The 5 Car Maintenance Mistakes That End Up Costing A Fortune
These days, people’s lives are so hectic that they never seem to have the time to maintain their car. It’s a shame, because people could end up saving a lot of money and time by taking 10 minutes every now and then to do maintenance.
Here are the most common car maintenance mistakes you should try to avoid:
1) Tires not being properly inflated – First you will need a tire pressure gauge. You can get a reliable gauge for as little as $5. Then look on your tire for the recommended tire pressure. Then check your tire pressure.
Proper tire inflation can help in a number of ways. First is that a properly inflated tire can save gas, a precious commodity these days. Having tires with the right amount of pressure makes them last longer, and do their job better. Over or under inflated tires could blow out, causing an accident, or you have to replace or repair it. If you have to use a spare, don’t drive around on it like a normal tire, they aren’t designed to drive around on, just enough to get you to a repair shop.
2) Not checking fluid levels (or not checking them properly) – If your cat is an automatic, you should check fluids when they’re warm. Put the car in neutral, and make sure the parking brake is on. Your engive oil can be checked with the car warm, but make sure the car is turned off to do that. When it comes to radiator fluids, those should only be checked when the engine is cold. If you check them while the car is hot, pressure can build up in the radiator and cause severe burns.
3) Do it yourself oil changes, or skipping regularly scheduled lubrication – Changing your own oil, while is seems like a good alternative, isn’t, because you have to raise the car, drain the oil, which is messy, and then you are stuck with trying to dispose of the used oil.
Taking your vehicle to a lube shop is much better, because they check and top off everything, lubricate the chassis, and more, for one low price. If you do the math, not only is it cheaper, but it usually is finished in ten minutes, compared to the hours spent doing it on your own.
4) Not having regular brake inspections, or not changing the pads often enough – That incessant squeal every time you apply the brake is a warning that the pads have worn down to the studs, and are scraping against the drums and rotors. Taking the time to have the brakes changed, for under two hundred dollars in most cases, is a lot cheaper than having to replace the rotors and drums.
5) Not making sure the gas cap is tight – If your engine light comes on, it could be telling you that your gas cap is loose, and air is interfering with your fuel intake. By making sure your gas cap is on properly, you won’t have to take your vehicle in to get checked for something this simple.
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