Would you like that if your car stuck in the middle of the road while you’re late for work?
Do you like to hear strange noises coming from the vehicle?
What if you are going on a picnic and your car tire burst for no reason?
Maintaining your vehicle daily can be both cost-effective and worthwhile. Not only does it help you avoid big mechanical problems that would otherwise necessitate expert repair, but it also results in a better-performing and cleaner vehicle on the track.
Best Checklist Car Maintenance By ADCash4Cars
Here is a checklist to review to optimize the value and life of your vehicle. Any areas of the car should be tested daily, while others should only be checked in the long run. Still keep track of the vehicle’s maintenance plan and service intervals.
Keep Your Car Live Longer
Basic car maintenance tips can assist you in keeping your vehicle going for longer. There are several benefits of good car servicing.
- Keeping the car in good working order will make it run longer.
- When you wish to sell your car, it can also help you get a better resale price.
Get to know the owner’s manual.
Many drivers disregard their owner’s manual, but consider this: if you purchased any device, will you immediately begin using it without reading all of the instructions?
Starting with your vehicle owner’s manual is one of the easiest places to read about your car and the everyday maintenance it needs. Any vehicle’s owner’s manual has a comprehensive maintenance portion that covers anything from routine oil adjustments to checking the tire pressure. You will normally locate an original owner’s manual online if you don’t have one.
Regularly visit the scheduled car servicing
Your owner’s manual will have the information regarding the recommended schedule for car maintenance and servicing. Basic car repair usually entails inspecting or repairing components such as wires, spark plugs, oils, and serpentine belts. Some sections only need to be checked once a year, while others can be checked monthly.
It’s possible that scheduling repair services with your dealer are the safest option. It will favor your car because your car dealer would have the expertise and parts necessary to keep your vehicle in good working order.
Dealers also place a sticker on your car that provides a note of the date of your next servicing. Or some dealers may log files to keep track and inform you via mail or phone call about the next car servicing.
You’ll get a full-service history with the car if you take it to the same dealer for repairs. A well-kept vehicle with current paperwork and servicing history fetches a higher resale value. If you plan to sell, you will be able to get a higher price.
Checklist for Car servicing and Maintenance
Basic auto repair goes a long way toward extending the life of your engine. Regular maintenance also identifies possible problems ahead of the scheduled servicing, potentially saving you money and avoiding costly bills.
The batteries, brakes, tires, petrol, and electricity, as well as clean inside and out, are the most important things to check.
We’ve made a handy car repair guide to help you maintain track of your vehicle maintenance schedule.
Daily Checkup When You Drive
- Fuel
- Exterior dust cleaning
Weekly Checkup
- Battery
- Lights
- Exterior cleaning
- Interior cleaning
Monthly Checkup
- Tyre Pressure
- Tread Depth
- Engine Oil
- Coolant
- Power steering fluid
- Transmission fluid (manually)
- Windscreen washer fluid
Every 3 months checkup
- Inspect belts
- Radiator hoses
- Change oil
- Car cables
- Change oil filter
Every 6 months Checkup
- Engine air filter
- Car batteries
- Rotate tires
Yearly Checkup
- Transmission fluid (professional checkup)
- Replace cabin and engine air filters
- Oil hinges
- Brakes
- Vehicle Alignment
Car Safety Checklists
- Working Seatbelts
- Working Headlights, Parking Lights, indicators, brake lights, reverse lights
- Working Handbrake
- Cracked Windscreens & mirrors
- Windscreen wipers – for a seasonal checkup
- Working Horn
- Engine oil, radiator coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid, gearbox oil, windscreen washer fluid
- Enough tire pressure, tread depth, and treadwear
- Spare tire & jack
- Car toolkit
Also, Check
- Unusual engine noises
- Fan belts are making no squeaking sound on start-up
Importance of Oil and Fluid changes
Getting an oil change is a quick and easy way to keep the car in decent working order. A significant mechanical problem will occur if the engine’s moving parts are not well lubricated with clean oil. In reality, failing to change your oil will void your warranty and lead to engine failure. You’ll have to pay thousands of money to repair the issue if anything happens.
You can also replace your oil filter when you change your oil. It protects your engine from dirt and other pollutants that could choke or ruin your engine if they get into your gasoline.
Check the Tyres
When it comes to inspecting the tires, make sure to check the pressure as well as the tread width.
