Advice to Keep Your Vehicle on the Go
Buying a new vehicle is typically a pretty big deal, especially if you’re buying something new or only slightly new. Even just buying a used car for a few thousand dollars denotes a fairly serious investment – unless of course you just have thousands of dollars sitting about waiting for you to chuck away. So, if you’re going to go through the trouble of picking out the vehicle and investing a good chunk of change on it, then obviously you want to make sure that the whole thing pays off in the long run.
Part of ensuring that this happens is through proper car maintenance, as even the best piece of automotive machinery can fall to absolute pieces in no time without the right sort of care. To keep this from happening, check out the following bits of advice that every car owner needs to put into practice to keep their vehicle purring like new.
Pop the Hood:
Even if you don’t consider yourself particularly handy when it comes to automotive mechanics, you still need to know about the basics of what goes on under your vehicle’s hood. There’s no need to worry, though, as this bit of advice is straightforward and advises you to do less than you might think. For average car owners that don’t go in all that much for tinkering on their vehicle it’s best to leave most of the components of your car to a professional.
However, checking things like fluid levels is easy and absolutely necessary for keeping your vehicle in good condition. Don’t just stop at the oil, but check all fluids, from transmission and steering fluid to your coolant levels.
Besides checking and changing your car’s fluids, stand there for a little while with the engine running and just take stock of what’s going on. If you hear something that sounds different or seems off, then this could be a cue to have it checked. Watch to see if any of the components are leaking or showing signs of corrosion, as these are issues you’ll want to address right away.
Clean from Top to Bottom:
It sounds simple and extremely basic, but cleaning your car has a lot to do with keeping it in good shape. For example, not washing the outside of your car on a regular basis can lead to mold and mildew growing in places, which in turn will start to eat away at the paint and help cause your car to rust. Dirt and grime that stays caked on will do much the same.
Washing out your wheel wells where dirt cakes on from the tires is also important, not least of all because shedding every bit of weight you can with your vehicle will help you achieve better gas mileage. Apart from maintaining a pristine condition, keeping your car clean also helps keep your mechanic in your good graces, as no one like having to service a dirty, messy vehicle.
Tires Mean a Lot:
Tires can be expensive to replace – you can easily spend a grand, at least, replacing all four – and can lead to serious damage if not properly taken care of. You need to check your tire pressure on a regular basis, as improper pressure can cause damaging wear and will reduce your fuel efficiency. Of course, tires that aren’t in good shape are also more likely to let you down and lead to a serious accident.
Improper tire pressure isn’t the only problem to look out for with tires, as installing the wrong sort of tires for your vehicle will probably be even more damaging. Many people like the look of larger tires, and, indeed, this can help improve fuel efficiency, but if the tire well isn’t designed to accommodate the size of the tire you’ve picked out, then you’re going to be in store for some serious issues.
Replace Your Brakes:
One of the last things that you want failing on you are your brakes. Pay attention to sound and feel when it comes to braking, as difficulty pushing down on the peddle or any squealing or grinding noises are going to be clear signs that your brakes need attention.
Remember that, like many other parts of your vehicle, your brakes are linked to other components of the machine, meaning that if they’re neglected and become damaged, then they’re more than likely going to cause some serious damage to other vital components as well.
Rather than just having to pay to replace your brakes, you might end up replacing a lot more and paying for a bill several times higher than you may have expected.