8 Maintenance Tips to Keep Your Car Healthy

I know you may have heard that expression a few times in your life and for those who don’t know, the phrase “healthy as a horse” means “in excellent health” for humans, and “in excellent condition” for things. It is always important to keep ourselves and our investments healthy by making sure we always take good care of them. Take care of our investments, so we can use and take pride in them and ourselves to make sure we have the capability of enjoying what we’ve invested to.

Show some love to your car by simply taking care of it everyday

One of the most common investments anyone can have is buying a car. It’s difficult, especially with all the monthly payments. Although monthly payments now come in low rates, it is still a monthly responsibility and sometimes it becomes quite hard to keep up. Given this fact that we have to remain responsible for our car, the more we have to take care of it.

We don’t want to spend large amount of money onto something and just use it every day without giving it proper maintenance and care. We sure don’t want to waste our money and watch our investment deteriorate just because we didn’t give it enough attention.

We don’t really have to spend a lot of money to keep our car smooth and shiny. There are actually several things we can do to it every day or as often as possible to ensure it’s going to last long and in excellent condition. Now Philkotse.com will reveal these things for all car users. 

1. Check your battery frequently

Just simply taking a quick inspection under the hood to check how your battery looks, or if there are any corrosions forming on the terminals is a good way to keep your car in good condition. Any form of corrosion can lead to potential damage to other parts. If your battery is already more than two years old and you notice that it already needs frequent charging or you’re having start up issues even with good spark plugs, you should have your battery checked or maybe replaced too. Don't forget to follow Philkotse's instruction on how to safely replace your car battery. 

Battery checking every now and then is a good way to monitor your car's condition

2. Try to open the hood every after you use the car

Opening the hood can help in cooling the engine down and circulate the air within the engine and its other parts which can make all the rubber and plastic parts last longer. Besides this, having air circulate in the engine bay could help save your battery as it will cool down too. This simple act can go along way as you are taking care of your engine.

It won't hurt to open that hood and let the heat out

3. Be observant with how the brakes work

Brakes are one of the most important part of the car as it is responsible for keeping you and your other passengers always safe. With a faulty brake, even if you are just going slowly, you can get yourself engaged in an accident and endanger the lives of your passengers too.

Simple way to keep this part of your car healthy is by being sensitive with how it sounds. Normally, if you step on the brake, it should just stop silently. Once you hear any screeching sound whenever you use it, it’s a sign that it’s already wearing out. Better have it checked or replaced if needed to so you won’t compromise you and your passengers’ safety.

4. Check your tires

There are two things that you should take note when it comes to your car tires – one is the tire pressure, second is the tire tread.

Always keep your tires filled up with the right amount of air to avoid losing tire pressure as you go along your daily travel. As you know and as I’ve mentioned several times before, without the proper pressure, tires will drag your car’s weight and not move as normal which can also compromise your safety. Driving without proper tire pressure can also ruin your car’s tires.

Tire tread is the depth of the lines you see on your tires. This tire treads wear out too as you use your car. Check this once in a while and if you see that the treads are becoming shallow, it’s a sign that your tires may need replacing already. Interestingly, you can use a P1 coin to check your car’s tread depth as a wise trick and also don't forget to read essential tips to know how to prolong the lifespan of the tire. 

Checking your tires regularly also means you're ensuring everybody's safety

5. Don’t forget your scheduled maintenance

Again, anyone should not have any excuse when it comes to “scheduled” maintenance. It’s just once or twice a year and you know it ahead of time. With that, anyone should be able to take a day off to have their car’s fluids changed and other preventive maintenance stuff that needs to be done. Doing this annual or semi-annual thing can save you a lot of money as it prevents mechanical problems on your car.

No excuses: a schedule is a schedule!

6. Be mindful of your wiper blades

This is so simple yet can somehow help your car maintain a healthy lifestyle. Always check if your wiper blades have gone brittle, and doesn’t function right anymore. Once you see that they’re not really able to do their job of clearing the windshield, that’s a good sign that it already needs to be replaced. Replace them as soon as possible. Here is a guidance on when and how to replace your wiper blades.

Check your wiper blades and replace them if necessary

7. Check your lights

Car lights, may it be signal lights, fog lamp, or what not – they are important too. They keep you safe and guide you on the road during dark times, late afternoon, night, until dawn. If you notice that one of them is already not working, please replace them right away.

It is always best to practice checking if all your lights are functioning before you leave the house. This is so you will still have time to replace them in your own personal space. You would prefer that rather than check them while you’re on the road and you have to stop at the side of the street just to change the bulbs.

Faulty lights should be replaced

8. Don’t let the fuel go too low

Keep your fuel at a healthy level or go full tank before driving for a long trip because draining your car’s fuel tank will seriously damage your engine and many other parts. Further more, it will save you time by having a continuous journey rather than stop every once in a while to refill.

Prevention is better than cure. A proper proper car maintenance will help prolong the lifespan of your beloved car and save you from unnecessary repair bills.