Basics of Car MaintenanceCars are so complex these days that you pretty much need a computer to analyze them to determine what is wrong. The day when the average home mechanic could repair and tune up most of the things that go wrong with a car are in the past. Even mechanics are reduced to replacing modules these days. There are still a lot of mechanical things that can go wrong with a car. But today’s are really well built. They will last for many years and for many thousands of miles before needing any major repair. It helps to know the Basics of Car Maintenance. Still, it is a good idea to have everything checked when you have the oil changed in the engine for example. Most dealers have a complete checklist that they go through when they do an oil change.

Basics of Car Maintenance – What can the Average Person Do?

There are still some things that the average person can do to make sure that their car lasts even longer and runs well providing great service as well as the best gas mileage that your car is capable of. These are basic car maintenance things that every person should consider when they own a car and this is our list in no particular order.

  • Check the oil level in your engine once per week
  • Check the brake fluid level at the same time
  • Verify the power steering oil level at the same time
  • Check all tires for wear and tear weekly
  • Check air pressure in your tires weekly
  • Use the proper gasoline for your car
  • Change the oil in your engine at the manufacturers recommended time
  • Change the windshield wipers once a year
  • Check all lights for proper operation and replace if needed

By doing all of the above consumers can expect their cars to last a long time and give them great gas mileage as well.

Jack Rabbit Driving

As part of car maintenance drivers who do the quick start and quick stop approach to driving will wear down both their tires and their brakes quickly as well as use a lot of gas with this type of driving. Coasting to a stop and applying the brakes just as you reach the stop sign might not be as much fun, but your brakes will last much longer than if you drive up quickly to a stop sign and then hit the brakes hard to come to an abrupt stop. This uses a lot more gas because these same people also hit the gas pedal hard when they leave a stop sign and accelerate quickly.

The cost of a brake job these days is incredibly expensive and the cost of gasoline is going up all of the time not to mention the wear and tar on the tires and the rest of the car. jack rabbit driving is hard on the vehicle and can actually be dangerous as well especially if someone else is following you closely and does not react in time to your quick stops. a jack rabbit stop is one of the best ways to cause an accident. Take your time. You will save money and you will probably get there just as fast.

Let us know if we missed anything that you also consider from a basic car maintenance perspective. We will be happy to add it to the list above.