Basic Car Care Maintenance 101 Includes Oil Change

Maintaining your car's engine is essential to protecting the investment you have in your car. There are a lot of preventative measures you can take to protect your car from major problems and breakdowns. Regular oil changes for example can help maintain your vehicle's integrity and catch problems early on.

When you have an oil change done on your car you should also make sure that the mechanic changes out your oil filter as well, whether it needs it or not. If you can keep your oil filter and your oil change on the same schedule you will know that both of them are being properly maintained and you won't have to juggle maintenance schedules around.

In addition to changing your oil on a regular basis, you should also check your oil on a regular basis in between changes. Park your car on a level location and make sure your engine is cool before you attempt change her check your oil. Next will out the dipstick and wipe clean with a rag and reinsert it into the oil vestibule. When you pull it out the next time check it to see where your oil level lies. If you're low on oil it's important to add oil as soon as possible and not continue driving because if you forget about it you could be driving on empty which will seize up your engine.

Other things that you can check their just as important and maintain your car include your air filter, your brake fluid, and your coolant levels. Make it a habit to spend five minutes doing your checks on a regular basis. Even a novice mechanic can check and air filter to ensure that it is not clogged and dirty and if it is, it's a simple matter to have an auto parts shop give you the replacement based on the make and model of your car. It's also easy to eyeball your brake fluid levels if your brake fluid is in a container that is semi clear. If you're uncomfortable deal of anything with your brakes, make sure you at least have your car looked at once or twice a year by a trusted mechanic who can check these things for you and make sure your car is running properly.

Finally your coolant may be just as important as your oil when it comes to keeping your car's engine cool both of these fluids work together to keep parts running smoothly and keep your car from overheating. Your engine can become very hot when it is running and went out the proper coolant and oil levels your car can easily overheat or your engine could seize up and stop running altogether.

Maintaining your car isn't hard and it isn't even very time-consuming so there's no excuse for ignoring important fluid checks and not taking your car in for a timely oil change to keep everything running smoothly.