Car Owner Important Item to Check

One of the responsible things to do as the car owner is to conduct an inspection or scheduled maintenance of the car before it will be used as well as follow the car maintenance schedule provided by the car manufacturer that is included on the warranty booklet when a car is purchased on the dealer. There are several essential things to do as a car owner to ensure that the car operates properly for day-to-day operation making it safe for the entire journey for the passenger as well as the man behind the wheel.

In preventing car breakdown it is not only the job of the auto mechanic but also the car owner’s responsibility to ensure that the car is road-worthy to use so that to ensure road safety not only the person to use the car but also every motorist that travels along with them.

Below are the things to check as well as the parts of the car maintenance schedule to avoid car breakdown especially while the car is in operation that may result in car stalling or much worst, a car accident.

Tire condition and pressure checking

Check the tire and tire pressure at least weekly or before going for a journey it is important to check the tire and tire pressure of all four tires including the spare tire. This is essential, especially when having a long-distance trip. Set the tire to the standard tire pressure specified on the car owner's manual or the pressure indicated on the label that usually adheres to the driver-side door. Use a tire pressure gauge for checking since it is not accurate for visual checking to know if the tire is over inflate or under inflate. Tire pressure should be checked after the car runs for about 1 km. Also check the tire for damage or excessive tire wear, since it is not safe to run the tire when it is damaged or when the tread is excessively worn out.

How Often to Rotate Tires

How often to rotate tires will depend on the mileage a car is driven. Tires should be rotated as soon as possible if tire wear is abnormal. Read more » How Often to Rotate Tires

Car battery terminal and fluid condition checking

At least every two months the car battery should be checked, start the checking on the battery terminals. Observed the terminals if there is a presence of a cruddy-like substance, this substance prevents the flow of current into the starter when cranking the engine. Use a wire brush to remove the substance then rinse the terminals with soap and water. Once the terminal is cleaned, apply enough amount of petroleum jelly to prevent the accumulation of cruddy-like substances in the future. Then inspect the amount of battery fluid if it’s enough, the fluid must cover the top plate. An insufficient amount of battery fluid can lead to battery drainage, overheating, or even exploding.

What Causes Brake Light on Dash to Stay On

If this brake light on the dash does not go off or will stay on, or lit while the vehicle is being driven, it indicates that the braking system has a fault or the car has low brake fluid. Learn more: What Causes Brake Light on Dash to Stay On

Brake fluid

Brake fluid should be check at least every month, observe the reservoir if there is enough amount of brake fluid, and also observe if the fluid is dirty this happens when the fluid has not been replacing for a long period of time. An insufficient amount of brake fluid may result in loose of brake effectiveness when braking.

Belts condition inspection

Belts such as compressor belts, fan belts, alternator belts should be check at least monthly. Observed all belts if there is looseness, worn out, or cracks and replace if necessary. Continuously use of damage or worn out belts can cause breakage which may result in car problems such as engine overheating or battery draining depending on what belt is broken.

As for the timing belts, they should be replaced every 50,000 miles broken or not to avoid being broken especially when the car is in operation. A broken timing belt can cause car stalling and might damage the engine and can cause expensive repairs for the car.

Power steering fluid

Power steering fluid should be checked at least every two months, check if the power steering fluid is sufficient enough, if not then this means that the system has leaked. When the power steering fluid is not sufficient this might cause accidents especially while driving at high speeds.

Automatic transmission fluid

For a car with automatic transmission, the ATF should be checked every 12000 miles, observe the color of the fluid if it is black or brown with the smell like burnt this is an indication that the transmission operates at extremely high temperature, in this case, you need to bring the car to repair shop for checking.

Those are just a few car maintenance items that can be checked by the car owner, there are more that is indicated on the car owners manual that included when the car is purchased, however the most important car maintenance schedule that should not be neglected is by performing the most common services such as oil change, lube job, and engine tune-up this will determine how long the car will last when this was performed regularly the car will maximize its life. If your vehicle is often driven in dusty environments, extreme weather, or extremely high or low ambient temperature, you should pay extra attention to vehicle maintenance.

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