Regular servicing is an excellent idea to ensure your car stays in good condition. During a car service, a professional mechanic will check your car in order to catalog and fix any issues. This can help reduce problems as you drive.
However, regular car maintenance extends beyond a 6-monthly or yearly service. There are some simple maintenance checks and tasks you can do to look after your car in between services to keep your car running smoothly. And following these maintenance tasks can mean you:
- Proactively identify problems before they do damage
- Ensure road safety
- Prevent breakdowns
So, make sure you’re doing the following five checks and tasks regularly to look after your car.
Check engine oil
The engine is a complex piece of machinery, with many parts involved to get your car to run. As these parts work together, they can cause friction and heat, which over time can damage the engine. However, engine oil helps to minimize this friction and keep your engine running smoothly for longer.
It’s recommended that you check your engine oil every 4,500–8,000 kilometres. How often you need to check the oil can depend on the state of your engine, the quality of the oil and how you drive your car.
When checking your oil, it should not appear too black. This can be a sign that there are impurities or dirt that could affect the oil’s properties. Additionally, look to see where the engine oil height is. It should be between the indicated high and low markings in your car’s engine. If it is low, you need to top up the oil.
Check radiator
Along with the engine, your car’s radiator is another important piece of machinery that helps your car run smoothly. Radiators are prone to build ups of dust and other small debris, which can cause wear and tear. This can then affect your car’s coolant system. In extreme situations, this can lead your car to overheat and even breakdown.
Therefore, to clean out your car’s radiator, you need to flush dust from it. Ensure your car is cool before doing so and then follow the manufacturer’s instructions to safely and correctly clean out the radiator.
Check tires
Your car wouldn’t go anywhere without tires, so these should be checked regularly as well. Tires are often the part of your car that suffers from wear and tear the most. When checking your tires, you need to look at air pressure, treads and for any punctures. If there are any issues with your tires, your car may slide more easily on the road or may be difficult to handle.
To check your tire air pressure, you can purchase simple tools to use at home, or you can visit a local service station. Check your car’s owner manual to find out what is the ideal pressure for your tires. This may vary between the front and back tires, as well as depend on the kind of driving you regularly do.
Regularly check your treads before driving your car, as they don’t just affect your ability to drive but can even be a reason for you to be fined for driving an unsafe vehicle. On your tires, there will be an indicator mark to show when your tires have become too worn to be used and need to be replaced.
When you check your tires, remember to look for any punctures or foreign matter also. If dealt with quickly, these punctures can be repaired without you needing to replace the tires. A puncture can also make it difficult to drive your car safely.
Check all warning lights
As you drive, make sure to cast an eye every now and again to the warning lights on your dashboard. It’s important you know what each light means and what you need to do if they are on.
- Check engine light: If this light is on, there’s something wrong with the car’s engine. Stop at the nearest service station to check it over and organize a visit to the mechanic soon.
- Service engine light: This light indicates that your car’s engine needs repairing as soon as possible. Do not drive your car and organize for a mechanic to come to you to avoid further damaging your car.
- Electrical fault light: As the name suggests, this indicates that something is not working in your car’s electrical system. Visit your mechanic to correct the issue.
- Brake warning light: Similarly, this light indicates there is a problem with your brakes. Do not drive your car and have a mechanic come to you to avoid accidents.
- ABS warning light: Anti-lock braking systems ensure that your car is controllable in sudden emergencies. If this light comes on, you may be at risk if you need to suddenly brake. See your mechanic as soon as possible.
- Coolant warning light: This means that your engine is overheating. Sometimes this can happen on a hot day and you just need to stop your car, open the hood and let it cool down. However, if this repeatedly happens, you need to visit a mechanic to find the source of the problem.
- Oil warning light: This light can mean there is low oil pressure and even failure of the oil pump. Refrain driving your vehicle as it can severely damage the engine. Call a mechanic to visit you.
Overall inspection of your vehicle
Along with these checks, make sure you regularly check the vehicle all over for any faults or potential issues. Take the time to look at each part and components. This can also help you become more knowledgeable about your car and aware of how it should function properly.
Follow the above checks to make sure that your car is in the best condition possible between services. These checks can help you pick up on issues before they become expensive problems and save you money on repairs.
