You’ve just spent a long time working hard for the money to purchase your first new car. Now, you have to work hard to take care of it, so you can drive it for many years to come. With proper maintenance, today’s automobiles can last for more than a decade.
The key is knowing what common elements of your vehicle you should pay the most attention to during your ownership. Take some time now to read through a brief look at some essential tips for maintaining your new car, and look forward to many good years from your chosen vehicle.
Take good care of your tires
There’s more to good tire maintenance than checking the air every once in a while. Today’s vehicles will tell you when you need air, but you’ll have to watch the tread on your tires.
When the tread no longer reaches the top of Lincoln’s head on a penny, you need new tires. You should also rotate your tires every 6-8,000 miles to even the spread of wear on each tire.
Check the fluids in your vehicle
The coolant, oil, brake fluid, transmission fluid, and even the wiper fluid should all be checked regularly. You don’t want any of these fluids to run dry, as you could find your vehicle in ill repair very quickly.
It’s all well and good to purchase used auto parts when you need to fix something on your vehicle, but you might be able to push those repairs off by paying attention to your car’s fluid levels.
Regularly change your motor oil
You should get your oil changed every 3-5,000 miles to protect the integrity of the interior of your engine. Keep your engine running for well over 300,000 miles by taking it for regular oil changes.
Test your lights from time to time
It’s a good idea to take a few moments to test all of your vehicle’s lights. Check the headlights, tail lights, blinkers, and brake lights to keep yourself and your passengers safer out on the roads. You may also avoid an inconvenient traffic stop for a burned-out headlight by keeping close tabs on the bulbs.
Change windshield wipers when necessary
When your wipers do more smearing than clearing during the rainy days, you likely need a new set. It’s not very difficult to complete this repair yourself, so save yourself some money. Look up a video on YouTube, and change your wiper blades on your own.
Pay attention to any warning lights
When a warning light comes on on your dashboard, don’t ignore it. Pay attention to what your vehicle is trying to tell you, and tend to warning lights as soon as possible.