Of course, you want your car to look its best, so you clean, wax and detail it as often as you can. But don't forget about regular maintenance of your car's internal parts. Taking care of your car will not only help preserve your investment, it will also keep you and your family safe on the road.
Let's get started…First, listen to your car. Are your brakes squealing? Have you had them checked lately? Now is a good time to fix anything wrong, but there are a few things you should know about brakes.
Brakes 101 -- The rotor is the metal round disc that turns, like the tires, behind the wheels.
- The brake pads clamp against the rotors to stop the car or truck; they work when you step on the brake pedal.
- When replacing brakes, it is important to match same quality level that came on your car or truck originally from the factory.
Warning: If you fail to do this correctly, the results can include an increase in noise, vibration and harmonics in your braking system, and may affect your vehicle's overall stopping distances.
You don't have to be an expert on brakes. Just go to a shop that trains experts, uses the proper brake parts and matches the right components with your car or truck. Make sure to ask for the best brakes you can get. Think of brakes like a parachute. If you were jumping out of a plane, you'd want the best one you could find, right?
When should I change my wiper blades?
It is recommended that you change your blades once a year. Don't wait until the rubber is ripping or hanging off the wiper. More importantly, if you wait too long and it rains, your vision will be impaired and you could find yourself part of an accident that you could have avoided. Make you can see clearly by replacing your blades when they are worn. It's really easy to change your blades in just a few minutes--practically anyone can change their own wiper blades.
What's the difference between synthetic oil and regular oil--and does weather really affect oil?
Your engine's needs really do change under different weather conditions. For example, cold weather means the oil in your car will have a harder time circulating and cold starts are one of the toughest engine conditions--that's one time where a lot of damage can happen to the heart of your vehicle. But, when it's cold, we tend to let our cars idle more to warm up--and this can actually cause an overheating condition! You may want to consider switching to a synthetic oil. Synthetic oil is specially formulated to provide extra protection in severe conditions, and is relatively cheap insurance for your engine.
For the best engine protection, change your oil every 3,000-5,000 miles.
Clean Your Fuel Injectors
How on earth will I do that, you say? Easy. Just pour a fuel injector cleaner into your gas tank next time you refuel. That way, you'll be sure of getting all of your engine's potential performance and economy. Dirty or clogged injectors are a prime cause of vehicle hesitation, engine stumbling, power loss and rough idling.
Reading Your Tires Like a Book
Your tires can actually give you important clues, not only about tire maintenance, but about impending suspension problems.
Once a month, get in the habit of checking your tire pressures--including your spare--and then inspect your tires for problems like uneven wear and defects. Uneven tread wear can indicate possible suspension misalignment, bad shock absorbers, poor tire maintenance. If your tires are wearing unevenly, get your car checked out. You'll probably save money in the long run.
A large percentage of people drive around with improper tire pressure. Don't be one of them; check your pressure regularly. Tires actually lose a tiny percentage of air every day, and pressure also changes with ambient temperature. A portable inflator makes it so easy to top up a low tire, you won't need to run by a service station to take care of this small task.
Remember, your tire's "contact patches" are only four circles the size of your fist in contact with the ground. That's something to think about when you consider tire maintenance.
A Few More Things To Check:- Lights - Headlights, taillights, turn signals, reverse lights and horn.
- Antifreeze/ Coolant - check level, and have the coolant replaced according to the manufacturer's recommendation.
- Leaks - Check under the hood, and look where you park your car for any signs of leaks. These should be repaired as soon as you notice them.
- Battery - Check the terminals for corrosion. This is a major cause of no-start problems.
- Air Filter - Change air filters every 12,000 miles or every 6 months (even more often if you often drive on dusty roads). It's easy to do it yourself! Be sure to get a quality, name-brand filter. This will give you better fuel economy and performance.
- Squeaks - If your car or its doors squeak, have a professional check it out. It may be something simple like a door hinge and a little lubricant could quickly solve the problem.
- Tune-up - If your gas mileage seems like it less than it was and your car is running rough , now is a good time for a checkup. Experts recommend using platinum-tipped spark plugs.
Spring Car Cleaning
It's spring, and while we clean out our homes, we shouldn't forget our cars and trucks too. Look around your vehicle and you'll see what we mean.
Most Americans spend a good part of their time in their cars. Some of us actually feel as though we live in our cars-but for all the time we spend with our automobiles, we have difficulty finding spare moments to make sure they are in good shape. How do you clean a car properly? The folks at AutoSport now have a great free Car Care booklet (PDF) you can download as a pdf file.
~Lauren Fix~
Nationally recognized automotive expert Lauren J. Fix, is an authority on consumer automotive and safety issues as well as car care and repair.
She has been a guest numerous times on Oprah, and has multiple appearances on the TODAY show, Inside Edition, CNN, The Early Show, The Weather Channel, ESPN, MSNBC, CNNfn, FOX News, NBC, ABC, CBS, Speedvision, the Empire Sports Network and National Public Radio. Lauren is the author of Driving Ambitions: A Complete Guide to Amateur Auto Racing and The Performance Tire and Wheel Handbook, and has written articles for Motor Trend, Truck Trend, Hot Rod, Car Craft, Good Housekeeping and Self Magazine. As a professional race car driver and Director of Driving Ambitions Performance Driving School at Watkins Glen, Lauren knows how to get the most out of any car.
|
View Cart
