Unless you want to find yourself stuck on the side of the road with a car problem that could have been prevented, you will want to take advantage of the following three tips for car maintenance. Whether you do these suggestions yourself or have a mechanic, like those at 59 Auto Repair, do it for you, they need to be take care of.
Keep An Eye On Your Wheels
This means much more than just make sure that you are not driving on tires to the point that the tread is gone and wires are showing. You will want to visually inspect your tires about once a week or so. Look for uneven wear of the tires, such as if the inner portion of the tire treat is wearing down a lot faster than the outer side. You will also want to pay attention to the direction your vehicle drifts if you slightly let go of the wheel while driving slowly with no other traffic around. Vehicles should not dramatically drift to one side or another. Such signs may indicate that your wheels need to be properly aligned.
Immediately Fix All Fluid Leaks
Even if it appears that the fluid leak is a slow one, it needs to be fixed right away. As vehicles get older, so do the rubber lines that run the fluids from one part to the next. Occasionally having to replace those lines is nothing short of regular maintenance that has to be done to a vehicle. Do not make the mistake of assuming that you will simply be able to keep an eye on the leak and add more fluid as it is needed. Not only is this the more expensive route to take, as the small cost of fluid will quickly add up over the months, but it puts your vehicle at risk for further damage. For example, if the small crack in a rubber line turned into a complete break, you could lose all of your oil, and blow out the motor before you even knew that the condition of the line got worse.
Tend To The Illuminated Check Engine Light Right Away
Too many people make the mistake of assuming that as long as their vehicle is driving just fine, they can ignore the check engine light that just suddenly appeared on their dash. This is a terrible mistake. This light is an indicator of many small maintenance repairs that need done to the extreme mechanical failures and you won't know which it is until you allow your mechanic to look up the codes that the sensor is putting out there. It may be that your gas cap is no longer sealing properly when you put it back on, as this is a maintenance issue that can come up from time to time. It might also be a sign that you have an oxygen sensor going bad and that it needs replaced before you are no longer able to start your vehicle.
As you can see, there are a few good tips that you need to make sure that you are keeping in mind. This way, you will be able to feel more comfortable in the fact that your vehicle should remain in great condition.
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