Routine Car Maintenance Tips

If you're looking to save money because you're worried about a potential recession, then consider taking care of your car until you're financially comfortable in purchasing a brand new one. Routine car maintenance can be simple. Below are the top three tips you should know in maintaining your car. Doing so will avoid big headache.

Every 6 months, do the following:

1. Change engine oil and filter
2. Rotate tires and check proper tire pressures
3. Visually inspect the brakes, all belts & hoses, and wiper blades.

If you need reasons why, see below:

1. Change engine oil and filter. This one is pretty simple. Anyone who owns a car needs to change the engine oil regularly. The engine is the heart of a car. Without proper oil and lubrication, the engine will breakdown faster than anticipated and you may have to spend a lot of money for engine replacement or forced to buy a new car.
2. Rotate tires and check proper tire pressures. Periodically checking the tires is often overlooked by many car owners, yet it is essential. If anything, do it to save money over the long haul.
   
   When tires are periodically rotated, they last longer. The wear and tear are evened out in all the tires so that you don't have to replace them as often.

   
   Also, having proper tire pressures will give more gas mileage. If tires are poorly inflated, the engine works harder to move the car. If tires are over-inflated, the threads will wear out unevenly and you'll have to replace the tire.

3. Visually inspect the brakes, all belts & hoses, and wiper blades. Again, often overlooked, but you can remind the mechanic to do so when you're getting serviced for the oil change. They do not usually check routinely. So ask.
   
   

   Checking the brakes is a no-brainer. Just get it done.

   Checking the belts and hoses can save a lot of headaches. I had a car snap the cam belt while I was driving and the whole engine had to be replaced.

   Checking for worn wiper blades is important not only for safe driving when suddenly caught in the gust of heavy rain, but also to prevent any scratches on the windshield. A worn wiper blade could easily come off in the middle of stroke and the metal part of the wiper will surely scratch your windshield.

Every year, do the above again and then two more below:

• Inspect air filters
• Check all fluids, namely, transmission, brakes, wiper, coolant, and power steering fluids.

For a car that is older, say 5 years or more, you can stretch its lifespan some more by performing the following services. These are special services not typically available in local gas stations. But big automotive service providers like Pep Boys have them.

• Fuel system cleaning. Over time, gum deposits build-up in the fuel system of your car. This service will clean it and should restore some power and performance back. It's kinda like you being congested with a cold and then being cured.
• Engine flush service. The same principle as above but for the engine. It's good to clean the dirty deposits of sludge inside the engine to keep it running efficiently.
• Install air conditioner evaporator cleaner. This is more for those who have allergies and environmental sensitivities. This service keeps your AC from emitting allergy causing bacterias, molds, grimes, etc.

The foregoing are simply maintenance tips that are common sensical to help you avoid a major catastrophe when it comes to your car. Here in Southern California, we are highly dependent on our automobiles. Thus, it's pratically an emergency situation if our car breaksdown. With the recession (or maybe depression) coming around the corner, the last thing you'll want is being forced to shell out money for repair or worse, having to buy a new car if you're not ready to afford one. We're not all like Memphis Raines in Gone in 60 Seconds who can boost nice cars, like a '67 Shelby Mustang, when he needs one.