These 6 Auto Maintenance Tips Will Save You Money
One of the happiest times of people's lives is when they get their first car. They wash it, wax it, check the fluids, and check the air pressure fairly religiously for about a month. After that, unless it's their absolute dream car, it's just "the car" and taking care of it becomes more of an afterthought. But taking care of your car not only keeps it looking good but keeps it running good as well. Utilizing good auto maintenance tips helps to keep your car running well and reduces expenses at the same time.
To get the most out of your car and to save the most money at the same time, take advantage of these auto care tips:
1. First, changing your oil every 3,000 miles or so is key. Some oil and auto manufacturers may state that oil changes aren't required until 5,000 or more, but your motor oil is what collects the debris and metal shavings in your engine and transports it to the oil filter. Even though the oil may be good for more than 5,000 miles, the filter needs to be changed to maintain effectiveness and the oil has to be drained anyway.
2. Another filter that gets ignored is the air filter. These are usually some type of paper filter that keeps dirt and dust out of the engine. An easy time to check it is when you're changing the oil. Simply remove the filter from its compartment and see how dirty it is. Most of the time you can carefully knock the dust out of it but it should be replaced every 25,000 miles.
3. Theoretically, transmission fluid doesn't need changing since it's a "sealed system". However, changing out the transmission fluid and filter doesn't have to be done very often, changing it out every 100,000 miles will make your transmission last much, much longer.
4. Another auto maintenance tip is when you have your oil changed, have the technician also check the grease on your wheel bearings and tie rods. It won't take but a few extra minutes and if they need to be lubed, it's the perfect time to do it.
5. Every couple of weeks or every time the oil is changed, check the tire pressure. This ensures you can take care of a tire problem as soon as possible and properly inflated tires saves gas as well. Over inflated or under inflated tires wear unevenly and also affect the car's handling.
6. One car care tip you'll want to do is checking the radiator water and the level of anti-freeze as well when the oil is changed right as winter is approaching. Having the proper level will prevent the water from freezing which can crack your engine block. Having the radiator flushed and refilled once a year will keep your car in better shape longer and prevent problems down the road.
Car maintenance doesn't have to take a lot of time but if you want to have your car as long as possible and to get the best trade in value for it, good maintenance is definitely necessary. Following these auto maintenance tips will ensure your car will last for years.
About the Author
There are many ways to save money in today's economy and finding oil change specials is just one way to do it. When Russel Spinella needed work done on his vehicle, he looked for auto and brake specials to save a little money. Visit http://www.brakesplus.com/coupons/oil-change.php for more savings.
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