The Year Round Car Maintenance Check List

Through out the entire year, your car needs to be maintained in order to perform its best. If you want to maintain your car, you are going to have to do a little bit of work. Car maintenance is fairly easy for even beginner drivers to perform, and takes only a minimal level of skill to successfully employ. This list will give you all the tips and parts required in order to perform a successful car maintenance check, no matter what the time of the year may be.

Check the Oil Level and Quality

Every vehicle has an oil dip stick for a purpose. You want to check your oil frequently, at least once a month. What you are looking for are two things; the level and the quality. The color of your oil should be caramel, or light. Dark oil is burnt and needs to be changed. If your oil does not need to be changed, simply top it off if the reading is below the desired level on your oil dip stick.

Check the Fluid Levels

Just as with oil, there are dip sticks for nearly every liquid in your car, besides the gasoline. To check fluid levels, you will want to use these and measure how close to the desired level they are. If they are too low, top them off. If the liquids look too dark, or dirty, then chances are it is time to change them.

Check the Battery

The seasons can have an impact on your cars’ battery, as can simply driving your vehicle. To check your battery you are going to need your eyes only. This is best done when the car is cool and you are going to looking for any corrosion, or rot, around the clamps and terminals, and fraying in the cables. Cracks in the case, water, and dirt on the battery are other problems that will need to be addressed as well. If you notice any of this, it is time to bring your car in to have the battery changed.

Check Your Brakes

Brake work is best left to professionals, but you can check your brakes in the most basic sense without any risk. Simply drive around like normal, but pay extra attention to your brakes. If you think that you are having to use more pressure to stop, or that it is taking longer for your vehicle to come to a complete stop, or even that the brake pedal is a bit too loose, it is time to bring your car in to have the brakes looked at. This should be done regularly as well.

Check Your Tires

Performing tire inspections is actually fairly easy to do. What you are looking at is the tread of the tire which can be tested with a simple penny. Put the penny with Abe Lincoln’s face toward you, head down, into a groove of the tire. If the penny fits in up to Abe’s eyes, your tread still has some life left in it. If you can see the top part of Abe’s head, it’s time to get new tires on your vehicle.