We’re so used to cellphones, TVs, laptops, and household appliances that don’t need regular checkups or maintenance, survive until they don’t, and then get trashed and replaced that it’s tempting to imagine our vehicles are the same. We’re always busy.
Vehicles today aren’t electronics. They’re highly sophisticated mechanical devices with thousands of pieces, many of which move up, down, or around. Naturally, they roll on inflatable rubber tires. Some of these components need occasional maintenance, while others need replacement.
Maintaining your everyday wheels has various benefits. Regular maintenance costs less than major repairs. It’s also reassuring to know that your car, SUV, or truck is in good condition, regardless of age or usage. Well-maintained vehicles last longer and retain greater value. Thus, maintain your car and it will maintain you.
You don’t have to be a car aficionado or mechanically inclined to maintain your car. It’s quick. Six simple checks can save costly repairs and keep your vehicle running smoothly for years.
We’ve supplied images to help you discover under-hood components to inspect. Read your owner’s manual to find these things on your vehicle and learn the manufacturer’s servicing recommendations.
How’s the Oil Level?
Your car’s engine can’t function without oil. Never let your car’s oil become too low because it keeps everything operating smoothly. Most modern vehicles have engines that are so well made and sealed that they can go much beyond the oil change interval without consuming any oil at all.
You should check to see if your car falls outside the norm, though. Alternatively, perhaps your car is an older model and requires oil. What you need to do to make sure your oil is good to go:
- Check that the car’s ignition is off. Take the cover off. In most cases, the release will be located under the driver’s side dashboard, while the safety catch will be situated behind the hood’s lip.
- Pull out the (often clearly labeled) engine oil dipstick. (To make it stand out, it’s typically colored yellow). Once you’ve finished wiping the end, you can put the dipstick back into its sheath all the way and remove it again.
- Now take a look at the apex; the marks show that it can go from being completely filled to being one quart low. There should be a thin film of oil on the end of the dipstick. If it falls between the two extremes, you’re good to go. If it’s below the recommended level, a quart of oil should be added (this information can be found in the manual).
- You can see the oil can symbol (and sometimes the phrase “oil”) on the cap of the engine, which you twist off and use to add a quart of oil.
- Oil can produce smoke when heated, so be cautious to clean up any spills on the engine.
It’s not enough to merely have adequate oil; the oil in your engine must also be clean. Observe the intervals specified in the owner’s manual for changing the oil and oil filter.
Make Sure You Have Windshield-Washer Fluid
It’s never a good time to be out of washer fluid, but in the winter when road grime and salt can wreak havoc on your windshield, it’s a major inconvenience.
The frequency with which you must fill the windshield-washer reservoir is influenced by the time of year and the conditions outside. How to verify it:
- The reservoir for the windshield washer fluid is hidden away in the engine compartment.
- These days, it’s common to find washer tanks fashioned of see-through plastic so you can visibly monitor the water level. However, many are concealed, making it impossible to know their capacity unless they are actually stuffed to the gills.
- Open the water tank’s filling cap. It’s represented as a spray bottle of windshield washer fluid. Washer fluid should be added to the reservoir.
- Do not fill the reservoir with tap water since it will freeze and ruin your wipers if you leave them on in the cold. Commercial windshield washer fluid contains alcohol, which prevents it from freezing unless in extremely cold climates, such as Alaska.
Check the Tires’ Air Pressure
Older cars lack the tire-pressure warning light, which alerts you when your tires are low on air. Anyhow, it’s wise to spend a few dollars at an auto parts store and check your tire pressures to make sure they’re adjusted properly. What you need to know is as follows.
- The recommended tire pressure for cold tires is listed on a sticker on the driver’s door pillar.
- Tires warm up and pressures rise when they are driven on, so if you set the pressures after you’ve been on the road for a long (more than a few miles), you should increase them by three pounds per square inch.
- For a few months, you should check your tire pressures once a month. If the pressures remain stable, you can skip checking the tires every three months.
Is the Radiator Full?
The radiator houses the temperature-regulating fluid, and you may physically inspect it to make sure it’s doing its job. How? Read on!
- It’s probably beneath the hood somewhere, but you’ll need to get to the coolant reservoir. It is likely containing a green fluid, as it is constructed of plastic, has “min” and “max” lines, and is see-through.
- The coolant level should be between the lines while the engine is at rest and cool.
- If it’s low, buy some antifreeze and top it off.
- Never put fluid in the radiator by opening the cap! Loosening the radiator cap (the black cap atop the radiator, as indicated in the figure) when the engine is hot might cause hot water to spray back. Always use the reservoir, as it is not pressurized, when refueling.
- If you find that the coolant is low when you do your initial inspection, you should continue to check it once a month. If it keeps vanishing, you need to have the car checked out by a professional.
- So long as the coolant level stays within the safe range, you should be set to go for quite some time. An adequate supply of coolant can endure for many years, but not forever. Repair shops are the ones to call when it has to be changed out. To find out how often the manufacturer recommends replacing it, consult your manual.
Brake-Fluid Check
Putting pressure on the brake pedal sends fluid through a system to the braking mechanism. Most cars have a see-through plastic brake fluid reservoir so you can check to see if it’s full. Like most modern systems, brake systems are hermetically sealed and rarely leak. Almost. To make sure there is adequate brake fluid, do the following:
- If the brake fluid reservoir is full, the brakes are good to go.
- If the reservoir is empty, you should get some brake fluid and fill it up.
- Ensure that you are doing so on a weekly basis. Take the car in for service if the fluid level keeps dropping, no matter how slowly. Because of your condition, you may be a risk to other motorists.
- Brake fluid, like coolant, has a limited lifespan and needs to be changed on a regular basis. To find out how many miles it should have been driven before being replaced, consult your handbook. A shop is the appropriate venue for such work.
Brake pads are another component of a vehicle’s braking system that degrades over time. Depending on your car and driving conditions, pads can last for 20,000 miles or more—sometimes considerably longer.
However, there is no simple way to verify this at home. When a car is still under warranty, routine scheduled maintenance typically includes an assessment of the brake pads.
To determine how much life is left in the brake pads on an older car, you’ll need to take it to a shop or ask a friend who is mechanically inclined. The remaining pad life is helpful in planning for future pad replacements.
The brake rotors of your car may suffer severe damage if you wait too long for the pad linings to wear through to the metal backing plates. Find out how much time is left on your brake pads.
Need Tires?
The tires of your car are the only part of the vehicle that makes contact with the road. They shouldn’t keep wearing it until they get bald. When the road is wet, the tires act like water skis and glide along the water’s surface, making it very easy to lose control of the vehicle. All of the tire’s tread should be visible. Even better, use a cent to determine if the tread depth is appropriate. Here’s how:
- To do this, place the penny’s edge into the tread so that Lincoln’s head is upside down (the top of the president’s head should be touching the tread) and the tread is facing you.
- If you can see the top of Lincoln’s head, the tread grooves are too shallow (approximately 2/32 of an inch or less) for wet weather driving. Tread grooves drain rainwater away and keep the tire in contact with the road. You need new tires!
- Get in touch with a tire shop if you have doubts about when it’s time to change your tires. Your tires’ wear can be minimized by rotating them once a year from the front to the back of the vehicle. And if you happen to call one of the colder states home, winter tires are a must-have.
That’s the simple stuff; if you only check those six points every so often, you should be good to go for a very long time. Trust the professionals with the rest.
