Sometimes you can’t avoid an accident—no matter how much you pay attention and drive defensively, someone else is going to crash into you. But outside of those preventative measures you take to avoid accidents, there’s a lot you can do to take care of your car.
There are routine tasks you can undertake when it comes to car maintenance and some of them will even help your car last longer. But in a world where everyone is busy, it may not be obvious what you can do to your car and when, so it seems better to just let someone else do it.
Routine Care
When it comes to taking care of your car, the first thing you should do is refer to your car’s owner’s manual. There will be a regular maintenance schedule that will help determine what you should be doing to your car. Besides the major work listed in that schedule, here are some minor things you should attend to every week or two.
- Inspect your vehicle – From top-to-bottom, you should be looking for anything that looks off (like chipped paint that may start to rust or new dents).
- Check your fluids – Your major fluids (oil, coolant, power steering, and wiper fluid) should be checked every week; this will help determine if there are any major leaks as well as keep everything running efficiently.
- Check your tires – Both the treads and the air pressure should be checked every week. Low tire treads are hazardous to drive on and can cause further damage if they aren’t repaired immediately, while low air pressure could indicate a leak or hole.
- Check your cabin and engine air filters – The cabin air filter provides a comfortable ride, while the engine air filter improves performance and longevity.
- Check your spark plugs – Old or dirty spark plugs can reduce your engine’s performance and health but checking and changing them is pretty simple.
If anything looks out of the ordinary while you’re inspecting your car and you don’t feel comfortable addressing the issue yourself, then call a professional immediately; car service should not be neglected, since any issue (no matter how small) can cause serious problems if they aren’t taken care of.
Drive Safe and Confidently
Now that you’ve gotten around to taking care of the routine tasks your car requires, you can rest assured that your car will get you where you need to go—as long as there aren’t any crazy drivers around! And in the off chance there are, then there are local repair experts who can fix any problems a negligent driver has caused.