Financial Blog

Cars are your best friends when it comes to reaching your desired destinations. They are essential to your everyday lives especially when going places. They provide a sense of comfort and security whenever and wherever. In short, they take care of us but do we care for them? To make sure your cars are running at optimal performance, you should be able to know how and what to maintain. Be aware of what needs attention and address them to keep the car’s performance.

Here are your 5 basic car maintenance checklist for beginners.

Familiarize Yourself with the Owner’s Manual

Make sure to acquaint yourself with the booklet that comes with your car. Here you will find the basics and information regarding anything and everything about your car. It’s important to know items like engine oil, oil filter, timing belts, tires, hoses, reservoirs, etc. These are essential to keeping your car in tip-top shape as long as you follow the recommendations set by the manufacturer.

Check your Tires

Tires are basically your car’s shoes and like your shoes, you want to maintain them as long as possible for them to perform optimally. Always try to check if everything is okay with them from their threads, expiration, and pressure. You can check the PSI needed for at the left side of the driver’s car seat when you open the door or your owner’s manual.  A lot is riding on your tires so you better make sure that they are right because safety comes a long way when you have good-performing tires.

Regularly Check your Oils, Fluids, Belts, and Filters

These are essential to keep your cars running to their best as long as you check on them. You may refer to the owner’s manual on what, when, and which of these needs changing by the time you use them at the end of their capacities. These things make your engine run smoothly so make sure to always fill them up and change them regularly. It is recommended to perform your basic car maintenance after 5,000-10,000 kilometers depending on the materials used by your automobile.

Keep your Brakes and Battery in Check

Brakes should be inspected regularly. Be aware of how your brakes feel and what they sound like when you drive, if they sound or feel different, it’s time to have them checked or replaced by your dealer or trusted mechanic.  The same goes for your battery, which powers up your car. Ensure that everything is running and have power from your headlights, radio, and other electronics found in your car.

Keep your Car Clean

Always clean your car’s interior and exterior. For your exterior, make sure that your car is free from dust and dirt which can damage your paint. Invest in using products that can help maintain its paint either by using car wax, car shampoo, or a good car cover. For the interior, you can use sun shades to protect the material used for the inside of your car. Keep it away from trash or debris that can damage them and invest in using products that can keep them in shape. Also, it is optimal to always manually turn off your headlights and AC before you switch your engine off to keep their longevity as well.

These are just some of the things that you should remember as a car owner. This basic car maintenance checklist for beginners can be your guide to further extending your car’s life span and keeping it in optimum running condition for years to come.