Basic Car Maintenance

So one of the most important pieces of technology that most of us use on a daily basis is often one of the most overlooked, the automobile. While there is a enormous number of drivers across the world, often times people let their cars fall in to a state of disrepair due to poor maintenance. In this guide, I am going to cover a few simple things to keep your car running or get it back in operation. I will be covering fuse replacement, checking your oil and brake fluid, cleaning battery corrosion, refilling air in tires, and replacing fluids. So without further ado, let's get started.

If any of you have ever had a fuse blow on you while driving, you know it can create a multitude of problems ranging from lights or radio cutting out to your dashboard not working. So when this happens, its good to know how to fix it. I had a fuse problem a couple of years ago and have carried a box of assorted fuses with me ever since. For this repair you will only need a pair of needle nose pliers and replacement fuses. The first step is to locate the fuse cover in your car. This will be different for all vehicles and if you are unsure refer to your user manual . once you have located the fuse panel refer to your user manual to find which fuse you need to replace . use a needle nose pliers to remove the burnt out fuse and replace it with a new one once you replace all the fuses you close the panel back up and be on your way .

Checking your oil is something is very important that you should be doing even if your car seems to be running ok. Depending on the age of your vehicle and how much oil it consumes, some people check their oil every time they fill up their gas. To check your oil level first locate the dipstick in your engine bay. Once you located at remove the dipstick and wipe off the ends with a paper towel . once you have cleaned it insert it back and remove it a second time. If the oil level is between the two dots your oil level is within operational limits if it is low you need to add more and if it is how you should probably drain some. To add oil first locate your oil cap. You'll notice printed on the top of the cap is your oil weight. It is very important that you only put this type of oil in your vehicle. Add oil until your oil level is between the two dots.

Checking brake fluid isn't something that you should have to do too often but it so it's crucial to know where love by if you ever notice that your brake oil fluid levels are dropping , You most likely have a leak in your brake lines and should have them repaired . Keeping an eye on your brake fluid levels is just a good idea just to give u some piece night . You'll notice on the side of the reservoir there is a maximum and minimum fluid levels. Just keep it in between these lines and everything will be fine.

Battery corrosion is something that builds up on my battery terminals. It can eat away the wiring that connects your battery to car. To keep it running smoothly you should periodically clean out these battery terminal. To do this all you'll need is some water and baking soda. Expose all their terminal and apply a generous amount of baking soda on each of them. Then pour some water and you should immediately see the reaction taking place . As the baking soda react with the ass in the battery it will create a salt which you should brush away. It's a good idea to unhook your battery during this process to ensure that it's fully cleaned. If you decide to unhook your battery, Be sure that you disconnect the negative (the back one) first so you don't receive a nasty shock. Once it is clean you can connect the battery in reverse order and then you're done.

Keeping your tires properly inflated will help your fuel economy by allowing your car to perform at its optimum efficiency. Normal operation causes air to leak from you tires so they need to be refilled regularly. To check your air in your tires, you need a tire pressure gauge. These are pretty cheap and can be picked up everywhere from gas stations to large shopping centers. Check the air in the by tires removing the air cap and putting the tire pressure gauge over the valve. You should be able to get a tire pressure reading from the gauge. To see if the pressure that you're reading is the current pressure, the recommended pressure is printed on the side of the tire. If the pressure is low fill it until the printed pressure is reached and repeat with the other three tires. You should replace the caps once you're done to protect your valves.

Adding windshield wiper fluid is really helpful to ensure that you can see clearly through your windshield. While there's no gauge to see the levels, the reservoir that holds it is clear plastic so you can easily see how much is in there. While not all reservoirs are labeled, they typically have an icon which indicates that it is for windshield wiper fluid. When it is low refill it to ensure that you can always see out your windshield .

With the maintenance that you done on your car, it will ensure that your vehicle maintain working condition and get you where you need to go. These simple acts of maintenance will not only improve your vehicle's performance but also help to keep you safe. I hope this guide will help keep your car on the road longer and get you to your destination. Thanks for reading!