Car Maintenance - What You Need To Know  

A few years back, as a drive you could drive into a service station and have your car serviced while they pumped your fuel. A service station attendant would actually come out to your car and do any check your vehicle to assess if anything needed to be done, while washing down your windscreen in the process. They filled your fuel tank, checked the air pressure in your tires as well as your radiator and oil levels. You paid for the fuel and the oil and you were back on the road.

Those were days where customer service ruled!  Today you can forget about this. You therefore need to have a basic understanding on how to take care of your car, regardless of the vehicle’s age to ensure you stay out of trouble and not get some unexpected damage bills due to the lack of tire pressure, oil or radiator fluid.

In my case, when I first started dating my husband, I had been driving a lovely blue car for about a year. Being a gentleman that he is, he did check whether my car required a service. He would ask me when I had last changed the oil, checked the tire pressure and even checked the brakes. I would ask him, "do I need to change the oil? Check the tire pressure? What is the radiator fluid?”.  I have since learnt that I need to check the tire pressure, windscreen wiper water, oil and radiator fluids regularly, making sure the care does get services regularly (as per the vehicle’s handbook). Since I drive around 25,000 kilometres per annum, oil changes every 12,500 kilometres (as per the vehicle handbook), keeping an eye on the odometer to make sure services aren’t missed.

In your glove box you should be able to find the vehicle owner's manual; this is perhaps one of the most documents found in your car. It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with it. By doing so, you will have a good understanding on what is required to keep your car running at its optimum. The owner’s manual will also indicate what the different lights and gauges mean. Another section that usually falls under the heading of "Maintenance Intervals" will indicate the suggested things that you should have done to your car at certain mileage (kilometre) milestones. Most of these small jobs are not difficult tasks to perform, and things like changing the air filter can be done at your local service station or mechanic. The owner’s manual documents the type of motor oil, transmission oil and even radiator antifreeze to use and how much air pressure your tires require. Keep a maintenance log inside the owner's manual so you will know when your oil was been changed and any services undertaken.

Learn to check the pressure in your tires and add more air if needed. You need to know how to change a tire if you get a puncture and know where the spare tire and jack can be found (obviously, make sure your spare tire frequently to ensure it does have adequate air pressure, as the last thing you want is to get caught with a puncture and realize your spare tire is also flat). You can only depend on your roadside assistance provider for so much, therefore if your tire goes flat in an area with no cell phone service, you may be stranded.

Newer cars now have a built in device in the brake pads that will let you when it's time to check or change the pads. A squeaking noise can be heard when applying the brakes (when driving), caused by a small pin, will occur when the pads are reaching the point of being worn. If you don't pay attention to this early on, you will find that your pads get completely worn out and you will end up spending twice as much money to fix them, due to wearing out your disks. The important thing is that once you hear squeaking/grinding sound when applying your brakes, go to your local service station to get them inspected.

It is important to locate a quality auto mechanic before the need arises. Find a reliable and reputable auto repair shop before your car needs a repair that isn't covered under the warranty. The best way to find a good auto mechanic is by word of mouth, speak to people that you trust the most, such as family members and friends, to restore your peace of mind about needed repairs. However, if you put forth the effort to maintain your automobile, your driving should be relatively carefree.