What’s vehicle do Americans buy the most?
Pick up trucks!
Whether you just bought a rugged new pickup truck or another type of car, this article’s for you! A new car is a big investment. That’s why it’s important to learn how to maintain your vehicle so that you can get the most use out of it and ensure that it lasts for as long as possible.
What kind of maintenance are we talking about? Read on to find out how to make the perfect vehicle maintenance schedule.
Table of Contents
Oil and Coolant Checkups
Maintaining fluid levels should be the first part of your vehicle maintenance schedule. Your oil filter will also require short-term checkups.
Oils are used to lubricate your car’s engine, and as a result, it needs to be checked on regularly. You want to keep checking your oil once a month or so. Ideally, you’ll want to make sure that you don’t let the oil in your engine drop below 1/2 of what’s optimal.
What this means is that when you see too low of an oil level in your vehicle, it may mean that there’s something wrong with one of the parts inside the engine. If the issue isn’t addressed quickly enough, damage may occur.
What type of damage can low oil levels cause? All sorts. Failing to maintain the proper level of oil and coolant in your car can quickly cause your engine to deteriorate. The pistons and other parts within the engine can become damaged due to low oil levels.
If you suspect your car has sustained any type of damage, look into getting an automotive repair quote. During the coding process you can find out exactly what’s wrong with your car, so you can make the best decision moving forward.
How to Check Oil Levels
How do you know if you have enough oil in your engine? You’ll need a dipstick or similar device for this. The dipstick is already under your hood and waiting for you to use it. Simply find the spot where your oil cap is, remove the cap, and pull out the dipstick.
Go ahead and grab a rag, so you can wipe the dipstick off. Next, gently put the dipstick back where you just pulled it out. Now, slowly pull it back out of the vehicle again so you can read it.
It may be hard to notice them at first, but there are small markings on the end of the dipstick. The markings indicate low, medium, and high levels of oil. If you notice that the oil isn’t reaching up to the right level, it may be time to add some more.
A similar line of thinking holds true for coolants. When you’re checking the coolant levels in your car, simply remove the cap from your coolant container, and check to see how much coolant you have left. If it looks like you’re running low on coolant, you’ll want to take care of this issue as soon as possible.
Key Things to Note
If the oil or coolants look too low, there’s no time like the present to get them in check. The sooner that you address these issues, the less damage will be done overall. However, if for some reason they go unchecked for a long period of time, things can become very bad very quickly with both types of fluids. Your vehicle may start to overheat due to not enough oil or melting down because of too little coolant. How do I keep track?
Luckily, keeping track of those oil and coolant levels is simple to do. You can buy a gadget for your glove box that will remind you when it’s time to check the levels again. This way, you’ll have a much easier time reminding yourself when it’s time to check them.
How Often Should I Change the Oil?
It may be tempting to go ahead and change your oil after only 3 months or so. However, this isn’t enough time for most oils. Most quality engine oils recommend changing them out every 5,000 miles at the very least – some say even more often than that!
The best way to go about this is to follow the owner’s manual. It will recommend the right amount of time that you should wait before changing your oil, and it also gives a general idea of how often you’ll need to change your oil in the future.
How Often Should I Change the Coolant?
Every coolant system is different, but most manufacturers recommend getting a full coolant checkup once every 2 years at least. Many owner’s manuals, may recommend more frequent changes than that if your vehicle has been put into an extreme situation (if you drive off-road or a lot in wet conditions).
What About Winter Checkups?
Although winter isn’t here yet, some people don’t realize that there are still winter checkups that you can do. If your vehicle is going to be exposed to cold conditions, you may want to consider a coolant flush. This helps prevent damaging deposits from building up over time in the cooling system and causing huge problems for your engine moving forward.
Vehicle Preventive Maintenance Schedule for Tires
Lastly, let’s talk about the best type of vehicle preventive maintenance schedule for tires. One of the first things that you should keep track of is your tire pressure. While this may be an easy thing to overlook, it can have a gigantic impact on how well your tires handle and stop.
How Often Should I Check Tire Pressure?
It’s advised that you check your tire pressure once a month at least. It’s also very important to do so prior to long trips or times when you’ll be driving for several hours at a time. This will make sure that your tire pressure won’t suddenly go out of whack while you’re driving down the highway or through the mountains.
Most Americans drive about 30 miles a day. If you drive significantly more than this, then plan on checking your tire pressure every other week.
Make Your Vehicle Maintenance Schedule
As you can see, there’s a lot that goes into maintaining your new car. From checking fluid levels to maintaining tire pressure, you have to be sure nothing slips through the cracks. Set yourself up for success by creating a vehicle maintenance schedule today.
Remember to reference your owner’s manual when it comes to picking the right time to change the oil. If you change the oil too soon, you’ll wind up wasting your money. Are you ready for more savvy tips? Explore the rest of this site.
