How Basic Car Maintenance Can Save You From a Lot of Trouble

A lot of basic car maintenance slips our minds. Were just too busy with handling work, family, understanding the differences between negligence vs negligence per se, and more to remember to do it most of the time. It cant be ignored forever, though. Below, youll find both the reasons why each maintenance step should be performed and how you do so.

Changing Tires

Your tires are the only things separating your vehicle from the road. Bad tires mean youll have a bad driving experience, yes, but you could also be more likely to crash based on how bad they are.

Worn-out tires have many downsides, but the biggest two to keep in mind are that youll have less traction on the road and youll have trouble handling your car. While these are both bad to have on a good day, imagine what thats like while driving in poor weather.

Youre more likely to lose control of your car when driving your worn-out wheels on snow, rain or ice. Bad handling can leave you in a tough spot if you have to make an emergency maneuver in fog or heavy snowfall.

How your tires are worn can also tell you what kinds of problems may be hiding. For example, if one part of the tread is more worn than the rest, then your tires may be misaligned. It could also mean that the tires simply haven't been rotated or are under/over-inflated. Rotating your tires is pretty simple: just move the ones in the front to the back and vice versa.

Over/underinflating your tires can be a very simple fix as well; either let some air escape or put more into them until the pressure is where it needs to be. If your wheels are misaligned or the tires wear is strangely uneven, go see a mechanic to get the problem diagnosed and repaired.

Checking Your Cars Oil

At one point in time, the only thing oil did for your engine was lubricate the engine and act as a coolant. Modern oil does so much more. It prevents parts of your engine from rusting, it removes dirt and other unwanted contaminants and then traps them in an oil filter, and so much more. No other liquid can do this, to the point that many cars have a sensor that will warn you when the oil is too low.

If this light ever comes on, visit a mechanic as soon as you can. A car without oil will seize, overheat and, if left unaddressed for too long, completely die. Owning a car means staying on top of maintenance tasks like this. Check your oil every few thousand miles and change it. You can easily do so at most gas stations, though many mechanics will be willing to do so for you for a small fee if youre not comfortable doing so yourself.

Replacing Air Filters

You may not have even known that your cars engine has its own air filter, but it does. The main goal of your car's air filter isn't that different from other air filters: keep as much dirt and debris out as possible. As a result, there isnt a set time as to when each filter needs to be replaced. It is really easy to tell when it needs to be changed, though. If the filter is dirty, then replace it.

If you don't, your engine will suffer a number of problems, from black smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe to bad engine noises to even losing power completely. The filter is super easy to remove, so if youve been driving through an area with poor air quality recently or just havent checked in a while, consider doing so the next time you fill your car up with gas or change the oil.

Washing Your Car

Washing your car is about more than just keeping it looking shiny and new. A lot of debris that builds up on your car can cause rust and damage to seals. Some can even eat through the metal completely if left for too long. Getting your car washed can be a pretty easy task: just stop into a good-looking car wash every two weeks or so.

However, these car washes cant get everything. They have a set path that is always cleaned, which means there will be parts that are always missed.

Every now and then, youll also need to wash your car by hand to prevent these unwashed areas from rusting or otherwise decaying. Just make sure you use the right kind of soap when you do this or you could cause a myriad of other issues.