As you consider your personal fitness at the beginning of a new season, your car could use a similar health check every few months. Performing a few regular check-ups on your vehicle prevents minor problems from becoming big and costly repairs, and it helps sustain the quality of your car’s performance throughout the year.
Starting with the fluids, you should regularly check the levels of and top off/replace the engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, and washer fluid. Make sure to follow any recommendations from your manufacturer. When it comes to oil, lower levels and/or older fluids can cause your engine to wear down. This means that checking/updating your engine oil is one of the cheapest ways to keep your car well protected.
Next we will talk about brakes. Listen for squeals and grinding noises, and notice if the car pulls to one side when you brake. Pad and disc brakes wear over time, so it’s easy to miss them until they’ve worn a great deal. This is why the periodic inspection is so important.
Check the condition of your tires including the air pressure, depth of treads, and any obvious damage. Apart from being a safety issue, maintaining your tires also improves fuel economy. This is a job that can pay for itself over time.
People usually overlook automotive lighting, but they are just as essential. Make sure you do a walk around and check that all of your lights (headlights, brake lights, and indicators) are operational, especially as we move closer to the darker months.
Let’s also discuss battery health, especially in cases where a vehicle has been left unattended for an extended period; as time passes, batteries do lose charge. In fact, newer vehicles that feature modern electronics are less forgiving towards weaker batteries than older vehicles.
Make sure you attend any service appointments or checkups at the garage. They can identify issues that you may miss, and help keep your car in shape, rather than just looking good.
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