Top 20 Basic Car Maintenance Tips for Longer Life of Your Car

In recent times, India roads have witnessed growing number of cars which is mainly contributed by the rising middle class interest on cars. All those who have a passion for cars desire to buy the latest car model equipped with the best of style and technologies. Most of them though enthusiastically buy new cars but don’t take good care of their cars and ignore regular maintenance. This ignorance drastically reducesthe life of a car. The only thing that matters in increasing the life of a car is constant maintenance. It will also ensure hassle-free performance and help improve dependability.

Here are the top 20 basic car maintenance tips for longer and healthy life of your car:

The most important thing that matters in car maintenance is washing your car at regular intervals of time. Keep both the exterior and the interior of your car clean and tidy.

1. Waxing your car at periodic intervals gives a new shine to it and also increases its resale value.
2. Clean your car interiors weekly using a vacuum cleaner. Clean the carpets, mats, hand brakes, pedals, and car seats. You can use a soft brush or soft cloth to clean the dashboard, audio system, and the instrument cluster.
3. Check the condition of the windshield wiper. If you find any kind of malfunctioning or damage immediately replace it.
4. To clean the mirror and glass surface of your car use a scratch-free microfiber towel or a glass cleaner.
5. Do check the working and components of your car’s engine at regular intervals of time. Keep the area surrounding the engine clean and check for any kind of damage in the engine components. Engine plays a significant role in thefunctioning of a car and hence needs extra care.
6. You also need to check the level of engine oil. Regular checking and calibration of engine oil is very important.
7. Avoid keeping your car idle for a longer period of time as idling may reduce the life of your car.
8. Never try to clean the surrounding of a hot engine by water as the engine may explode or it may cause other hazards.
9. You should also change the oil filter in your car as this helps in smooth and effective filtering of all impurities in the oil and may block the entry of oil in theengine. If in case the filter is damaged the impurities may enter the engine and hamper performance.

11. Check the levels of car fluids including steering fluid, transmission fluid, brake fluid, and coolant fluid. Maintaining the optimized level of these fluids is very essential for proper working of a car.
12. Check the condition of your car battery. If you find any kind of wear and tear inthe battery housing immediately get it replaced. Also replace the cables, fluids, and lights of the battery if required. If there is any kind of leakage from thebattery replace the battery itself.
13. If any of the electrical components in your car are exposed cover them with plastic cover so that any external factor like water cannot damage them.
14. Transmission also plays a significant role in car’s performance. So closely checkthe working of the transmission system as it requires proper handling and attention. Check the fluid and other components in the system. To ensure better life of the gearshift you also have to be very friendly while shifting gears usingthe clutch. It is also important to select the right gear at the right speed of thecar and the condition of the road.
15. Get your car’s air-conditioner check periodically to avoid any kind of major expenses. If you feel the air-conditioner is not giving the desired temperature immediately get it checked by an auto expert. The working can be affected by weak car battery.
16. Certain indications like a soft brake pedal, glowing of brake light, squeaking of brake clearly indicates that there is some problem in the brakes. You either have to change the brake components or check the level of brake fluid. An anti-lock brake system is too sensitive to moisture and hence it requires extra care and handling.
17. Check the radiator at regular interval of time as a faulty radiator can affect theentire automotive cooling system. Check for any kind of obstruction in the air flow of the radiator.
18. It is also important to check the lights and bulbs of a car. Carefully check theworking of the headlights, taillights, and interior lights. Replace them if required or get it fixed if there are minor errors.
19. Apply handbrakes only when clutch is pressed or when the car is in neutral. When getting the car serviced check out blunt notches of the hand brakes. If required replace the connecting cables.
20. Check the condition of your car tyres. There should be uniform tyre treads. Check regularly the air pressure and alignment of your car tyres. Also, rotate tyres periodically to ensure uniform wearing of car tyres.