Proper Car Care is Preventative Care
Taking care of your car goes beyond the standard 3,000-mile oil change. Maintaining your car means dealing with tires, brakes, and parts like your battery. It’s important to take care of these different elements so your car can run smoothly for a long time. Here are some things you may not have known about car maintenance.
Extending Your Car Battery’s Life
Your car’s battery can last longer if you give it routine maintenance. It’s important to know that your car’s battery can deteriorate and corrode quicker if you live in a humid climate. Corrosion on car batteries looks like a crusted blue substance on the terminals. Every three or four months, it’s a good idea to check and clean off the corrosion on your car’s battery. Your battery will last longer and save you a couple of hundred bucks every few years. Cleaning the corrosion off is easy and you really only need baking soda, a wire brush or an old toothbrush, vaseline, water, and a rag. The vaseline is used to protect the terminals and slow down the corrosion after you’ve cleaned the battery. Taking care of your car’s battery is important and easy to do, so do routine maintenance on it and your future self will thank you.
Brake Checks
Your brakes are incredibly important and they need to be working well. If you start hearing your brakes squeak, grind or feel like you’re having to really apply pressure to get your car to stop, then it’s time you had them checked. Brakes can be expensive, but it’s best to nip issues in the bud early on, so you’re not having to replace the full pad and rotor when they’ve totally gone kaput. To keep your brakes is good health, it’s important to not slam on them, so keep a safe following distance from the car in front of you, and be mindful of traffic signs and signals.
Tire Maintenance
Your tires are tough, and they can last you years, but things happen and at some point, they’ll need to be replaced. Keep your tires maintained by removing any potentially sharp objects from the treads and keep them filled with air-filled at the recommended pressure. Don’t underinflate or over inflate your tires because this can negatively affect them when you’re driving and make them more prone to popping. You can find your tire’s recommended pressure reading on the driver’s door along with your VIN or in your owner’s manual. Be mindful of your tires’ pressure and check it every so often using a tire-pressure gauge.
Care for Your Investment
A car is an expensive belonging, and you should want to properly care for your belongings. These simple routine maintenance reminders will help keep your car running longer and help keep you from having to go to the mechanic as often.
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