13 Car Maintenance Tips to Save You Money
Check your spare tire.
It’s just as important to keep the backup tire inflated as it is the four tires under your car. The last thing you want is to discover your spare is flat while you’re pulling the jack out of your trunk. It’s better to spend a dollar at the air pump every few months to inflate your spare than to spend hundreds on a tow truck in your time of need.
Change the oil.
How much can skipping oil changes affect your budget? Oh, plenty. Oil problems can be some of the costliest car maintenance issues to fix, since oil affects pretty much everything your car does. For the price of a family dinner at a higher-end fast food joint, you’ll lower the risk of wearing out your engine—which costs a lot more than burgers and fries to replace.
Keep the battery clean.
Over time, corrosion (which looks like white or bluish powder) can form on the terminals of your car’s battery (those little metal knobs on top). If you don’t keep them clean, the battery could develop a crack or simply not function, leaving you stranded.
Replace the brake pads.
Do you hear a squeaking sound when you hit the brakes? If so, your brake pads could be on their last legs. We know that the price tag may seem hefty. But this isn’t something to mess around with. You can’t just screech to a stop with your feet like Fred Flintstone. Don’t get in an accident. Keep your brakes working.
Replace your cabin air filter.
Your car’s cabin air filter keeps pollutants from coming in through the vents. It’s a pretty important job, so treat your air filter well. Plus, using an old air filter long past its life can lead to major problems for your air conditioning system. And trust us, you don’t want that.
Get new windshield wipers.
Depending on the make and model of your car, buying new windshield wipers can run. While that seems like a hefty price tag for something so small, this is another time when safety is the priority. After all, if you can’t see the road, you really shouldn’t be driving. It. Isn’t. Safe. Repairing or replacing your car after a crash will cost you way more than new wipers.
Get your tires rotated.
Did you know you can easily extend the life of your tires just by rotating them every so often? It’s true! The tires on your car don’t wear down the same way.
Check the shocks, springs and struts.
The suspension system is one of those intricate parts of your car that you probably don’t think about—until it stops doing its job and makes your ride bouncier than a trampoline park. If you find that one of the shocks needs to be replaced, go ahead and replace all four of them. Yeah, it sucks, but it’s better in the long run for the overall life and well-being of your car.
Check your coolant.
If you don’t stay on top of changing your coolant, you run the risk of serious corrosion inside your car. Which is both gross and damaging. The coolant affects everything from the heater and air conditioner to the radiator and water pump. For something that impacts that much of your car’s overall health, you don’t want to skip the maintenance on this one.
Check your spark plugs.
If your engine is giving you trouble, one of the common reasons (and easy fixes) is the spark plugs. And guess what?
Inspect your belts and hoses.
Giving your belts and hoses a once-over can save you from a huge mechanic bill later down the road. Worn-down belts can cause other damage to essential parts of your car. And if you have a weak radiator hose, it could go belly-up completely, which would cause your engine to overheat and not run at all. And running is kind of a car engine’s main job.
Check your headlights, turn signals, brake and parking lights.
Tickets are expensive and can jack up your car insurance costs. Also, your lights are another important safety feature. They help you see and communicate with other drivers. Skip the tickets. Stay safe. Check your lights.
Do the emissions inspection.
Depending on the state or even county you live in, your car may be required to pass a state emissions inspection. By keeping up with the necessary car maintenance on your vehicle, it should pass with flying colors. But if it doesn’t get a gold star, that’s something you want to know too. The emissions facility will tell you what failed and what needs to be fixed so your car can fully pass the inspection—so it’s safe and road-ready.
comments 0