Low tire pressure can lead to unsafe driving conditions and early tire wear, leading to blowouts. Over-inflating tires, on the other hand, will result in poor grip and performance when the tread and tire walls become too stiff.
Having the tires rotated is the perfect way to achieve more even wear and tear.
You can also check the car alignment and the orientation of the wheels every few rotations. Keeping the car’s tires and wheels healthy and aligned would help keep it in good working order.
Replace the Wipers
Wiper blades take a beating in the Australian weather, and they don’t do any better in the baking summer heat. When you’re changing your tires, replace your wipers as well. You’ll have decent vision all year long without stains on your windows if you do it this way.
Blades that are less expensive will generally need to be replaced every six months, while good-quality blades will last two to three times longer.
Change Engine Air Filter and Cabin
You don’t want to breathe in dust, and neither does your car! Changing the cabin and engine air filters will improve the performance of your vehicle.
Any debris or other pollutants pulled into your engine with the air will impair its efficiency. That’s why, for a cleaner engine, it’s important to repair a rusty or dusty filter.
Keep Your Car Exterior and Interior Clean and Shiny
Washing your car exterior not only leaves it looking nice, but it also helps to preserve the new car shine. Waxing the car after cleaning it every few months will not only keep it shiny but will also keep the paint in good condition and reduce the risk of corrosion.
Allowing soil and dust to accumulate in the interior will also make you more vulnerable to illness.
Maintaining the cleanliness of your car both inside and out protects your savings, and you’ll reward yourself later when your resale value is at its peak.
Get Your Car Battery Checked Now and Then
A car battery is one of the most important components in keeping your vehicle running. It provides a significant amount of electrical current to the car’s starter, engine, and other electronic components. Extreme temperatures have an impact on battery life, so monitoring it daily would ensure that it will work when you need it.
Examine the battery and cables for damage caused by leaked fluid. The battery’s output would be harmed by any of these, and cleaning corrosion is easy.
You may also purchase a battery tester or a jump starter to add to your toolbox.
Common blunders that can result in vehicle damage
Have you ever wondered that some drivers appear to be able to keep their cars on the road indefinitely while others seem to trash them in no time?
Some of us take the time to inspect fluid levels, tire pressure, battery, and parking lights for proper running, while others take our vehicles for granted. After all, vehicles are designed to be driven. Here are few common blunders that can damage your vehicle.
Not Going for regular Car Maintenance
Ignorance will quickly transform your new car into an unappreciative pile of garbage, particularly if it becomes a habit. The owner’s manual of your car establishes a maintenance schedule for a cause.
Using Brakes your way down a long Slope/Hill
When brake pads get warmer, they wear out quicker, and the only way to get them very hot is to ride them all the way down a long slope/hill. Alternating between stopping and releasing the brake is a safer process.
Neglecting the Dashboard Warning Lights
Those distracting flickering engines or other lights on your dashboard are nothing more than an alert, and they should be overlooked before something terrible occurs. Those pesky lights are usually warning you that something bad is about to happen to your vehicle’s engine or another critical feature. If a dash light turns on when you’re driving, fix it right away, and don’t ignore it any longer!
Cleaning your engine with a pressure washer is not a good idea
Pressure washers are perfect for washing the dirt off your car exterior, but not so much for cleaning your car engine. A pressure washer can easily break or loosen the cable, hoses, wires, or other sensitive engine components.
Check the Vehicle’s Fluid regularly
This is perhaps the most common error that car owners make, and it’s difficult to tell when fluid levels are approaching unsafe levels. Mechanics also see cars with low coolant or engine oil to the point that the dipstick does not show.
Another frequent mistake is not changing the oil before it gets thick black in density and replacing the oil filter now and then.
Neglecting these mistakes can result in severe engine damage, so it’s crucial to stick to a frequent maintenance plan and change the oil if necessary.
The Transmission Shift While Car Is on the Run
When the car is already running, avoid turning the gear from drive to reverse or the other way around. By telling your gears to do the same work as a brake, you’re literally putting them under a lot of stress. Transmissions are costly to repair, and this kind of jerky behavior will easily kill an automatic transmission.
Neglecting the Strange Sounds Coming from the Car
Strange sounds coming from your car can tell a lot about the start of the problem. For example, clunker sound from the engine, squeaking sound from the door hinges whenever you open the doors, high-pitched squealing sound from brakes, and whining sound from the bad transmission.
