Regular car maintenance is a must, as with any machine. It takes some effort to maintain your car, but you don’t have to be a mechanical genius to do it. Work, family obligations, and dozens of other commitments lead to people forgetting about basic car maintenance.
By understanding when and what to service throughout the year, you can enhance the safety and performance of your vehicle. As a result, you will also save on engine repairs, and its resale value will increase.
In this blog, we are going to explore what kind of maintenance a car needs. But before that, we need to understand the difference between car maintenance and car repair.
Read How to Find a Car Repair Specialist?
Car Maintenance vs Repair
Car maintenance and repair have a realistic and appropriate difference. Taking care of cars regularly will prolong their life and limit the need for repairs or incidents. In most cases, cars can last well beyond 100k miles if they are properly maintained and cared for.
Despite the fact that excellent car maintenance can reduce and even eliminate car repair, accidents do happen on the road, so it is not completely foolproof.
Standard Car Maintenance Routine
Car maintenance is scheduled according to time intervals or mileage. Generally speaking, you should get your car’s oil changed every 5,000–7,000 kilometers or once every six months. Get it checked out as soon as possible if you think there may be a problem. For brand-specific maintenance suggestions, consult your owner’s manual.
Oil and filter replacements, fluid checks and top-offs, tire rotation, air and fuel filter replacement, and brake inspections are all part of routine auto maintenance. It is also an opportunity to check for any additional difficulties that may arise in the future.
1. Change Oil and Oil Filter
Cars are complex machines with multiple small and large parts. As a machine that can move, a car obviously has several moving parts. Lubricants ensure the smooth operation of these parts in a car; they prevent friction between them. Here’s where oil and oil filters come into play. Use high-quality oils; as we know, the UAE is the largest oil producer in the world.
As dust and other contaminants accumulate over time, oil and oil filters should be replaced after prolonged use. You can successfully change your car’s oil and oil filter even if you’re a beginner.
2. Check The Pressure Of Tires
A smart preventive measure is to monitor your tire pressure. Tires that are properly inflated can not only increase their lifespan but also improve their performance. If the tires have too much air, they will ride stiffly, bounce around, and wear out more quickly in the center. The tire will wear faster along the outside edges of its perimeter if there is too little pressure and too much tire.
The recommended tire pressure can usually be found on the driver’s side door pillar or in your owner’s manual. You should follow this pressure, not the tire’s pressure rating, which is generally the recommended maximum pressure, which varies from vehicle to vehicle.
3. Engine & Cabin Air Filter Replacement
You and your car need clean air to breathe while on the road, so your engine and cabin air filters play a key role in ensuring this. By preventing debris from entering the engine during air intake, the engine air filter keeps the engine clean. Smog, dust, and pollen are prevented from entering your vehicle’s passenger cabin by the cabin air filter.
A new air filter should be installed approximately every 12 months or 12,000 miles – or whenever they become dirty.
4. Keep Your Battery In Check
Faulty or flat batteries frequently cause battery breakdowns, so change your car’s battery every three years. The engine turns over more slowly than usual when you start it, which is a sign of battery failure. You may also notice that the red battery light in the instrument display flickers while driving or takes longer than usual to go out.
The battery needs to be carefully disconnected, and you also need to know how to clean the terminal contacts as needed. Don’t forget to detach the battery’s negative terminal first. By doing this, you can efficiently turn off the electricity and lower the risk of an accident.
Now reconnect after using a brush that is safe to use on batteries to clean the connections. Connect the positive first this time. You may extend the battery’s life by cleaning it occasionally.
5. Spark Plugs
The spark plug plays a critical role in ensuring engine efficiency, but they are prone to buildup, which ultimately affects the engine’s performance. Check your owner’s manual to find out how often spark plugs need to be changed.
A copper spark plug has a longer center electrode than an iridium one. The cost of iridium plugs is higher, but the spark is better, and the plugs last longer. Ensure your spark plugs don’t have black electrodes and tips due to engine crud. If that’s the case, either clean it or replace it.
6. Check The Condition Of Wipers
You won’t be able to see if you are driving in inclement weather if your windshield wipers are old and worn out. It’s a good idea to replace your wipers before you need to do a bigger repair job.
You should replace the wipers if your windshield is still dirty after running them. For instance, if you see streaks after using the wipers, you might need new ones. It is easy and inexpensive to replace wipers.
7. Front and Rear Differential
The differentials are devices that allow the engine to split the torque—or power—from the engine and send it to the tires. A front-wheel or rear-wheel driven vehicle has only one differential, whereas an all-wheel drive or 4-wheeled vehicle has a front and rear differential, as well as a center differential. Your differential needs to be lubricated as often as possible to ensure proper operation, just like many other parts of your vehicle. Professionally check and change your vehicle’s fluid whenever the manufacturer recommends it.
Final Words
Keep your car running smoothly by looking under its bonnet, listening for unusual car noises, checking under the car for strange leaks, following your owner’s manual’s service schedule, and addressing small problems before they turn into major ones.
Regardless of how well-maintained your vehicle is, it may break down unexpectedly. If you are in this situation, consider getting roadside assistance from Al Zaabi Autocare.
We hope the blog “What kind of maintenance does a car need” will help you a lot!
FAQs
What is general maintenance on a car?
You should replace worn or overused parts such as brake pads, window wiper blades, drive belts, timing belts, spark plugs, and air and fluid filters. Inspect the belts and hoses of the car for damage. There can be a larger problem if there are punctures.
How often should I maintain my car?
There is a general rule of thumb that the regular maintenance on a vehicle should begin at 5,000 miles and continue every 5,000-10,000 miles after that.
Which car is hard to maintain?
It can be extremely difficult to maintain a luxury SUV like the Mercedes-Benz G Class. Additionally, performing the necessary maintenance requires a highly skilled mechanic who specializes in this type of vehicle.
What is the most important part of car maintenance?
Changing your car’s oil regularly is one of the most important car maintenance tasks. Check your owner’s manual to find out how often you should do this. Most vehicles require an oil change every six months or 5,000 miles (whichever comes first), but this can vary depending on the vehicle and the additives used in the oil.
