3. Maintenance schedule
Your best bet for keeping your car running well is sticking to your car’s specific maintenance schedule. Your schedule will tell you things like when to change your oil (it’s no longer 3,000 miles or every three months), when to check your fluids and when to rotate your tires. Each car has its own maintenance schedule that should be followed to maintain optimal performance, health and longevity of your car. Your maintenance schedule is in your owner’s manual or in the separate booklet that comes with your owner’s manual. Read it and strictly follow the recommendations for checking and replacing those parts or fluids in your car.
4. Tire pressure
Proper tire pressure is probably the most ignored maintenance concern on our cars. When that light pops up on the dashboard, we often wait until we need to fill up the gas tank. Then that time comes, and we don’t have any change for air or we just don’t feel like doing it. Truth be told, I hate putting air in my tires like I hate pumping gas, but ignoring this light only causes us to be more likely to get a flat or blow out, pick up a nail in the tire or wear our tires out faster. Stop this bad habit now because it can decrease the life of our tires and force us to buy them more frequently. Tires are expensive, but some can last you over 50,000 miles if you take care of them correctly. On the flip side, make sure to never overfill your tires!
5. Engine light
While we may experience major anxiety when dashboard lights come on, they are a window into our car’s health. I always got nervous when a dashboard light would pop up because I dreaded what the mechanic would say was the cause. Your owner’s manual will tell you what your dashboard lights mean, as they vary among car manufacturers, but they may not express how important or insignificant certain lights are. I separate dashboard lights into three categories:
- Red: Get help now! These are sometimes related to passenger safety.
- Yellow: Check this out as soon as possible!
- Green or blue: Go or activated!
Understanding these key pieces of information is your first step to feeling in control of your car, talking to a mechanic with confidence and making better choices for your car’s maintenance. Now grab your maintenance manual and stay up-to-date!