Make sure to check the above noises coming from your car and get it checked before it can cause serious damage.
Ignoring to apply the parking brake
Whether you’re parked on a steep hill or relatively flat terrain, always use the parking brakes as they can relieve the unnecessary pressure on the engine.
Make a habit of using your parking brakes, and you will surely make your car live longer.
Not Letting your car cool down after it overheats
You may not find it problematic, but vehicle overheating is a serious issue.
The problem might be with the cooling mechanism, which prevents heat from escaping the engine compartment. A cooling system leak, a defective radiator fan, a damaged water pump, or a clogged coolant hose may cause the problem. These problems can lead to a blown head gasket.
So, stop the car if the thermostat on your car shows overheating.
Ignoring to turn off the car accessories
Make a habit of switch off your windscreen wipers, stereo, AC, and all other accessories before turning off your car. Or, if by any means you forget to turn off these accessories, make sure to switch off AC, stereo, and wipers before starting your vehicle. As a result, the engine won’t have to work as hard to get started.
DIY Car Maintenance
People are trying to maintain their cars at home more than ever before. DIY ventures will save you a lot of money and give you the satisfaction of putting your talents to good use and understanding exactly what has to be fixed and why.
Change the Headlight Bulb
A broken headlight is a safety threat that could result in a ticket.
Your car’s headlights are important safety lights. Consider taking a few extra precautions to help them stay bright and lit up, such as washing the glass and removing bulbs as they begin to fade. Follow the steps to change the headlight bulb.
- Turn off the engine
- Open the bonnet (engine compartment)
- Disconnect the headlight bulb wires
- Take out the old headlight bulb by unscrewing it
- Screw the new headlight bulb
Replacing a Battery
The method of removing the old battery and replacing it with a new one is fairly easy. It doesn’t need several special instruments, and if you follow the simple planning steps ahead of time, the process can be completed easily.
- Rubber gloves will add a slight level of protection when working with power, even though it isn’t necessary to remove the battery.
- When replacing the old battery, take caution. If it’s broken and/or leaked, you may want to hire a specialist to fix it.
- Open the hood of the vehicle.
- Pull the cables away from the terminals. You will need a wrench to remove the cable-free.
- Loosen the battery
- Remove the battery by lifting it out.
- Clamps should be cleaned. Remove any rust, dust, or residue from the clamps before installing the battery.
- Replace the new battery.
- Reconnect the cables to the terminals.
- Start the engine, and you are done!
Changing Windshield Wiper blades
Regardless of vehicle make or model, windshield wiper blades should be replaced every six months to a year. In reality, if you see any of the following: stripes or scratches on the windshield, chattering sounds, season transition, or noticeable wear, they can need to be replaced more regularly.
- Identify the blade’s unlatching mechanism.
- Remove the faulty wiper blade from its latch.
- A rubber optimizer pad is included with some replacement blades. Clean the wipers with this optimizer before mounting them.
- Make sure the wiper blade’s rubber side is free of the plastic protector.
- Replace the wiper blades and lock them in place.
Replacing the air filter
When you find a drop-in gas mileage or a sluggish start when starting the engine, the only way to know when to adjust the air filter is to do a visual check.
An air filter replacement is a low-cost repair that will save you money on fuel, so it’s well worth checking every month.
- Open the bonnet and locate the black plastic air filter box
- Remove the filthy air filter from the air filter box.
- Replace the air filter. In the filter box, position your filter. Ascertain that it fits snugly in the box. Snap the clips shut and close the top of the case.
- That’s it. Your engine will no longer be gasping for air.
To Conclude
Depending on where you work, protecting your vehicle will make it last longer. Keeping the vehicle away from the sun and other outdoor conditions will extend the longevity of the paint job by many years. It’s even a good idea to thoroughly have it clean the interior and exterior on a weekly or monthly basis.
Your owner’s manual contains all of the details you’ll need to keep your vehicle in top working order. Remember that simple auto repairs will save you a lot of money in the long term while still preserving the value of your vehicle. As a result, remember these car repair tips!
You have no excuse now not to keep the care of your car! if you want to get rid of your vehicle, Get in touch with our cash for cars Adelaide OR cash for cars Sunshine Coast services
