You’d be surprised but there are many people who treat their vehicle better than their own body. On the flip side, others consider vehicle maintenance as filling up their gas tank when needed and ignore all the responsibilities of owning a car. These people usually wait for a major problem to arise before taking it in for inspection, instead of curbing the problem before it arises.

 

If you happen to be the second person addressed above, you definitely need to read these simple steps on maintaining a vehicle, or you’re going to be kicking yourself later when you’re broke down on the side of the road and late for work.

 

1.) Check your vehicle’s oil every three weeks. Several of the vehicles on the road today run extremely hot. It can be normality for a vehicle to go through one quart of oil for every two thousand miles. Be sure to choose the proper oil for your vehicle. You can refer to your owner’s manual for the vehicle to find the appropriate oil. If you do not have an owner’s manual, you may want to call the manufacturer.

 

2.) The first parts to go on a vehicle are usually the hoses and the fan belts. These can go out even before 25,000 miles. To check these possibly problems, simply take a peak at them for any wear and tear.

 

3.) To prevent your cooling system from clogging, every two years you should drain out the old antifreeze and replace it with new antifreeze. It is also a wise to get new replacement hoses and give the cooling system a good flush with some radiator flushing solution. If you decide to do this, make sure to do so before adding the new antifreeze.

 

4.) Replace your automatic transmission fluid and the filter every 35,000 miles. If the transmission fluid starts to smell burnt or has a brown tint to it you’ll want to change the fluid earlier, but in this case, I’d advise you have the transmission inspected first.

 

5.) Once every two weeks take a look at your vehicle’s engine and see if there are any noticeable dirt or oil leaks. If you do notice any dirt or oil, simply wipe it clean with a cloth you don’t mind getting dirty. After a couple days, check the engine again and see if the dirt or oil has come back. If it has, take your vehicle in for an inspection.

 

6.) Warning: Do not clean your engine with a hose or power washer. Although you may’ve heard people having great success with this method, engines nowadays has several electronic components and the water may cause a short circuit and put your vehicle out of commission.

 

7.) You should run your vehicle air conditioner for around 5 min. every month. I know it sounds silly, but yes, even in the winter time. This helps keep the vehicles system lubricated to prevent system failure.

 

8.) You also need to run the vehicles heater for about 10 minutes during the summer months to make sure the air distribution system doesn’t stick or seize up.

 

9.) Keep a look out for brake fluid leaks. If you have a slow leak it tends to be easier to spot if you also park your vehicle in the same spot at home and work. If you park in the garage and start noticing a leak, you may want to place cardboard under the vehicle to prevent getting a mess on your garage floor.

 

10.) You can extend the life of your brakes and your rotors by trying not to brake at the last minute when making a stop.

 

11.) Check your vehicles tires once every two weeks for abnormal wear and tear. If one of your tires is wearing and the rest are fine, it problem could be as easy as putting air in your tires. You’ll also want to rotate your tires every 7,500 miles to extend the life of the tires and keep them even.

 

12.) Check you battery and the battery terminals for any white crusty looking substance. If you see any white spots on your battery, simply mix 1 pint of water with 2 teaspoons of baking soda and scrub the mixture on the white spots with a wire brush.

 

13.) If you’d like to increase the life of your vehicles automatic transmission, make sure you come to a complete stop before you shift the gears from forward or reverse. If your vehicle has a manual transmission, make sure you shift into neutral when vehicle is at a stop. If you ride the clutch you will cause unneeded wear and possible damage.

 

14.) Put a nice wax on your vehicle in the spring, summer, and fall.

 

15.) Lube your locks and door hinges with some graphite lube or penetrating grease once every year.

 

16.) And, last but not least, find yourself an honest mechanic who will respect your pocketbook and give your vehicle the professional service it needs. Try to schedule a check-up at least every quarter.