You don’t have to be a mechanic to ensure your car is running smoothly! In fact, a lot of people skip out on some of the basic things you can do for your car because they believe they’re too hard to accomplish! There’s actually a lot you can do with your car to make sure it stays on track though, which helps you rake in the savings every year that your car doesn’t have to pay a visit to the shop. Although some things are out of our control, you’ll be delighted to know that preventive care goes a very long way and doesn’t cost you a lot of money to do! So, stop stressing over mechanic bills and try out these ten tips to make your car even better!
1. Change Your Oil
This is one of the top things on the list and should be done every 3 months at the least! It’s actually not hard to do, so don’t work yourself up before trying it out. The first thing you should do is learn how to check your oil. This is one of the easiest things to do and there’s lots of tutorials online. If you’re ready for an oil change then stop by a department or auto shop, that offers great prices, and pick up what you need. If you’re not sure then your manual will let you know, but you can also ask someone in the store for a little assistance. Once you have your oil then look online for a tutorial on how to do it. It may be better to watch a tutorial and print one out so you have step by step procedures to get the job done. However, if you’re still feeling uncomfortable then look for a good deal in your penny saver or online and let them do the job with the oil you’ve already purchased. Make sure not to fall into any sales traps here though as many oil changing businesses will try to offer you special services you probably won’t need. Keeping your oil changed will save you thousands, so make sure to set reminders when you can!
2. Watch Your Lighting
When it comes to your car’s lights, they’re actually one of the best safety elements of the car. So, it’s important to maintain them as much as you possibly can. Try to check to make sure your brake lights, headlights and blinkers are working once a month. You may need a little help doing this, but it’ll be worth the effort knowing you can signal and alert other drivers of your presence. As soon as you notice your light is fading make sure to replace the bulbs. It’s always nice to have replacements in the car, but if you don’t they’re very cheap to buy. Changing the bulbs don’t take up a lot of your time anyway so you can easily do it after work or before a trip on the weekend. Simply by keeping your lighting up to date you’ll keep your car safer and you’ll avoid some very pricey tickets.
3. Clean Inside
You may not believe it, but keeping your car clean can actually help you save a bit of money! No one wants to sit in a dirty car in the first place, but sometimes it’s hard to make time to clean up. However, it may motivate you to know that keeping a clean car actually helps keep the value of your vehicle up. For instance, if you have pets or children in your car then you may find surprises every time you clean. This is especially true if kids bring snacks into the car as some sticky foods are impossible to fully clean up. Smokers may also end up with ash trapped in the carpets of the car. Keeping trash up is a great start for your car, but you’ll also want to wipe down the interior too. If you have leather seating then leather wipes are a must as they won’t just help keep things clean and fresh but they’ll also help with preventing the leather from cracking. Finally, adding floor mats to the front and back seats can cut down on damage substantially!
4. Know About Recalls
Dealing with a recall won’t just save you money but it could save your life. Cars get recalled every month, so don’t stress about it too much. Generally, when you register a vehicle, you will automatically receive notices when there has been a recall, so you don’t have to scour the internet every single day looking for something on your car. However, if you do feel the need to this, or you hear a rumor about your car then there’s a few sites that will give you trustworthy information. When you get the recall slip in the mail make sure to schedule an appointment with the designated dealer as soon as you can. Recalls don’t cost you a thing so you won’t need to do anything but show up at your scheduled appointment. Getting the recall taken care of as soon as possible will ensure no other damage can be done to the car, which will save you a whole lot of money in the long run.
5. Keep Records
This is probably one of the easiest things you can do when it comes to working on your car. All you have to do is put away receipts any time your car has work done on it. For instance, if you get a new set of tires then file away the receipt just in case one of the tires gets a flat before the warranty or guarantee is over. It’ll also help you know when you last bought tires so you can easily know when it’s time to shop again. Another great time to keep your receipts is when you’ve had mechanical work done on the car. This will help you ensure your mechanic did the job right, as you can return with the receipt for more work or a refund if they didn’t do what they were supposed to. Holding on to smog and registration receipts can also come in handy, especially when you’re looking for tax deductions.
6. Store It Properly
Believe it or not, but a lot of damage to your car can be done when it’s not even in motion. This is why storing your car properly can make a huge difference to the worth of it as well as the amount of times it’s going to end up in the shop. One of the best places to store your car is in the garage. Here, you won’t have to worry about weather damaging your vehicle in the slightest, nor will you have to worry about other out of your control damage. Of course, not everyone has access to a garage, so it you can try to find an area with a bit of covering like an awning. This will help stop hail from doing damage but will also add a little more protection from the sun. If you don’t have a good place to park and won’t be driving your car for a while then try to invest in a cover. This will help prevent outside damage, like fading from the sun or scratches from stray rocks on the road. If none of this is possible then stick with a simple UV protector for the front window shield. It’ll prevent the sun from damaging the inside of the car while also keeping your interior cooler.
7. Protect from Rain
Rain can be very dangerous especially when it is pouring outside. If you find yourself commuting in the rain often then you might want to invest in a product like Rain-X. This will help the rain slip off your windshield, windows and mirrors a lot faster so you won’t have to deal with blind spots or losing track of the way traffic is moving. Generally, the spray doesn’t cost a whole lot so you won’t go broke purchasing it. It will also stay on your glass surfaces for quite some time so you won’t need to keep applying to get the same benefits. With this little bit of help you should be able to prevent many accidents on the road while also feeling a bit more secure when driving in bad weather.
8. Keep Track of Parts
Much of your car can be worked on and replaced by you without professional help which should save you a whole lot of money. However, the only problem is many people don’t keep track of their car’s parts. If it helps, buy a small notebook for your car. You can write down everything you put in the car to ensure you’ll know exactly when you need to replace something. You can also add this into a memo on your phone and set reminders to keep you up to speed. One of the easier items to keep track of is spark plugs. These items need to be checked around every 30,000 miles, which isn’t very often. The plugs should be checked to ensure they’re not loose, but most will last you between 30k-60k miles! You should also make sure your windshield wipers are functioning well, but they should be replaced every 6 months or so depending on your climate. Brakes are another item that are easy to watch out for. They tend to last a longer period of time, but if you hear squeaking then it’s time for a new set. The air filter is also simple to change and can be done with your oil. Finally, keep track of the air and tread on your tires to ensure they last longer and to know when you’re in need of new ones.
9. Clean the Exterior
Washing your car offers a whole lot of benefits you may not have even thought about. For starters, it will give you a sense of pride for your vehicle, no matter how old it is. With a shiny car to get around in you’ll want to show it off, but you also may be more inclined to drive a bit safer. Also, keeping your car clean can help remove rocks that may do paint damage and it can keep the value of your car much higher. Adding a nice polish to the mix can keep your car looking good for much longer, but it can also help block out sun damage which will harm your car’s paint job. Try to be as frugal as possible with your wash by using buckets rather than leaving the hose running.
10. Ask For Help
If there’s something wrong with your car and you don’t know what it is then ask for help instead of ignoring the issue. If there actually is a problem it can get worse really fast which will cost you even more money. A lot of the time you can call up a shop and let them know what’s happening and they’d be happy to give you a guess. This can be very useful in deciding if you need to have a professional work on it or not. You can also look online to see if there’s something on the problem. For instance, by typing in basic symptoms of the problem your search engine may bring up a forum to help you out. Online tutorials may come in handy too. However, if you’re still lost, make sure to bring it to a shop so they can sort it out before it’s too late.
Having a car is a lot of responsibility so don’t let the problems pile up. With a little bit of DIY and some preventative measures, you should be able to get your car taken care of before you have to spend a whole lot more on it!
