Your car is an essential part of your daily life. Not only do you use it to get to work, but you also use it to run errands such as shopping, going to appointments, picking up your kids from school, and so on. It is clear to see why cars are no longer considered just a luxury item but rather a household essential. The importance of your car can not be overstated. This is why, if there is an issue with your car, it can lead to a lot of frustrations and inconveniences. Keeping your car in tip-top condition with regular car maintenance is one of your responsibilities as a car owner.
Same as with your body, your car needs attention and care. If you neglect your car, you will end up spending more money on repairs in the long run. Your car is made up of different components and systems, and each of these parts needs to be in good condition to ensure that your car is in optimum condition and runs smoothly.
Importance of Regular Car Maintenance
Before diving into the different types of car maintenance services that should be performed periodically, it is important to first understand the importance of overall car maintenance. Prevention is always better than cure, and this is particularly true when it comes to car maintenance.
Maintaining Your Car Enhances Safety
Your car has several crucial safety components such as brakes, seat belts, tire treads, and so on, that help to keep you safe while driving. These critical components need to function optimally at all times. However, these components are prone to regular wear and tear, and if not addressed, they will eventually fail. According to statistics, hundreds of people are killed in car accidents caused by faulty brakes and the failure of critical safety components. This just goes to show that even basic maintenance can significantly help to save lives on our roads.
Regular Maintenance Improves the Performance of Your Car
Carrying out regular car maintenance is the only way to ensure that your car continues to run smoothly and at optimum conditions. Various components are more prone to wear than others. Thus, by regular servicing, issues with these components can be identified early enough and dealt with appropriately. This way, you can be sure that your car won’t fail you in any situation.
Car Maintenance Helps to Avoid Expensive Repairs
With time, minor car problems eventually develop into major car issues. For example, in case your engine is damaged due to a lack of regular car maintenance, then you could be facing thousands of dollars in terms of repairs. To avoid costly repairs, schedule regular maintenance services
Maintenance of your car Improves the Appearance
No one wants to be seen in an ugly or dirty car. There are various elements that can easily destroy your paint such as water spots, bird droppings, road salt, and sticky film or sap from parking under trees. If left unattended, your paint can be greatly damaged. Therefore, regular cleaning should be a top priority in your car maintenance checklist.
In addition, a clean car speaks volumes about you. Regular washing helps to ensure that your car remains clean and attractive.
Scheduled Car Maintenance Promotes a Cleaner Environment
While most cars run on fossil fuel, properly maintained cars are known to produce minimal levels of toxic fumes. Failure to maintain your car can lead to burnt engine oil, leaking gaskets, and other problems that pose a significant hazard to the environment.
With all that in mind, let’s take a look at the various types of car maintenance services that all drivers should have performed regularly.
Types of Maintenance
Tire Maintenance
When it comes to maintaining your tires, there are various aspects you should consider, from tire pressure, tread depth, and wheel alignment.
Tire pressure not only affects your fuel economy, but it also affects the comfort and handling of your car. You should always ensure that your tires are maintained at the correct pressure as instructed by your owner’s manual.
Tire treads help your car to stick to the road. If they are worn out or worn unevenly, they can cause a safety hazard. Uneven tread can also cause your vehicle to become out of alignment. Proper wheel alignment and balancing are crucial for safety on the road and your fuel economy. To minimize uneven wear, you need to have your tires rotated regularly.
Brake Maintenance
Maintaining your breaks helps to keep you and your vehicle safe from hazards. Be sure to check the brake pads, rotors and change brake fluid on a scheduled maintenance plan.
– Brake Pad Replacement
Many braking systems use ceramic pads that press against a metal disc (rotors). Eventually, due to friction, these pads tend to wear out which reduces their effectiveness. Brake pads should last for approximately 50,000 miles however if you notice a screeching sound more than likely they need to be replaced.
– Rotors
The rotors on your car can warp over time from the friction between the pads and the rotors. Rotors should be either resurfaced or replaced every 60,000 miles.
– Changing Brake Fluid
Braking normally produces an immense amount of heat. Braking failure can be caused when the heat exceeds the braking fluid’s boiling temperature causing it to vaporize. It’s recommended to bleed your brake system of all fluid and replace it every 20,000 and 45,000 miles.
Engine Maintenance
To keep your car in top condition, it’s important to ensure that your car engine is healthy. This requires regular maintenance. To keep your engine operating at its best and to extend the life of your car be sure to follow the below tips.
– Oil Change
Engine oil is responsible for lubricating the various moving parts of your engine. With time, the engine oil tends to get dirty and clogged, which reduces its effectiveness. It is recommended to have your engine oil replaced every 3 months or 3,000 miles. However, it is still important to check your owner’s manual.
– Tune-Up
If your car starts to feel sluggish or as if it is losing power, it may need a tuneup. A tune-up usually consists of changing out the spark plugs, cleaning ore replacing the air filter, cleaning the engine throttle, cleaning or replacing the fuel injection system, replacing fuel filters, ignition wires, and distributor cap. This will depend on the age and type of vehicle. It’s recommended having a tune-up every 60,000 miles to 90,000 miles.
– Air-Filter Replacement
The air filter is responsible for removing any debris that may be in the air pumped into the engine. Over time, debris will accumulate necessitating a replacement.
– Timing Belt
The timing belt should be checked for wear and tear to make sure that it is in good working order. The timing belt ensures that valves open and close with the pistons. A broken timing belt can cause considerable damage to your car’s engine. The timing belt should be replaced based on the manufacturers recommendations which is generally every 60,000 to 100,000 miles.
– Drive Belt
The serpentine belt or drive belt powers the alternator, air conditioning, power steering and water pump. With time, the drive belt can become worn out, crack. This can cause the belt to break. If the drive belt breaks, it will stop or disable your engine. Squeaking noises are a sign that something may be wrong. The drive belt is generally checked each time you get your oil changed.
Exterior Car Maintenance
The exterior of your car, your paint, is perhaps the biggest factor that contributes to the aesthetic appeal of your car. As mentioned earlier, how your car looks affects how other people may perceive you. With that said, you should perform regular maintenance to the exterior of your car to maintain its beauty.
Regularly washing your car is one of the most effective ways of preserving your paint job. As earlier mentioned, various substances such as water spots, bird droppings and sap can wreak havoc on your paint job. It is important to leave this task to professional washers as they have the proper products and equipment to clean your car the right way. An Automatic Express Car Wash has the proper water, soap products, and wax to leave your car clean and beautiful.
Interior Car Maintenance
As well as cleaning your exterior, your interior also needs to be clean and tidy. A clean interior ensures hygiene and keeps away insects and pests. You need to use the proper products for different surfaces, such as leather, wood, plastic, and other interior materials. You may want to consider taking your car to a professional cleaning service a few times a year for an extra deep clean.
We hope you found our car maintenance article helpful. If you are passing through the Lee’s Summit area, stop by Splash and Go Express Car Wash! Our express car wash uses industry leading equipment and products to keep your car sparkling clean!
