Remember, your vehicle is as complex as they come, and like every set of machinery, your car requires regular maintenance to give a life time of service.There are a number of essential checks that everyone should regularly carry out on their vehicle. This will ensure a longer life for your car.
Every time you sit in your car to drive, do this
You can make some of the most important checks - which are relatively simple - a part of your driving ritual! Basic stuff like “check your windows are clean and mirrors correctly adjusted” are - seriously speaking - just too lame, they are that obvious. Apart from taking good care of your car, you could also take care of yourself and wear your seat belt every time you sit in your vehicle.
The top 4 areas where a problem is likely to arise
These checks are not only to get great mileage from your vehicle, but also because damn it, it’s your car and you better own up and take some care of it. :/
- Under the hood
- coolant levels - a common problem in the older cars, especially the diesel ones
- battery water/acid levels - I sometimes have to tap the battery to see the water move to ensure that it is between the Min & Max markings
- Engine oil level - and here’s how you can change your car oil
- Tyres
- the tyre pressure should be maintained as properly-pressurized tyres can positively affect not only your car’s handling, but also fuel consumption
- check for bald tyres (maybe you need to get the wheels aligned and their camber straightened out?)these can give you anything from a fender bender to a God forbid, 24 car pile up on the Motorway if you are not careful.
- Defective brakes - pretty obvious why you need to keep a check on these. You can do that taking immediate notice of any sound that comes from the tyres when you brake. Usually the brakes make this annoying sound when the disc pads have run the entire course of their eventful life.
- Defective lights - they can also be dangerous and here’s how to change your car head light)
The above four are the common areas where most faults are likely to arise in your car. And if you consciously keep a look-out in just these four areas, you are - in all probabilities - set to go. Please note I have not included the obvious ’smoke-belching-out-of-the-car-like-the-car’s-smoking-trees’ syndrome - (you can get a fine from the local government for pollution!) these smoke emissions are more hazardous to the environment than to your car - but please note, the car gives out smoke mostly because of some problem with the engine.
Real life examples are aplenty
How many of us know people - friends and relatives - who have cars giving great service for 20, 25 and even 30 years? I remember my friend’s Father had a 1985 Honda Accord that probably still has that new car smell.
