For car owners, keeping up with car maintenance can be a real drag. Rotating the tires and changing the oil every 5,000 miles can be annoying and as well as expensive. But paying a little bit to keep major repairs at bay is worth it. However, expensive trips to the auto mechanic are surely terrifying. With this, many car owners want to avoid frequent maintenance and fixes for their vehicles. In addition to spending a huge amount of cash that you can use on other things, it can also take a lot of time and effort.
Car maintenance can keep your vehicle in good shape. However, it sometimes takes a lot of effort to do it, especially if you are driving an older car. With this, some car owners choose to buy a new car instead of having their old one fixed due to the amount of money they need to spend on repairs and maintenance. But a little extra effort can go a long way to decrease the repair costs of your vehicle maintenance. Today, we are giving you the top car tips that could help you avoid a mechanic and spend a lot of money.
Always check your engine coolant or antifreeze
The most expensive auto repair is replacing the engine and cylinders. When the engine of your car has blown, the cost to repair it is in the thousands, and sometimes more than $10,000. Overheating is one of the main reasons why cylinders and warp parts can be ruined, which can cause the engine to stop working. To avoid overheating, your car’s radiator and engine coolant are the most important defenses. It circulates the engine coolant through the engine block using a water pump.
To keep your engine coolant working, you need to check the levels of the coolant or antifreeze regularly, which is about once a month. This is very simple to do and may just take a few minutes. By doing this, you’ll be able to save thousands of dollars from a mechanic visit.
Keep your backup tire inflated
Keeping your spare tire inflated is as important as the four tires under your car. With this, you won’t be surprised to find that your spare tire is also flat while you are pulling the jack out of your trunk. If you do not have a spare tire, you need a tow truck, which can cost you hundreds of dollars. It is better to just spend a few dollars on an air pump to inflate your spare tire than spend a lot on tow or a mechanic if driving on flat tires caused internal damage to your car.
Change the oil of your car regularly
Your car’s oil can affect your budget too. In fact, oil problems are one of the costliest car maintenance issues to fix as it affects a lot of your car’s functions. It’s important to change the oil of your car every 5,000 miles or as recommended by your car manufacturer. Spending on changing the oil of a car is better than putting it off and risk wearing your engine, which costs a lot more to replace.
Always keep the battery of your car clean
Corrosion can form on the terminals of your car’s battery, which looks like white or bluish powder. And if you do not keep it clean, it may develop a crack or stop functioning properly, which can leave you stranded somewhere. If this happens, you need to buy a new battery, which costs more than a hundred dollars, and as well as call a towing service, which also costs a lot. To maintain your battery, you need to test it twice a year and always inspect it for corrosion.
Replace the air filter of your car regularly
The air filter of your car keeps the pollutants from coming in through the vents. Since it has an important job, you need to treat it well. Also, using an old filter that is long past its life can lead to major issues for your air conditioning system, which can lead to an expensive visit to a mechanic. Therefore, make sure that you change your air filter every 12 months or 12,000 miles.
Check your windshield wipers and replace them when necessary
Your car needs efficient wipers, especially when you are out on the open road. If your windshield does not get cleaned up well, dirt can build up and may cause the glass to break down, which is expensive. Therefore, it’s better to get a pair of new wipers every once in a while, than a brand-new windshield, which costs hundreds of dollars. It’s essential to check your windshield wipers at the change of each season and replace them when needed.
Get your car tires rotated regularly
One of the best ways to extend the life of your car tires is by rotating them every so often. All four tires of your car do not wear down in the same way. There are times when the front or back set of tires wear down at different rates. To extend their lives and save yourself from a brand-new set of four, rotate them regularly. You can do this every 3,000 to 5,000 miles.
Always check the suspension system of your car
The suspension system of your car is one of the intricate parts that most people take for granted. Many rarely think about it until it stops working. If you see that one of the shocks needs to be replaced, you should replace all four of them. Therefore, you need to check the suspension system of your car regularly. You can do this every 15,00 to 30,000 miles.
Check the spark plugs
If the engine of your car is giving you problems, one of the common reasons is the spark plugs. Since bringing your car to the mechanic for engine work is very expensive, replacing a $15 to $30 spark plug is a small price to pay to avoid the need for a major engine overhaul. Therefore, you should check and change the spark plugs of your car every 30,000 miles.
Do emissions inspections
In certain states or countries, cars are required to pass a state emissions inspection. When you keep up with the necessary car maintenance on your vehicle, it will surely pass with flying colors. But if you fail, the emissions facility will inform you what failed and what needs to be fixed to fully pass the inspection. Therefore, it’s important to take your car in for inspection once a year.
These are the best tips for cars we can give that could help you avoid a mechanic. Taking care of your car doesn’t need to be expensive. And always remember that prevention is better than cure. Being careful and aware of the needed things to do is the secret on how to have a long life of a car and avoid expensive trips to a mechanic.