A stitch in time saves nine. This is an old saying that is as good today as it must have been hundreds of years ago, in particular with reference to the maintenance of your car. A lot many people buy new cars by getting them financed without bothering about the cost of maintenance of these cars. It is obvious and natural that moving parts in cars will be subject to wear and tear and need regular checkups and repair or replacements. But if you delay repairs for long as you have not included tem in your financial plans while buying the car, you will pay dearly in the long run.
Skipping monthly car maintenance will cost you in the long run
If you are on a tight budget, it is really tempting to skip on recommended monthly maintenance of your car. This is because there is seemingly no problem with the car and you feel like wasting your money on a routine checkup. However, lapse in maintenance causes big problems in cars that can cause a hole in the pocket of their owners. If you happen to be lucky and avoid a major breakdown, you still pay dearly in terms of reduced lifespan of your car. Regular maintenance not only keeps your car in top running condition but also helps in indentifying future problems to nip them n the bud, to talk in proverbial terms.
Check on the fluid levels
There is no need to remains scared with the word maintenance. It is like going to your doctor for a routine health checkup. You are not going to be billed if there is no problem with your organs, isn’t it? First and foremost in monthly car maintenance is checking on the levels of fluids in your car. There are many different types of fluids used inside your car, and all you need to do during your monthly maintenance is to check on the levels of these fluids. These fluids include, engine oil, brake oil, coolant, power steering fluid, fluid to wash windshield, differential fluid etc. Lower than recommended levels of these fluids can be cause trouble with transmission, engine, cooling system, differential etc. However, if you carry out this monthly check up, you can save yourself a lot of money incurred on repairs later on. Regular changing of oils keeps the engine clean and well lubricated. This means less friction and thus lesser wear and tear of moving parts.
Air pressure is important too
Something as innocuous as low air pressure can cost dearly in terms of poor performance of your car. Keep your tires inflated with the correct air pressure and carry out this routine check up as frequently as you can. You may not know this, but running your car on low air pressure leads to poor mileage of the car costing you more money spent on gas. It is not just air pressure but also the rotations of the tires and their alignment that is very important to keep an eye upon. Of course you cannot do tire alignment on your own but getting tires aligned means your steering and suspension are well aligned thereby not leading to any future problem.
Changing the sparkplugs and filters regularly
If you live in a state where your car has to pass a certain emission test to be declared fit, it pays to keep on changing sparkplugs and filters to not fail such an emission test. Check on the condition of the spark plugs, air filters, hoses, fuel filter, PCV valve etc to reduce emission levels. Clogging of PCV valve can lead to poor mileage, poor acceleration, and even poor power generation. If you find the PCV valve clogged, change it to enhance the performance of your car.