Easy Ways to Keep Your Car in Top Condition
Purchasing a new vehicle is an investment, whether you opt for brand new or second hand. Therefore, it makes sense to look after your investments well, to ensure you get as much use out of your car for as long as possible. Nonetheless, while we can start with good intentions, it’s all too easy to overlook these maintenance tasks as our car ages.
To prevent your vehicle suffering at the hands of neglect, there’s a few easy ways to maintain its good condition and keep your car on the road for longer. Even if your intention is to sell it within a couple of years, it’s still worth keeping on top of maintenance.
Are Your Tyres Safe?
When people think of car maintenance, a lot of attention can be given to the engine and/or paint jobs, but not the tyres. Yet, if you have worn tyres or incorrect tyre pressure, the problems you can experience are substantial, such as flat tyres and reduced braking response. Neither of those sound fun. As a result, it’s best to check your pressure and, if you need to, replace your tyres altogether.
Give It A Weekly Clean
This may sound like overkill, but cleaning your car (inside and out) every week is hugely beneficial. Not only will it create a more relaxed space, free of clutter and distractions, but it’ll also keep your car in better condition, meaning you can get a better resell price when the time comes. By choosing to clean your car yourself, you’ll also save money and time, as you won’t need to spend hours and hours tidying when you’re always so clean in the first place. Don’t believe the importance of a clean interior? There’s a reason the saying “the value is in the cabin” is popular among car dealers…
Keep Fluids Topped Up
Your car doesn’t just have the engine oil keeping it running, but also windscreen wash, brake fluid, and so on. Consequently, you need to make sure that all of these necessary components are kept at optimum levels, which sometimes meanings refilling and/or changing the fluid altogether. When it comes to the oil in your car, the general rule of thumb is to change it every 7,500 miles, just to prevent build up and engine damage. If you’re unsure of how to go about doing this, a local mechanic will be able to point you in the right direction.
Store Your Car Safely
Keeping your car protected when it’s off the road is always a good idea, but it’s especially useful if you don’t intend to use your vehicle for a prolonged period of time. This isn’t just a case of having a garage or cover to protect your car, but also having a means of keeping the battery charged. You can either do this by getting a friend to regularly run the car while you’re not driving, or you can purchase a battery tender.
No one said owning a car was easy, but it doesn’t have to be hard either. Stick to a few simple, golden rules of maintenance and you’ll be a happy driver!