Maintaining your car

Not only will it save you money and hassle further down the line but maintaining your car is also about making sure you are safe on the roads. When people hear car maintenance they think about cleaning and polishing and keeping the exterior looking great. Proper car maintenance though, is about making sure your car runs smoothly, efficiently and safely and as much as a good looking exterior helps so does proper maintenance of the engine and other parts help in securing a better resale price. Ensure you perform regular car servicing and your car will last longer, too!

Your owners manual should be able to tell you all that you need to know about keeping your particular car well maintained. There are different tasks that need to be done on either a weekly, monthly or annual basis. Make a list of these and stick to the schedule. Tyres, engine oil, your car battery, braking system and wipers are all basic parts of your car that need to be checked and maintained. The help remember your car maintenance schedule just follow the acronym TOWBIF which stands for Tyres, Oil, Windows, Brakes, belts and battery, Interior and Fluids.

The first thing to check regularly is that your tyre pressure is correct. Try to check, top up or replace all car fluids on a regular basis including coolant, engine oil and transmission fluid. Check that your windows don’t have any cracks and that they are in a decent condition, especially your windscreen. Have faulty wipers replaced before it starts to rain. Brakes need to be checked once a month. If this is not possible have them checked twice a year at least by your local mechanic or brake centre. As soon as you notice anything wrong, take them in to be checked. Because you can’t see what is happening on the outside of your car while you are driving it, remember to regularly check if your lights, brake lights and indicators are all working. If you have a towbar fitted, make sure all the electrics work correctly.

Car maintenance needs to be a habit. This is about sticking to a regular schedule of checking the various workings of your car, including taking it in for a service annually. Keeping your car maintained will save you money later and your life now.