Maintaining your car
To save you money, hassle and for safety reasons too, you need to be vigilant about maintaining your car. Car maintenance isn’t just about having something fixed once it goes wrong or even about taking it in to the car wash. Proper car maintenance is the best way to ensure your car runs smoothly, efficiently and safely. Also, if your car is well looked after you should be able to sell it for a higher price than if it wasn’t.
The very first thing to do is to go through your owner’s manual. This will tell you everything you need to know about caring for your particular car. To maintain your car you should have a weekly, monthly and annual schedule. The basics tasks that should be covered in this plan are your tyres, engine oil, engine coolant, your car battery, windscreen wipers, and brakes. The acronym TOWBIF, Tyres, Oil, Windows, Brakes, belts and battery, Interiors and Fluids is an easy way to remember the various areas that need maintaining.
Following this plan you should be checking your tyre pressure regularly. Then know that all your car fluids need to be changed, or cleaned and topped up at regular intervals. This includes engine oil, coolant and transmission fluid. Then see that all your windows and mirrors are still in good condition, and check for any cracks. Also replace wipers if they are no longer working effectively. Ideally you should be having your brakes checked once a month but try for at least twice a year and take your car in to a mechanic as soon as you notice something wrong with them. Delaying this will only endanger you more. Keeping the interior of your car is as important as looking after the engine when it comes to reselling your car. It is also a good idea to keep track of how your car lights are working, especially your rear and brake lights and indicators.
Keeping your car maintained should become a habit, one that includes taking it in to a garage once a year for a check and full service. These small checks can save not only your money but your life too.
Neil Potts runs a car garage in Leeds and was instrumental in the creation of this page. We’re grateful for his help.