Your car does a lot for you each day. Perhaps you’re not sure if you know enough about cars, but are willing to learn. If this is true, then you have found a great article on how you can do some simple car maintenance.
Make sure the oil in your vehicle is changed about every 3,000 miles. Waiting longer for an oil change can result in dirt and debris fouling your oil and that can damage your engine. If you use synthetic oil in your vehicle, you only need to change the filter every other oil change.
You don’t always need a repair-person for your car troubles. There are several things that can be fixed quite easily. If you would like to try it, you can research on the problem online. If it is not a very difficult job, you can save some money by doing the repairs yourself.
If any parts of your car need to be replaced, make sure you ask for the (OEM) Original Equipment Manufacturer parts instead of generic parts. Keeping the exact specifications required by the manufacturer is essential in having optimum performance. Although generic parts are cheaper, spending a little more on OEM parts will make a big impact on your car’s longevity.
Make sure that you have car records on file. The glove compartment is a good place to keep these records. The mechanics who work on your car might need to go through these records. The records can help them determine what is wrong with your car.
Test your car out after a repair has been done by a mechanic. Make sure it is operating correctly before full payment is made. If you don’t do this, it’s possible that the problem isn’t even fixed.
Don’t ignore small annoying sounds or problems. These tiny annoyances, such as noisy brakes, are usually cheap to fix. If ignored, however, they can usually lead to much more extensive problems and expensive repairs. Replacing worn brake pads now is much cheaper than having to replace the pads, rotors, brake lines, and calipers later.
If you are planning a road trip, make sure that you go and have your car serviced. Plan it a little ahead so you are not rushing to get it done at the last minute. Even if your car feels fine, you want to make sure that you will make it to your destination and back with no issues.
Know what the lights on the dashboard mean. They were put there for your assistance, so use them for that. If you simply overlook them for months on end, there is a chance your vehicle might sustain irreparable damage.
Replacing a charcoal canister is very expensive, but you can easily replace this part yourself. Take off the wheel located under your fuel tank and disconnect the vacuum lines connected to the old canister. The part should then come right off. Install the new one and connect the lines very carefully before installing the wheel again.
Car care is priority one. Even knowing how to do simple maintenance may save you tons of money instead of going to a mechanic. Simply apply the steps from this article and you will be one step closer to understanding your car better.