Take Better Care of Your Car by Learning About the Systems and Doing Your Own Maintenance

By following proper and regular preventive maintenance, a car owner can take advantage of constant good performance of his vehicle. Apart from ensuring long life of the car and a wonderful car driving experience, this can also reduce the occurrences of frequent car failures. Here are some important tips regarding regular check-ups of different parts and systems of your car.

Battery: The car battery and the cables with which it is connected to different car parts should be inspected regularly for corrosion, abrasion, loose terminals, or any other type of damage. Make sure that you wear safety equipments while doing car battery maintenance checkup and don’t bring any open flames near the battery.

Air Filter: It is advisable to investigate the air filter monthly and replace it when it's found dirty.The air filter is your engine's first defense against airborne wear elements that can damage your engine. If replacing the air filter is not included in your owner's manual, ask your parts provider how it's done on your vehicle (if it's not pretty obvious).

Brake Fluid: One of the important car maintenance tips is to maintain the proper level of brake fluid in the brake master cylinder reservoir. Add fluid at regular time intervals, but avoid overfilling the reservoir.

Engine Inspection: The car engine should be inspected and serviced without miss, as it is an important step for car care. Use good quality engine oil from a renowned company and don’t forget to maintain the indicated level of the oil in the engine. The oil filter can be replaced with every oil change. Failure in replacing the engine oil can reduce the mileage and also hamper the life of the engine. Similarly, the level of engine coolant must be maintained and the hoses should be checked against damage and leakage, as well as any drive belts. Also check fuel and vacuum hoses for flexiblity and abrasion, and check the security of mounting of any heat sheilds.

Exhaust Inspection: Damaged and rusted exhaust clamps, pipes and muffler can be checked with regular inspection. Don’t forget to have the emission system checked at least once a year. Seat Belts: The seat safety belts must be thoroughly checked and replaced if you find them frayed or worn.

• Inspection of fuses and various lights is important to ensure safety on road. Shock absorbers can be checked by bouncing the car up and down. If found faulty, these should be replaced, but in pairs. Inspection of wheels against wear and tear can prevent road mishaps. Wheel balance and alignment should also be regularly checked. Various fluids like transmission fluid, power steering fluid and washer fluid can also be inspected to avoid difficulties on road. Windshield wipers and wiper blades are other parts that can be regularly inspected. If the car has front-wheel-drive, checking the boots around the constant velocity joints and replacing them when they become worn or cracked can prevent a potentially dangerous and expensive failure later.

So, you can imagine the car maintenance costs saved by you by following the above-mentioned tips of preventive maintenance. There are some useful driving and car repair tips that can be practiced to maintain the good performance of your car.