You can protect your car with all of the available accessories, but if you are not keeping up to date with your annual car maintenance, you will not be giving your car enough of your attention to make sure that it is in the best possible condition.
Car maintenance is a must for any car, and it is the one most important thing that you can do in order to keep your car running properly. Some maintenance is a little more intricate than others, but for the most part, what you need every year is a basic once over, to ensure that everything is working just as it should be. Generally, if you are not on the road every day you can get away with delaying your service or skipping some parts of it, but there is so much more to a car service than the inner workings that you would want to have a mechanic take care of.
A lot of car maintenance is a lot easier to do than you think, and some of it you might want to think about doing on a more regular basis than just once a year.
To help you get going with your car maintenance plan, you can use this easy check list.
- Check your tyres every month
Most of us have a bit of a habit of checking our tyre pressure each time we put in fuel. It has become a part of the ritual of going to a petrol station. You’ll ask for fuel, and if not every time then at least once each month, you will ask the attendant to have a look at your oil, your water and your tyre pressure. Or you will do this yourself.
To add more to this element, it would help to also check for problematic wear and tear as well as anything that might later cause a puncture.
- Annual mechanic visit
Not everyone has the time or the skill to be changing things like the oil and air filters, but it must be done if you want to keep your vehicle functioning optimally. Ideally, you should mark a date in your calendar once a year to take your car to your mechanic and let them give your car a full once over, changing the oil and air filters and doing anything else that you might need but find yourself unable to do yourself.
- Look at your belts and hoses
All it takes is for your cam belt to snap while on the road for your whole car to come to a shuddering halt. Belts snap and hoses crack, but you can give them a quick once over to see what kind of condition they are in. If there is cracking or noticeable wear and tear, take your car in for a service.
- Listen to your brakes
If your brakes are making noises you are not used to, it is a sign that something might be wrong and need to be repaired. If you hear any sound that has you worried, it is best to check it out.
- Replace your wipers
It is usually only when the first rains after the winter start pouring down that you remember you need new wiper blades. Make a habit of once a year having a close look at your blades and if they have signs of wear and tear, don’t take a chance, replace them.
And to give your car a protective treatment, you can contact us at Protect-a-Car today to discuss your needs.
