Modern cars are significantly more complex than their counterparts from the 1960′s and 1970′s, and working on them is an even more specialized discipline. The modern mechanic needs a laptop computer as much as he needs a tool box, and for this reason even those with a decent aptitude for working on engines are opting to have their repairs done by a professional. Still, there are a number of simple car maintenance steps that anyone can do. These simple tasks will go a long way toward preventing trouble which saves you time and money as well as resulting in a safer driving experience.
–Wash your car regularly: Keeping the exterior clean may not be as important as taking care of what’s under the hood, but it still has a number of practical upsides. A clean car looks better, of course, and its much more enjoyable to drive a clean car than a dirty car. More significantly, frequent washing will keep your headlights and windshield clean, as well as preventing rust and corrosion.
–Wash underneath your car: Washing the undercarriage of your car is a good idea in any case, and downright essential if you live where it snows a lot. The salt, sand and other chemicals used for snow removal collect underneath your vehicle and will cause rust damage faster than anything else. Even during the winter, its important to wash your car at least once a week paying special attention to the wheel wells and undercarriage.
–Clean your engine: Wash your engine, complete with soap and water, every time you wash your car. Not only will a clean engine run cooler, but washing it also cleans off crusty oil deposits, battery acid, and grime collected from the road. Let your engine run at idle to dry off before you start driving again. This is less of a problem with modern fuel injected cars, but still a good idea.
–Clean your air filter and change it often: Change your air filter every time you change your oil filter. Some might argue that changing it so often is ‘overkill’ but filters are so cheap why not err on the side of caution? In between filter changes its a good idea to give your filter a good spray with a compressed air hose and blow out the filter chamber at the same time. The clean air will help your car’s engine run cooler and more efficiently.
–Check and change your oil: Back in more civilized times, a full service gas station would check your oil every time you filled up. You should do the same. Change your oil frequently”at least every 5,000 miles and better still, every 3,000 miles. Change your filter when you change the oil or youre going to be pumping clean oil through a dirty filter which doesnt do you a bit of good. Oil changes are a pretty easy job even for those without much of a mechanical background, and drive thru oil change businesses are ubiquitous in any decent sized market. Most of these places do a decent job and charge a reasonable fee. Many also take care of several other of the maintenance tasks on this list.
–Other fluids: Change your anti-freeze every year, and eyeball the coolant reservoir anytime youre under the hood to make sure that its full. Check the transmission, brake and power-steering fluids frequently, and top off when necessary.
–Check your air pressure and rotate your tires: Check your air pressure levels with a tire gauge at least once a week, keeping them filled to manufacturer specified levels. Also, don’t forget about the spare. Rotate your tires every few months to insure even wear. Some automotive chains will do this free of charge if you’re a regular customer, but even if you’re not it’s a lot easier for them to do with the car up on the rack than for you to do with a jack and jack stand. Simply checking the air pressure in your tires and rotating them periodically prevents countless problems and saves you a ton of money.
Emergency tools and equipment: Despite your best efforts to the contrary, things will eventually go wrong. When in does, youll be glad that you planned ahead. These items should be in your trunk at all times: tire gauge, pliers (slip-joint and needle nose), adjustable wrench, flat head and Phillips screwdriver. Dont buy cheap tools”theyll break and the least opportune times. Invest in Craftsman tools or another premium brand, and youll be set for life. Youll also need a flashlight, and if you live somewhere it snows its also a good idea to have salt, sand, a small shovel, and a blanket just in case you get snowbound and have to sleep in your car. A cellphone charger is also a good thing to have, since a cellphone doesn’t do much good if your batteries are dead. There are also ‘emergency’ cellphone chargers that don’t require a power source.
–Get an auto club membership: AAA is the best known and they offer a wide range of services but there are other options. If you have a credit card or gas card, youll probably be offered a membership through them. They should give you free towing, trip continuation insurance, lockout service, free maps, and some other bells and whistles. Some cellphone providers also offer roadside assistance memberships billed to your telephone. A growing number of car manufacturers also include lifetime roadside assistance, and not just luxury brands–Mini Cooper and Volkswagen offer new car buyers 24 hour roadside assistance free of charge. Even if you have to pay for it, it’s well worth the money that youll pay for it every year. Keep in mind, however, that all roadside assistance companies aren’t created equal–in a decent sized city you’ll be fine but if you live or frequently travel in less populated areas you might want to stick to AAA or another major company. There’s nothing more infuriating that learning that your auto club doesn’t have providers in Mesquite, Nevada or Vernal, Utah.
These tips require any real mechanical skill, but will enhance your driving experience. You’ll have a safer, better running vehicle that will be more dependable and cost you less money over the long haul.