Posted by Many people need to be counting the pennies these days, finding ways to make their monthly pay check last a little bit longer into the month than usual. One of the best ways to save money on your motoring is to partake in a little home DIY car maintenance, don’t worry, it isn’t difficult but it really is true that it is much cheaper to maintain your car properly than to wait for it to go “bang” and have to pay for costly repairs. It can also help you enjoy safe, stress free motoring.
Here are a few car maintenance tips for dummies:
Tires – those black, round things which are the only things between your car and the road. Check out the tire pressures (the optimum pressures will be somewhere in your manual), that there is plenty of tread left and no cuts showing in the side walls. Remember to check the spare too. Running the correct tire pressures will help to take care of your tires, your safety and your fuel efficiency.
Engine oil – check the dipstick every couple of weeks to make sure that you have the right level of oil in your engine. Make sure that the car is parked on level ground, take out the dipstick and wipe it on a rag then put it back it, take it out again and check the levels. If your car is drinking the oil then it could point to a potential engine problem so get it checked out before it goes bang.
Water – check the level of the coolant regularly and top it up as needed. This should always be done when your car has been stood for a while with a cold engine. Never try to take the top off if the engine is hot and there are any hissing noises coming from beneath the cap! You should also be sure to have the correct levels of antifreeze before winter arrives – yes, it’s no good waiting until after the first snowy, icy night because by then it could be too late, the damage could already be done. Check it out now whilst it’s still relatively warm in the evenings.
Windshield – check out the condition of your windshield regularly just in case there are any stone chips or damage which could weaken the glass and not only impair your vision but also cause problems in the future. If you get small amounts of damage repaired whilst it is still small that’s good – if you wait until a small problem becomes a big problem it will be too late and you’ll need a whole new windshield. You should also check the wipers regularly so that they leave the windshield clean and clear when needed.
Lights – need a regular check up too, and that means all of the lights – the headlights, brake lights, fog lights and blinkers / indicators. They will also benefit from a wipe over in the winter time to keep them nice and clean so that they shine brightly before you – lighting your way and warning other road users that you are coming.
Bodywork – check for small rust spots regularly because the problem is that small rust spots, if left unattended will soon become large patches of damaged bodywork.
At used cars fullerton there are lots of pre-owned cars which have all been well maintained and kept in tip top condition, why not check them out at McPeek Dodge to see what’s available. Remember, whether you buy a new car or a used car you still need to do a few regular maintenance checks.