7 Basic Car Maintenance Practices That’ll Save You A Lot Of Money

With the constantly rising inflation, car prices are at an all-time high, and few can afford to replace bad cars. To avoid constant car repairs that’ll cost you money, practice regular car maintenance. The trick about car maintenance is that it could seem like you’re doing little. But that little saves your car from several damages and repairs. 

We’ve compiled these easily-overlooked routine maintenance tips. Consistently practising these tips helps improve your car’s quality and reliability. They’ll also save you money in the long run. Here are 7 simple ways to always maintain the functionality of your car.

Check Your Car Battery

The average car battery will last between two to five years. To prolong the life of your battery, check it annually and check for warning signs that indicate issues with your battery. It includes paying attention to when your car battery is taking longer or won’t start. Also, always get a personal voltage meter to check your car’s voltage. Any car that registers 12.39 volts or less is considered discharged.

Replace Your Car Air Filters

The car air filter receives air, filters it, and directs it toward the car engine’s combustion chamber. The car engine will start stalling if a broken air filter interrupts this airflow. Therefore, every car air filter requires regular cleaning and maintenance. Although one air filter will not serve your car forever, maintaining the one you have enables it to last longer for you.

Regularly Check Car Fluid Levels 

Some of the fluids in your car are; engine oil, brake fluid, grease, power steering fluid, and in most cars, transmission fluid. Always check the fluid level of these different fluids to know how much is there. Regularly checking enables you to know when the fluid needs changing to avoid them affecting your car engine.

Routine-Check Car Wheels & Tires

Regularly check your tire pressure because it directly affects the tire tread life, safety, and fuel economy. Any tire that’s not properly inflated can lower the car’s gas mileage and lead to increased wear and tear. It can lead to a tire blowout and a potential crash in most cases. Regular checking of your car tires ensures you have one to two spare tires in your car at all times. 

Check Your Car Brakes

A functional car brake is not just good for maintaining the functionality of your car. It also helps to keep you safe while driving. Regularly check your car brakes to know when it needs attention. Here are some signs of a broken brake; a rattling brake sound means one of the rotors needs to be fixed. A vibrating noise from the car brake pedal means your brake needs some maintenance. Scarping sounds occur when brake pads are worn out and are rubbing against the rotor.

Pay Attention To Your Engine Light

Sometimes, the car engine light develops faults. To find out what’s wrong, use an OBD-II scanner. Checking this is often done by mechanics. Still, you can purchase your code reader from an auto parts store. The scanner will enable you to find out what’s the problem. But you’ll still need an auto mechanic to fix the issue. 

Ignoring issues with your car engine light can lead to more costly repairs in no time. It can also affect the safety of your car. 

Regularly Wash Your Car

Washing your car regularly might seem like the last thing to worry about that’ll harm your car. But it has the potential to ruin your car. The more dirt lays on your car’s exterior, the more it deteriorates your car’s paint colour and exterior. Suddenly, your car paint is peeling or fading off. But regularly washing your car helps it maintain its original look and colour.

Conclusion

The little thing that helps our cars last longer for us is maintenance. It’s the difference between a sound and a broken car. Once you realize any issue with your car, fix it almost immediately. Fixing these issues immediately helps to prevent any subsequent issues that could come up.