, with the right YouTube tutorial on your side and some basic tools, you might be able to fix it. On the other hand, if your bumper is damaged, this is more likely something that you want to entrust to professionals. In other words, you should look for bumper repair services in your area.
4. Basic replacements
Now, we come to a bit of a gray area. Car parts like air filters, sparks and windscreen cleaners can be bought in every car store and in virtually every gas station. Their replacement is also fairly simple. The problem, however, lies in the fact that a lot of people have no patience or will to learn how to install/replace them, on their own.
5. On-road behavior
Even though a lot of people may not see things this way, you need to understand that your on-road behavior greatly affects the maintenance of your vehicle. For instance, your braking habits will affect the wear and tear of your tires. This means that you might be forced to replace them a lot sooner than you’ve originally intended. A similar thing goes for your cruising speed (and how frequently you abide by it), as well as several other issues.
Conclusion
The first thing you need to understand is the fact that every little tip that you read about car maintenance may or may not apply to your particular vehicle. It is, therefore, by far the best solution that you stick to your owner’s manual. Here, you’ll get the exact figures and numbers as well as everything that you need to abide by in order to keep your car in check. Nowadays, you can easily find this kind of manual online, even if you don’t have the original printed version. As for the rest of the list, these tips are always solid.
