1. Schedule Preventative Maintenance

To get the most out of your vehicle, you will need to put preventative maintenance at the top of your to-do list. Preventative maintenance is a must. This is especially true when it comes to the change of seasons. Some tasks need to be urgently taken care of depending on the weather. Some of the preventative maintenance tasks will need to be routinely checked and some of them are more long-term. You want to follow the guidelines set forth by your vehicle’s manufacturer.

You need to care for your car and keep it running properly. Doing these things requires a lot of time and effort. However, you don’t need to be an expert mechanic just to keep your vehicle in good condition. You do need to know what you need to do to keep it running properly though. By understanding the basic needs of keeping your vehicle running well, you should be able to keep it performing as smoothly as possible.

What’s better is that when you maintain your vehicle properly, you only increase its resale value. A prospective car buyer is going to be much more inclined to buy a vehicle from you if you have service records of preventative maintenance. After all, if you took the time and spent the money to maintain the vehicle, chances are high that it’s in great condition.

To make it as easy as possible to track your maintenance schedule, you can use this simple-to-follow checklist. This checklist will help you stay on top of your vehicle maintenance needs.

2. Short-Term Check-Ups

When it comes to keeping your vehicle running well, you need to inspect the following:

Oil and Coolant Levels

These are two things that you need to check on consistently. Ideally, for every couple of gas fill-ups, you should be checking on your car’s oil. This is a good idea because you want to ensure that you aren’t running low. You’ll also want to take a look at your vehicle’s coolant levels at the same time. This can give you a good idea of whether or not you are good to drive your car freely. Having low levels can lead to major engine problems that could have easily been prevented. You’ll want to check your coolant levels while the engine is cool for the best results.

Air Filters

You want to check your engine’s air filter on occasion. Your engine’s air filter is very important because it’s what keeps the air that flows into your engine clean. You want to keep any debris out of your engine. Not to mention, you don’t want a clogged filter that can block optimal airflow to your engine. Both of these things can contribute to issues with your vehicle. You can easily do this right in your driveway. All you need to do is check your vehicle manual’s instructions and you can check to see how often this filter should be swapped out.

Tire Pressure

Having healthy and well-maintained tires is essential to keep your vehicle running smoothly. You want to ensure that the tires have enough air in them. You’ll want to inspect your tires whenever possible to ensure you don’t have a flat and to ensure that you have the best fuel efficiency. It’s always a good idea to check your tire pressure before setting off on any long trip or journey. You also want to ensure that you are checking to see your spare tires pressure too. You don’t want that tire to deflate. It needs to be ready to use when you need it. Keep in mind, that when the weather turns cold, your tire pressure can drop by a full pound every 10 degrees. Therefore, you’ll want to pay extra close attention during the winter months. You can also check the tread on your tires to ensure they aren’t too worn down. This is especially important during the winter months if you are located in an area that gets a lot of snow. Your owner’s manual can give you guidance on how much pressure your tires need. For shock absorbers, make sure it’s still in good condition, or get high-performance ones from Koni UK.

Headlights and Signals

You want to ensure that all of the lights on your vehicle are working. This includes your headlights, turn lights, and even your brake lights. You want everything working because otherwise, you could set yourself up to get a ticket. You also want them working because you need them to drive safely. You can easily check your headlights yourself. However, it can be trickier for your rear lights. You can have your spouse or friend stand behind your vehicle as you press down on your brakes to ensure they are working.

Oil Filter

The oil that is in your vehicle’s engine is very important. It serves different functions. For one, it effectively lubricates all of the moving parts in your vehicle. It also acts as a sealant against any debris and it reduces wear and tears on your engine. Because of this, you want to ensure you keep it as clean as possible to maintain optimal engine health.