How to care for your car

Getting started

There are many steps which must be taken regularly to care for your car appropriately. Proper car maintenance involves keeping track of many different factors, including fluid levels and the condition of various parts.

Some steps are performed periodically, while others increase in frequency as the car is used more often. Follow the steps in this article and your car will serve you well for years.

Read on to learn more about how to care for your car...

Monitoring fluids

Measure the level of antifreeze at least once a week, and the amount of transmission fluid monthly. Transmission fluid checks need to occur while your engine is running and the parking brake is activated. Brake fluid also should be checked monthly. If the automobile has power steering, the proper power steering fluid level requires monthly confirmation as well. If the level drops quickly, look to see if there are any leaks.

Ensure that there is enough motor oil every 1-2 days (or 250 miles if sooner), adding more when necessary. It is beneficial to do this before starting the car for the first time each day. Refer to the owner's manual to determine what the proper type of motor oil is (5W-30, 10W-30, etc). Perform an oil change after every 90 days or three-thousand miles (4800 km), and a transmission fluid change each twelve months.87">

Washer fluid for the windshield requires occasional replenishment. This costs about $4-7/gallon. Wipers need replacement at least once a year (or when they start to cause smearing) as well. Winter-grade wipers provide better results during months with ice and snow.

If you get a crack in your windshield - no matter how small - be sure to have it repaired right away.

Replacing filters

Another component of proper car maintenance is that oil and air filters should be replaced periodically. Oil filters generally cost about $5-15 dollars; different types are optimized for particular kinds of oil or driving. Replace the oil filter every time the oil is changed, and the air filter whenever it becomes clogged or dirty (inspect it once every sixty days). Most air filters are priced at $8-35.

Battery care

The car battery should be checked every few months. Use care when moving or working near the battery; don't smoke cigarettes or use flame-based lighting devices (gas lantern, candle, etc) around it. Cables ought to be firmly connected and without corrosion.

Spark plugs

It is occasionally necessary to replace your car's spark plugs. These are usually priced at about $3-7 dollars each. Generally, they need replacement every thirty to one-hundred thousand miles (48,300-160,900 km). This significantly varies with different kinds of cars and spark plugs.

Tire care

Check your car's tires to ensure that they are inflated sufficiently, at least monthly. Just like it takes more effort to ride a bicycle with soft tires, a car uses more fuel to drive on tires which lack proper inflation.

Tires need to be replaced occasionally, as they become worn down. Uneven wearing of the tread or bulged parts of the tire are signs that maintenance (balancing, alignment, or rotation) might be necessary.

Remember that properly inflated tires provide you better control while driving and also helps to improve your gas mileage.

Cleaning your car

Useful items
Some potentially helpful items to bring along while driving include a flashlight, small fire extinguisher, tire jack, spare tire, wrench, and flares. In the winter you may also want to bring a small shovel, some sand, and ice scraper.

A good vacuum cleaner can successfully take care of most interior cleaning. Strips of masking tape or a lint roller can be useful for some hard-to-remove materials on cloth seats. Small vacuum cleaners are available which conveniently plug in the vehicle's cigarette lighter for electricity. Car wax, glass cleaner, and air fresheners can also be used. Using floor mats reduces wear on your car's floor and makes it easier to clean. Run a cleaning tape in the cassette player every few months.

Inspections

Tune-ups
Cars made since the late 1980s don't need "tune-up" maintenance as much as older models, but this is still necessary on occasion. It varies depending upon the auto repair business, but tune-up care may include the replacement of filters and/or spark plugs.

In addition to the annual inspection required by law, conducting your own minor inspections of various mechanisms is part of proper car maintenance. Hoses and belts need monthly inspection, and should be replaced if they are frayed, bulged, worn, or in otherwise poor condition. Don't forget to look at the warning lights above the steering wheel, and respond to any problem they might indicate.

Occasionally verify that all of the car's exterior lights are functioning, and look to see if there are any holes in the muffler, its pipes, or the exhaust system supports. Excessive bouncing on bumpy roads (or after hitting the brakes) and/or fluid leaking from shock absorbers are signs that replacement is probably needed. Lights that don’t work can be a sign of fuse replacement being necessary.

Following these tips on how to care for your car will help keep it running well for years to come and prevent unnecessary repair costs. If you have difficulty remembering all of these maintenance steps, consider creating a calendar or notebook to keep track of maintenance which should be performed at different times of the month and year.