Your car may be one of your greatest investments and keeping it in good running condition is important. Preventative maintenance can help ensure that you have years of satisfying service from your car, but exactly which types of maintenance are most important for your car? Let’s take a look at some examples of automotive preventative maintenance.
First, fluid levels in a car are very important. Low oil levels will mean your car’s oil pump will have to work harder to guarantee a flow of oil to the engine that will be sufficient for the needs of your car. Overworking this oil pump or having so little oil in the engine that it results in increases in damaging friction can mean an early demise for your car’s engine. Also significant loss of oil viscosity through breakdown over time and used can also result in this. Routine oil and filter changes as well as frequent checks of the oil level will help maintain your car’s fuel efficiency and long life.
Another important example of maintenance includes your car’s wheels. The wheels include both the solid steel or aluminium portions as well as the tyres. Make brief, weekly inspections of both parts of the wheel and take any issues you have to your local tyre mechanic or outlet. Once the tread on the tyres has become too thin, it becomes a safety issue for you and your family. There is usually an indicator within the treat that once reached is time from a replacement. Replace badly worn or damaged tyres as needed.
Without your car’s brakes, there’s little else to stop you besides a collision when at highway speeds. Have your brake pads and shoes inspected by your mechanic whenever you have your tyres checked, changed or rotated. Catching any problems early will decrease the probability of a dangerous loss of stopping power while travelling. Also, replacement of brake pads and shoes is less expensive than having to replace badly damaged wheel rotors as a result of driving for too long with damaged brake parts.
The transmission also needs maintenance, yet most of us fail to recognize this fact. Most people will drive their cars for years without asking a mechanic to check the transmission fluid level or to change the filter and fluid completely. This can lead to terrible damage to the transmission due to eventual breakdown of old transmission fluid and the overheating of delicate transmission parts. The transmission fluid level should be checked every six months to a year and the filter as well as the fluid should be replaced at least every two to three years, depending on the instructions in the owner’s manual for your car. There are special fluids for different transmissions and its important to ensure the right one is applied.