General maintenance on your vehicle is always a good idea. Although, not everyone has the time to bring their car into the shop for a few days. Cars, most everywhere in America, are a necessity. Outside the dense urban centers, cars are the vessel that gives citizens a way to bring food into the home, commute to work, and carry on with daily life. Now that you know just how important your car is, it is even more important to perform intermittent checks to ensure roadworthiness. Here are four fast and important things to check on your daily driver.
1 – Tire Condition
The most important thing to monitor is your tires. They are what comes in contact with the road and are the most likely part to wear out. Taking three to five minutes bi-monthly to investigate the condition of your tires is incredibly important. If you notice improper wear or tread loss it is a sign you need new tires. If unnoticed you may experience a blowout or even worse, an accident. Save yourself the trouble and take notice of the condition of your tires.
2 – Tire Pressure
In addition to the condition, tire pressure is very important. Properly inflated tires provide you with the highest level of traction as well as better gas mileage. A great way to check tire pressure is to keep a small pressure gauge in your glove compartment. Make sure each tire is inflated to the manufacturer’s recommended pressure, no more or less.
3 – Engine Oil
Your car’s engine is the heartbeat of the vehicle. If provides the power to move forward, and if the engine is the heart, naturally the engine oil is the blood. Just how a blood test can tell you a lot about your body, engine oil can tell you all about your car’s engine. We recommend that before starting your car, you should pop the hood and do a weekly check of the vehicle’s engine oil. By using the long dipstick, you can check the level of the oil and see the color. If the oil is dark it means it is time for an oil change even if it hasn’t been five thousand miles. Trust us, fresh oil will pay off over the lifespan of your car.
4 – Pop The Hood
Looking under the hood of your car may seem silly if you don’t know what you’re looking for, but you would be surprised how much you can tell just from a surface glance. Popping the hood and having a look inside you can see the fluid levels for the brakes, steering, and coolant system. All the reservoirs are translucent with a clearly marked fill line on the side. You can also glance at the belt on the front of the engine and look for any obvious fraying. Lastly, you can look for leaks. If you notice any sort of fluid it can be a sign that you are ok borrowed time. As they always say, a picture is worth a thousand words, so take a mental photo of your engine compartment.
1 – Tire Condition
The most important thing to monitor is your tires. They are what comes in contact with the road and are the most likely part to wear out. Taking three to five minutes bi-monthly to investigate the condition of your tires is incredibly important. If you notice improper wear or tread loss it is a sign you need new tires. If unnoticed you may experience a blowout or even worse, an accident. Save yourself the trouble and take notice of the condition of your tires.
2 – Tire Pressure
In addition to the condition, tire pressure is very important. Properly inflated tires provide you with the highest level of traction as well as better gas mileage. A great way to check tire pressure is to keep a small pressure gauge in your glove compartment. Make sure each tire is inflated to the manufacturer’s recommended pressure, no more or less.
3 – Engine Oil
Your car’s engine is the heartbeat of the vehicle. If provides the power to move forward, and if the engine is the heart, naturally the engine oil is the blood. Just how a blood test can tell you a lot about your body, engine oil can tell you all about your car’s engine. We recommend that before starting your car, you should pop the hood and do a weekly check of the vehicle’s engine oil. By using the long dipstick, you can check the level of the oil and see the color. If the oil is dark it means it is time for an oil change even if it hasn’t been five thousand miles. Trust us, fresh oil will pay off over the lifespan of your car.
4 – Pop The Hood
Looking under the hood of your car may seem silly if you don’t know what you’re looking for, but you would be surprised how much you can tell just from a surface glance. Popping the hood and having a look inside you can see the fluid levels for the brakes, steering, and coolant system. All the reservoirs are translucent with a clearly marked fill line on the side. You can also glance at the belt on the front of the engine and look for any obvious fraying. Lastly, you can look for leaks. If you notice any sort of fluid it can be a sign that you are ok borrowed time. As they always say, a picture is worth a thousand words, so take a mental photo of your engine compartment.
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