So You Finally Have A Car – Here’s How You Can Take Care Of It Like An Adult
It’s so exciting to finally have a car of your own – no more having to constantly ask your parents to loan theirs and convince them you’ll be fine driving it. Now, you can go anywhere anytime you want. After all, this car is all yours. You most likely are aware of the fact that owning a car is quite a large responsibility. A lot goes into keeping a car up and running smoothly. All the same, it can be rather overwhelming in the beginning. For this reason, we’ve decided to list essential tips to help you maintain your car like a pro. Don’t worry, with time, it will become like a second-nature to you.
Check Your Oil
The simplest thing you can do to increase the life of your car is to maintain the correct amount of oil in the engine. Check your owner’s manual to figure out exactly when you’ll need to completely change the oil. For instance, some cars need their oil changed every 5,000 miles, whereas others need it changed every 10,000 miles. It depends on the car itself. Since the oil is there to lubricate the engine parts, it’s more than essential. Additionally, it disperses heat. So, the less oil an engine has, the hotter it gets. With time, this will cause more strain on the engine parts and eventually blow the whole thing out, costing a whole lot of money to replace.
Check Tire Pressure
Maintaining the right tire pressure will keep you safe and possibly save you some money in the long run. Tires without the right amount of air in them – whether too little or too much – won’t be able to stop as well as tired that have the correct amount of air. Tires with the right amount of air will last longer and increase fuel efficiency. Check your tires every other time you fill up gas. On top of that, you need to rotate your tires every so often to extend their lifespan. Consult your owner’s manual to see how often you need to rotate yours.
Change The Engine Air Filter
Periodically changing the air filter in the engine is a rather simple thing to do, yet it makes a world of difference to your car’s health. A dirty air filter can reduce miles per gallon, badly affect engine performance, and even contribute to higher engine emissions. In short, a dirty air filter will shorten the engine’s lifespan.
Check The Headlights, Tail-Lights, and Indicators
It’s obvious that having working lights is a must-have due to safety reasons. However, checking the lights often gets overlooked. Make sure to test your indicators and headlights – including the high beams – in a reflection every now and again to ensure it’s all working properly. It would be best to have someone else help you to make sure your brake lights and reverse lights are working properly, too. When replacing bulbs, do so with the correct type – check your owner’s manual to find out what exactly you’ll need.
Maintain Washer Fluid And Windscreen Wipers
Be sure to fill your washer bottle with clean water and the correct amount of windscreen-washer too. Don’t use household detergents since they can damage the paintwork as well as the windshield wipers. In addition, if your windshield wipers aren’t cleaning the windshield properly, they need to be replaced.
