8 Essential Car Maintenance Tips That Anyone Can Do
By: Swati Sharma
Tags: Car Repair, Cars, Smash Repairs Sydney, Car Service, Smash Repairs

8 Essential Car Maintenance Tips That Anyone Can Do

We all love our cars, right? It’s only natural we’d want our cars to perform at 100% for as long as we own them. As such, performing routine maintenance on your car is the single most important thing you can do to improve the lifespan of your vehicle.

However, sometimes repairs are inevitable, and will require the help of a professional in one of your local car repair garages, but there are some things you can and should do to save yourself time, money and to keep your vehicle running from A to B for years to come. Here’s 8 bits of our best advice on maintenance anyone can do on their vehicle:

FLUID LEVEL CHECK

Checking your fluid levels is a simple task to undertake whenever you’re underneath the hood, or once a month for reference. The majority of the time your levels will be fine, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stay diligent. Maintaining correct fluid levels is the most important preventative task one can undertake by themselves.

Every month or so you should check the levels of: brake fluid, engine oil, power steering fluid and transmission fluid. You should check your engine coolant every 6 months. A handy tip is to always check your windscreen wiper fluid when you’re under the hood as well.

Keeping on top of this will not only prevent issues becoming worse, but you’ll also be aware of larger problems arising, such as needing to replace the fluid, or a leak in the reservoir or hose.

TYRE PRESSURE CHECK

Properly inflated tyre’s increase the lifespan of your tyre, so keeping an eye on your tyre pressure is always a smart idea. Tyre pressure also plays a major part in the comfort of the ride, and if weather conditions deteriorate, appropriate tyre pressure will help maintain traction with the road, maintaining performance and increasing safety.

You can find the recommended tyre pressure in your vehicle’s owner’s manual, or usually on the driver side door pillar. If you don’t have a tyre pressure gauge on hand, almost every petrol station will have an air pump with pressure gauge attached. Simply unscrew the gauge caps and attach the pump to add or decrease pressure in the tyre.

WINDSCREEN WIPER REPLACEMENT

Over time your car’s windscreen wiper blades will deteriorate, whether it be from excessive heat from the sun, or frost and ice from the cold, the rubber blade will break down and not be as effective. It’s recommended you replace your wiper blades once or two a year, depending how extreme the weather conditions in your area are.

While there is some difference in wiper blades, most of them will feature a simple clasp

mechanism with a button or sliding lock. Always ensure you buy the correct length blades for your car, as different vehicles require different wiper blade lengths.

REPLACEMENT AIR FILTER

Without fail, every time you take your vehicle for a car service in Sydney you’ll be told you need to replace your air filter. As the name suggests, air filters filter dirt and debris from entering through the intake system. It’s important to change this regularly, either every 15,000 miles or roughly one per year. Replacing the air filter regularly will ensure your engine remains in tip top condition.

REPLACE YOUR SPARK PLUGS

Changing spark plugs requires a little more effort than changing your fluids, but is still a fairly simple and straightforward task. It can still be performed at home quite easily. However the task may prove daunting for some, and you’d hardly be blamed for hunting down a car workshop in Sydney to complete the task. If you are up to it though, follow these steps below:

- Let the engine temperature cool

- Gently remove the wire from the spark plug

- Use a spark plug socket and torque wrench to remove the old spark plug

- Measure the gap and install the new spark plug

- Reconnect the boot and repeat the process for each new spark plug

REPLACING A BLOWN FUSE

Fixing a blown fuse is one of the easiest repairs to accomplish on a vehicle. A typical vehicle has two fuse panels, one underneath the steering wheel and one underneath the hood.

Often you can perform a visual inspection of a blown fuse, the fuse will be melted or the internal u-shaped wire has separated. You may need to inspect the fuse to inspect the wire. If you know what has stopped working you can narrow down your search immediately. Referencing the inside of the fuse panel or the owner’s manual may assist in your search. If you’re having trouble finding the blown fuse you, you may need to search for appropriate car repair in Sydney.

CHECKING HOSES

From time to time, it’s wise to check the condition of different hoses under the hood — especially vacuum hoses. Over time hoses can wear out, becoming brittle, swell, tear, or becoming disconnected due to vibrations within the engine bay.

Checking your hose connections regularly is a great way to stay ahead of any major issues arising.

CHECKING BELTS

Your drive or serpentine belts run your vehicles’ alternator, steering pump, a/c compressor and on some models, your radiator fan. Over time these belts suffer damage due to general wear and tear. Checking the quality of the belts is integral to general car maintenance. Consulting your service manual will provide you with the recommended service interval and should save you a premature Google search for “best car service near by me”.

Now that you’ve learnt about basic car maintenance, you may still need to check your car in for repairs or perhaps you’ve had an accident and need auto body repairs?

Well one way to find a good auto repair shop if by searching online. A quick Google search will suffice. For example, in my local area I would search “Sydney auto shops near me”. If I was searching for paint specific bodywork I would search “paintless dent removal Sydney” and look for the top results. Don’t be afraid to compare pricing and previous repairs, along with the qualifications and skills of the businesses you approach.