*This is a contributed post*
Taking care of your car is an essential skill which can help you to save money on big repairs and to keep your car in the best condition for longer. You should take your car to the garage for big problems, but also for regular maintenance. As well as having a good mechanic, you should also learn some simple habits to keep your car well maintained.
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- Never miss your service. Your car’s service should never be skipped, as it keeps your car safe to drive. When your car goes in for service, a mechanic will check for any minor issues or the beginnings of issues, and fix them before they develop into larger repairs. You can take your car to a specialist for repairs, like an Audi Accident Repair Centre.
- Keep an eye on your fluid levels. Check the levels of your motor oil, power steering fluid, and coolant and top it up to maintain the performance of your vehicle. To learn how to check and maintain your fluid levels, check your owner’s manual or ask your mechanic.
- Read your owner’s manual. There’s a lot to learn about taking care of a car, and nobody can remember it all. By reading your manual, you can learn to do all sorts of things, like check your tire pressure, properly fit a car seat, and refill your engine coolant.
- Pay attention to warning lights. Cars have a lot of different sensors that trigger warning lights that will alert you to a range of different problems, from a missing gas cap to low air pressure in your tires. Learn what these different warning lights mean and what you need to do if one comes on. If you can’t find and correct the problem yourself, take your car to a mechanic if a light comes on.
- Check your tire pressure. Keeping your tires at the right pressure is important to help your car to handle properly. It also prevents the tires from wearing prematurely or failing entirely. Tires lose air every day, so you need to keep an eye on it. Many cars have a tire pressure warning system, but this only comes into effect when the tire pressure drops to a very low level which is already dangerous. Instead of waiting for the warning system, check your tire pressure monthly yourself and add air if needed. Make sure you never overinflate your tires, as this is just as dangerous as leaving them underinflated.
- Pay attention to how the car drives. You should be familiar with how your car feels to handle when it’s running normally. If you can do this, it will be simpler to notice when something has gone wrong. You might notice something strange like a vibration, shudder, or hesitation, which can be a sign that something has gone wrong with the car. If you become aware of anything different, take notes of the time and conditions when the symptom happens so you can tell your mechanic.