Your car is one of the most valuable possessions you own. You need it on a daily basis, and it therefore is one of the most utilized assets you have. Considering how important it is to have a functional car and the efforts you take to purchase and insure the car, proper maintenance of it should be a priority.
Far too often, however, people neglect basic car maintenance. This results in a car with problems, tons of headaches, and unnecessary stress. However, with a little forethought and planning, you can make sure your car lasts and is there when and how you need it.
Think of your car as a very needy, high maintenance, but intensely loyal friend. If you treat this friend right, she will always stick by your side. On the other hand, if you get lax with how you take care of her needs, it’s not a matter of “if” but “when” your friend will let you down. Therefore, not a week should go by without you giving at least a little bit of thought to the care of your car. What follows are some basic car care tips. You can do much more than these, but these are the essentials that need to be covered if you want to make your relationship with your car a lasting one.
Even though your tires are taken for granted much of the time, their role is crucial and they should therefore be considered a priority.
All tires inevitably wear out. They are made of rubber, and the material used has been specifically designed to strike a balance between the rate of deterioration and the hardness of the tire. There are some tires that are relatively soft and deteriorate very quickly. They also do a great job of gripping surfaces, and for this reason they are used on Formula 1 cars, NASCAR vehicles, drag racing cars and other high performance cars and trucks. If you had tires like these on your car, they would be wearing out all the time. On the other hand, if your tires are really hard, they may last a long time, but they wouldn’t provide enough grip. Passenger cars use tired with the right balance between hardness and performance, and that’s a good thing. That also means you will have to replace them from time to time.
The tread in your tires will tell you two important things: how much they have been worn down and whether they are properly balanced. A quick look at your tires will give you the info you need. There is no need to raise the car or take it to a mechanic; you can do the initial inspection yourself.
If the tires on your car are relatively evenly worn down, that means your tires are properly balanced and everything is in proper alignment. However, in many cases, your tires will need to be re-balanced or your alignment will have to be adjusted, which is important if you want to maintain a safe vehicle. To figure this out, take a look at the tire with some fairly good lighting.
As you look, ask yourself the following: questions: Is the tire more worn out on the inside or the outside? How does the wear of one tire compare to that of all the others? Are the front tires worn out the same way as the rear tires? Are the right side tires worn down differently than the left side tires? Any noticeable differences are an indication of wheels that need to be rotated, rebalanced, or realigned. These jobs can be handled by any mechanic and are reasonably inexpensive and quick.
One of the most important things to check for is how worn down your tires are. As mentioned above, the wear may not be even, so you will want to perform the following test on the part of the tire with the lowest amount of tread.
Take a penny and turn it so Lincoln’s head is upside down. Then insert the penny, in this position, in the lowest part of the tread. If you can see all of Lincoln’s head, the tire needs to be replaced right away. The depth you are looking for is 1/16th of an inch.
Checking your brakes can be done yourself, but if in doubt, swing by your local mechanic and have it done. Your brake pads as well as the rotors need to be checked at least once every month. The brake pads have a built in mechanism that lets you know when they are critically low. There is a small metal tab on the side of the pad that is significantly shorter than the depth of the pad. Therefore, when the pad gets too low, this metal tab will start to rub on the disk, making an irritating, high pitched scraping sound. If you hear this, head right to the shop.
However, you can also check the pads yourself even before hearing the screech from the tab. To do this, grab a flashlight and take a look at your brakes from the side. If you see the pad is worn down almost to the tab, you will need to replace your brake pads. An easier way to do it is to use a drinking straw. Insert the straw until it hits your disc. Then take a marker and put a mark on it as it sits against the caliper. Take note of how thick the caliper is, usually around 5mm, and be sure to subtract that from the measurement you made. If the pad is 6.4mm or less in thickness, you have to replace it very soon. If it is 3.2mm or less, you have to replace it immediately.
One of the most basic car maintenance checks is taking a look at your oil. The level of your oil can be checked fairly simply using the dipstick. Take it out, clean it, then reinsert it. If the level is between the marks on the dipstick, you are good to go, but if it’s low, you will need an oil change. If the level is high enough but the oil has been in your car for a while, it may still be time to change it. Check your car's owner's manual to find out how many miles you can drive between oil changes; 3,000 used to be the universal recommendation, but most modern cars can safely go much further between changes.
If you find yourself getting low on oil frequently, your engine may be either burning oil or have a leak. A leak can be seen by checking the ground where your car has been parked for at least 8 hours. You can also look under the hood for oil that has been thrown around by the fan belt or wind bustling through the undercarriage.
If your car is well taken care of, you will save yourself expensive trips to the repair shop. You will also be able to reduce the worry many car owners experience as they wonder whether or not their car is going to break down on the way to work or another important function. In the end, the biggest payoff for maintaining your car is peace of mind.