Your car is likely among the priciest things you own, and as such, it is important to ensure that you are giving it the best level of care. Proper car maintenance is not only important in ensuring that it runs at optimum efficiency but also in maintaining your safety on the road and minimizing the chances of breakdowns that are bound to cost you time and money.
Sticking to a car maintenance schedule is important even if your car is new or it doesn’t see much use. A car is a complex machine that requires special care and attention and regular usage to stay in good working condition. While there are tasks that should be handled by an expert car service provider, there are some simple regular tasks that you can (and ideally should) perform at home to help keep your car in good shape. Keep reading to find out our expert tips for how to take good care of your car. Before going further into the article I recommended that you have a look at Tune 4 performance.
Clean it regularly
While it’s nice to drive around in a clean car, there are more practical reasons why you should regularly clean your car.
Car owners actually have a legal obligation to keep certain essential parts of their vehicles clean, including windows, number plates, door mirrors, and lights. Dirt and grime can make your mirrors and lights less effective and number plates more difficult to read. Dirt on your windows can obscure your view of the outside posing a safety risk on the road.
It is equally important to maintain a clean and tidy interior. When dirt builds up in your car’s buttons and knobs, it can cause them to stop functioning correctly. Also, if you have litter lying around, it can hinder your normal operation of the gear stick, pedals, and handbrake. A litter that finds its way beneath the brake pedal is particularly dangerous as it significantly increases the risk of an accident.
Cazoo offers you the option to add paint and fabric protection when you purchase your car from them. This is a one-off treatment that protects both your interior upholstery and exterior paintwork, helping your car preserve its new look for longer.
Check your fluids
A car needs several different types of fluids to run properly including oil, coolant, power steering, and brake fluid. Luckily, checking the levels of these oils is another simple task you can do yourself.
All cars in the past typically came fitted with a dipstick within their engine bay that allowed car owners to check their engine’s oil level themselves. However, this is no longer the case as the majority of modern cars rely on the car’s computer system to monitor the oil level and display it on the dashboard for the owner. Check your car’s handout to find out if this is so in your case.
If you have a car with a dipstick, you should check the oil when the engine is cold. Here’s what you need to do: pull out and wipe the dipstick, then re-insert it fully before pulling it out again. Next, check the gauge located towards the bottom. If you find that the oil on the dipstick is below or close to the minimum level, it needs to be topped up. When topping up the oil, ensure to use the specific type of oil recommended for your engine’s design to avoid issues later on.
You can easily check the coolant, power steering fluid, and brake fluid levels in their respective reservoirs in the engine bay. If you notice that they are below or even close to the minimum level marked on the reservoir, it is time to top them up. You just need to take the cap off and pour in the fresh fluid.
Take care of your windscreen
It is important to keep the windscreen of the car clear and undamaged to ensure you always have a good view of what’s ahead. To achieve this, you need to regularly top up the windscreen washer fluid and clean the wiper blades.
You also need to check your wiper blades for damages. Do this by lifting them off the wind screen and running your finger along the blades. If any of the blades feels jagged, it is due for replacement. You can buy replacement blades from any car parts shop near you. What’s more, they are easy to fit.