Cleaning, emptying, checking levels, replacing parts ... car maintenance ensures both its performance and your safety. It is essential to maintain your vehicle and the bill can quickly climb: with a few daily tips, save money, and extend the life of your car.
The first years and the first miles of a car aren't the most expensive. To prevent and limit future expenses due to repairs, it is better to respect the technical inspection deadlines at the garage, indicated specifically for each car model. Technical inspection is often recommended every two years.
Without being a mechanic, you can check the fluids and the battery yourself. Check the fluids in your car regularly. Oil, brake fluid and washer fluid should be checked every 6 months. If necessary, you can top up the oil and the washer fluid. If necessary, change the oil filter and the wiper blades. Leave it to a professional to change the brake fluid, coolant, and air conditioning fluid to the level. Also check your battery, checking its cleanliness, charge, and voltage: you will then know whether to change or recharge it. Remember to look under the hood: with a flashlight watch for rust, dirt, bare wires, signs of leaks ... and take the opportunity to also check the bodywork and tire wear.
Try the self-service garage, with the help of a mechanic who can teach you how to change your filters, drain oil, change pads… while greatly saving labor costs.
For vehicle repairs, independent garages are more economical than the garages of major car brands. You can also give a helping hand to apprentice mechanics by entrusting your car to a mechanics school. By paying much less, you will also have promoted their professional training.
Once you know a bit about mechanics, buying spare parts online represents a good saving, both on labor and on the price of the parts. Often, the sites also offer a series of tutorials to build the part like a pro.
The rubbers - seals, silent-block ... - hardly withstand frost, and plastics are damaged when exposed to high heat. Remember to protect your vehicle from both cold and heat by taking care to return it to the garage, or even park it in a place sheltered from the wind in winter and the sun in summer. Protective covers, car mats, sun visors, windshield protectors ... car accessories are a significant solution.
Car maintenance also involves its cleanliness. Wash your car regularly to prevent stains from getting stuck and damaging the body. The mud that settles under the chassis, the salt of the roads in winter, a prolonged stay in the sea ... if your car is tough, rinse it with a jet without delay, passing well below, to fight against corrosion.
Bad driving habits can also affect the longevity of the vehicle. When the engine is still cold, do not rev up too quickly: you accelerate slowly. On the contrary, once the car has driven well, we can increase the number of revolutions per minute to clean. Do not keep your foot on the clutch, limit slippage, and before changing gears, disengage completely.
Covering long journeys is a good way to keep your car in good health: when driving for a long time, the engine gets dirty, and the battery charges as well as possible.
Don't forget your air conditioning. Every month, run your air conditioning for at least 5 minutes to maintain good lubrication. If the engine heats up too much when you are driving, switch off the air conditioning instead: it increases the engine temperature.
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