Cars need regular maintenance to be able to perform well all the time. Since these are machines, they need to be taken care of. Anyone who owns a car knows that servicing your car annually and biannually is very important. There are many awareness programs, the internet is filled with car care tips and still there are people who don’t maintain their vehicles.
It is very important for a vehicle to be services every now and then. There are some common mistakes regarding car maintenance that almost everyone makes. These mistakes can be fatal for your car and its performance. These mistakes and shortcoming should be avoided and the problems should be fixed almost at once, because if left alone, these mistakes can fester and become problematic in the future.
Here are some common car maintenance mistakes that you should avoid for a car that has a smooth performance.
Ignoring Checking Tyre Pressure
It is important to check the tyre pressure and maintain proper tyre pressure. If the car tyres are not properly inflated, it can cause a lot of issues for the suspension, performance and fuel efficiency of your car. Even if your car tyres look like they are properly inflated, they can still be under inflated. It is very easy for car tyres to lose air and deflate very quickly. You can keep a gauge with you or you can you take your car to a mechanic regularly to monitor tyre pressure. If you own a relatively new car, your car may already have a tyre pressure monitor, so keep an eye on that.
Never Avoid Check Engine Light
This is one of those warning lights on the odometer of your car that may seem harmless, but in reality it is one that you should take most seriously. The check engine light is there for a purpose, it is there to show you that you need to check your car engine. Even though your car is running smoothly, you need to take your car to a mechanic to have the things fixed. The longer you wait, the more expensive the repairs are going to be. It could save you a lot of money by just taking your car to a mechanic to have the issue fixed right away.
Avoiding Oil Changing
This is something that you will not have to worry about if you regularly maintain your car. However, if you don’t, you need to regularly change the engine oil and other fluids in your car. Depending on the vehicle, you need to change your engine oil every 3,000 miles. Some of the newer cars need an oil change after every 7,800 miles. This means that you need to keep an eye on your miles and change the car oil as often as it is required. Oil sludge is very damaging for your car so, make sure that you keep an eye on the situation.
Ignoring Fluid Checkups
Engine oil is not the only fluid in your car. You need to keep an eye on the other fluids and their levels. The engine is the most important and critical fluid in your car, but it is necessary for you to keep an eye on other fluids in your car as well. Fluids such as engine coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid and transmission fluids are equally important. In order to keep your car working properly smoothly, you need to follow the manufacturer’s recommendation to check and change these fluids on time for a better performing car.
Driving When the Engine Is Hot
Mostly people stop driving their cars when it is hot, but when they are in a hurry, they ignore it and still drive. This is one of the most dangerous things that you can do to your car and its engine. Engines naturally get hot when the car is driven and this is the reason why it has a cooling system to keep it at a temperature where it can perform best. When the cooling system is not working properly, your car engine can become extremely hot and if you keep driving continuously, it can destroy the engine. The best thing to do in such a situation is stopping the car and calling a tow service to take you to a nearest mechanic.
Some Points to Note:
These are just some of the things that you should keep in your mind when you are trying to keep your car healthy. However, you should never try to service your own car without having proper knowledge and know-how of it. If you know you can do it and you have previous experience of it, then sure you should service your own car. If you don’t know what you are doing, you should stop right there and call a professional. It is always better to take your car to a mechanic and have your car properly serviced by him.
Nevertheless, there are some things that you can do. For example, you can change worn out windshield wipers, tyres and clean the windows and other parts of your car like the upholstery and mats. You should the other technical things to the professionals who will do it right and do it quick.
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