Car maintenance is an essential part of car ownership, keeping your car periodically maintained can help you avoid the unnecessary hassle of calling car recovery services. But maintaining your car costs a lot of money and without proper knowledge, this money can be wasted.
So, it’s always preferred that a car owner should perform certain periodic maintenance to avoid being stuck in the middle of the road. Many cars nowadays are durable and reliable, but no car can last forever, but with proper maintenance, you can extend the lifespan by a lot.
Now the question is, what kind of maintenance do you need to keep your car running smoothly. To answer this question, we need to dig deep into the different parts that need constant maintenance. So, let’s begin.
Lubrication
We start with some basic tips that you must’ve heard a lot already, and lubrication is the most basic and critical maintenance item that you need to constantly address.
Engine Oil:
To begin with, oil changes are a must, and getting your oil change at proper intervals matters a lot. To keep your car in tip-top shape, these things should be kept in mind for engine oil changes.
- Always choose the recommended Viscocity for your vehicle, no matter how old or new it is. If you end up loading your car with the wrong engine viscosity, you can end up causing harm to your engine. You can find the correct information regarding your viscosity in either your owner’s manual or most of the time, it’s written on the oil fill cap.
- Most mechanics might recommend a thicker viscosity when an engine starts burning oil but the truth about this method is, it’s pretty old school. Modern Engines are specifically designed for a certain viscosity and the holes are really small. So, a thicker oil can end up clogging these holes.
- Next, make sure to change your oil at regular intervals, don’t fall for the 15000miles and 20000 miles oil ranges, at best, the most premium oil can last only for 10000 miles. Moreover, it’s recommended to change the oil every six months anyway. So why opt for these expensive oils, if you don’t drive a lot.
- Furthermore, always opt for a high-quality filter to keep your engine clean.
Coolant
Next, another essential lubricant that runs through your car’s heart is coolant. A good quality coolant not only keeps your car cool but also provides rust prevention. But as time passes, just like engine oils, coolant loses its capability to maintain perfect rust prevention and cooling capacity. But the good thing about coolant is, it does not require frequent changes.
Depending on the quality of the coolant, the change interval can range between 80000 to 100000 miles. However, if you ignore your coolant for a long time after its life is over, you can end up harming your engine in the long run.
How so? Well, when coolant loses its efficacy, rust can form inside your HVAC system. Rust can come loose and clog up your coolant passengers in your radiator, and heater core. And when both of these are clogged, you will soon enough face overheating issues.
When your car overheats, it can lead to a head gasket failure or even worse, gaps in pistol rings. If your piston rings are not sealing perfectly, you can start losing your engine oil and that’s is where you draw the lines. Since repairing engines nowadays are not as effective as old times. So, a small coolant change can help you prevent all that.
But always remember to flush your HVAC system thoroughly before adding any coolant.
Periodically Replace your Essential Parts
Don’t be one of those people who wait for a part to fail before replacing it. We always recommend replacing some essential parts after they have surpassed their recommended mileage. Some of these parts are as follows:
Timing Belt & Waterpump
If you own an older vehicle, chances are it came with a timing belt instead of more durable timing chains. Since it’s a rubber belt, with time, it can break. And a broken time belt can cause issues such as bent valves in an interference engine. While you’re at it, it’s better to replace the water pump and timing bearing as well with this job. Because it’s an expensive job to perform, and all these components are usually placed together.
Waterpump can outlast timing belt with ease, so what you can is, change it every second timing belt change instead of every time. But still, replacing the tensioner bearing is always recommended.
Filters
Filters are another essential maintenance item, that is often forgotten but holds utmost importance. Especially when it comes to the oil filter and fuel filters, the Oil filter should be replaced during every oil change, and on the other hand, the fuel filter should be replaced as per the manufacturer’s recommendation. Most vehicles have recommended fuel filter change mileage of 40,000 miles. But you should find the exact information in your owner’s manual.
Other than these two essential filters, air filters and the cabin air filters should be replaced periodically as well. Often, with every oil change, you can replace these filters.
Conclusion
Car maintenance might seem like a daunting task, but with some small basic maintenance like the one we mentioned in this guide, you can easily avoid the hassle of this query “Recovery Near Me” on google. Of course, since cars are machines, they can still break. But if you play your cards right with maintenance, you can increase the lifespan of your vehicle.
Moreover, also try to keep an eye on your catalytic converter, and regularly check your engine oil levels. Furthermore, you should also maintain a consistent tire pressure for smoother movement and get your suspension parts checked periodically as well. And replace them when required.
