5 Preventative Maintenance Tips For Your Car

28 July 2015
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When it comes to your car, you should take excellent care of it so it can live a long, healthy life; just like you. While there's no doubt that when a problem arises with your car, you spend no time in getting it fixed, did you know that there are a few things you can do for your vehicle that will take preventative measures so you don't have to spend that extra money? This brief article will go over 5 preventative maintenance measures you can take to ensure that you car has the longest life it possibly can: changing the air filter, changing your spark plugs, check and clean your battery, inspecting your timing and serpentine belts often and checking your fluids.

Replace Your Air Filter

There are two air filters in your car that demand your attention: your cabin air filter and your engine air filter. A cabin air filter is incredibly easy to change. Most carmakers have made it incredibly easy to access your cabin air filter and replacing it is easy as removing the old one, buying a new one at an auto parts store and fitting the new one in where the old one used to rest. Replacing the engine's air filter is usually a little trickier. Your car's manual should tell you how to replace it and how often to replace it, but a good rule of thumb is if the engine filter is dirty, go ahead and replace it.

Change Your Spark Plugs

If your spark plugs are worn or dirty, your engine is not going to run efficiently. You should check your spark plugs every couple of months or so, because you never know what they might look like or what sort of damage may have occurred to them. It's important to give them a once over since replacing spark plugs is a quick and easy fix, but letting them rest in your engine longer than they should can be a damaging experience for your vehicle and put way too much wear and tear on your engine.

Inspect Your Timing And Serpentine Belts

Generally speaking, a good rule of thumb is to get your timing belt changed every 60,000 miles and drive belt changed every 40,000 miles. The reality of the situation is, your car's manual will probably tell you the specific amount of mileage at which you should get these belts replaced. Having said that, not all manuals contain that information. If this is the case, it is recommended you go online, where you will probably find the correct statistics for when you should get your belts replaced.

Check And Clean Your Battery

Thankfully, modern batteries don't need that much in way of maintenance. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't check them out often, however. Every so often, check your battery for any leaks and feel free to bring a battery cleaning brush with you. A battery cleaning brush will help you remove any dirt, grime and general filthiness off of the battery's contacts, ensuring that it leads a long life.

Check Your Fluids

Although you may never learn how to change your fluids, it is prudent and downright necessary to learn how to check all of your fluids' levels. This includes antifreeze, wiper fluid, power steering, coolant and the mother of all automobile fluids: oil. These are all relatively simple checks, and learning how to do so will help prevent putting your car in a state of disrepair or disarray. That's a state you don't want it in.

There's something to be said about taking preventative measures with your vehicles. By taking just a bit of extra precaution, you can ensure that your vehicle will run for years upon years to come, though of course you should seek automotive repair when needed.