April is National Car Care Month and a good time to do a little preventative maintenance. Yes, you can do these things yourself. Don’t be intimidated by your car, take control. Be honest, raise your hand if you’ve never looked under the hood of your car. If you raised your hand, now is a good time to start.
A driveway vehicle check only takes about 10 minutes. These simple steps will help keep you on the road so you can run important errands and arrive safely to your destinations. If you haven’t done these tasks before, no worries, I have videos for you to watch that will be a huge help to you!
These are things you can do yourself, no matter your skill level when it comes to cars:
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Check all fluids, including engine oil, power steering and brake and transmission, as well as windshield washer solvent and antifreeze/coolant. Watch this video to learn how→
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Check the hoses and belts that can become cracked, brittle, frayed, loose or show signs of excessive wear. These are critical to the proper functioning of the electrical system, air conditioning, power steering and the cooling system. Watch this video to learn how →
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Check the tires, including tire pressure and tread. Uneven wear indicates a need for wheel alignment. Tires should also be checked for bulges and bald spots. Check the air in your spare tire as well! It’s a bad surprise when you need a spare to find out it has no air. One last thing-if your wheels have wheel locks, be sure you know where the key is. Watch this video to learn how→
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Check the wipers and lighting so that you can see and be seen. Check that all interior and exterior lighting is working properly and inspect and replace worn wiper blades so you can see clearly when driving during precipitation. Keep the reservoir filled with solvent.
Watch this video to learn how to check wipers →
Keeping your vehicle in shape can save you money on future repairs. I’ve seen people drive their cars with absolutely no oil in them and are shocked when a technician tells them they need a new engine. Don’t find yourself in that horrible position.
OK, now you have no excuses! Get put there, pop that hood and do these easy tasks. It’s amazing how much better you’ll feel after completing these quick and easy little jobs. We all know we need to do these things, but too often put them off. If you discover a problem, it is better to know now and get your car in for service before the summer rush!
Photo Credit: ARENA Creative/Shutterstock.com.
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