Routine maintenance of your vehicle will help extend its life. Even if you don't intend to keep your car until the end of its life, proper maintenance will mean a higher resale or trade-in value when you're ready to get rid of it.
Even though some routine maintenance procedures might seem like a waste of time and money, you'll save on the much greater costs of mechanical failures associated with vehicle neglect. This is especially true now that cars are so technologically advanced that many do-it-yourself (DIY) auto repairs have become too complex for the casual home mechanic.
All car manufacturers provide manuals with the cars they sell. Your car's manual outlines the ideal maintenance routine for your car's model type. The guidelines provided in this guide are meant to be general, and if you find a contradiction between these guidelines and your car's manual, you should follow the instructions in your manual.
Take changing your car oil, for example--many cars use standard oil that should be changed every 3,000 miles or three months, but certain models require synthetic oil that only needs to be changed every 5,000 miles. If your car manual says to change the oil every 5,000 miles, that's what you should do.
Some procedures are best performed according to mileage intervals and others, by time intervals. Other procedures should be planned based on a combination of both factors. Consider the following examples:
As a general rule, perform the following procedures each time your vehicle reaches the following mileage markers:
As you look after maintenance of your vehicle at these various stages, be sure to replace any parts that show signs of wear and tear.
You can keep track of your car maintenance schedule by making up a car maintenance chart or by setting monthly reminders on your phone, reminding you to check your mileage. Always perform an extra car maintenance check before you plan to go on a long trip.
Many routine maintenance procedures are quite simple and can be performed by people with rudimentary mechanical knowledge and abilities. Other procedures are more complex and require the services of a trained mechanic.
You should only perform a maintenance procedure on your vehicle if feel comfortable doing so and if you know what you're doing. Working blindly can result in an injury or an expensive car repair.
Car repair manuals are available for a number of different makes and models of cars. These manuals outline basic DIY auto repairs and offer detailed step-by-step instructions on changing your car oil, checking your transmission fluid, performing a brake check and a number of other routine maintenance procedures. Car repair manuals are available online or at your local automotive store.
In addition to maintaining the moving parts of your vehicle, keep on top of maintenance to your car's body and paint job. Scratched or worn paint and creeping rust will diminish your car's resale value when it comes time to sell.
You can maintain your car's paint job and prevent rust from forming by polishing and waxing your car at least twice per year. If rust does begin to form, halt its progress immediately with one of the many rust treatment products available.