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Quick And Easy Guide To Car Maintenance |
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Cars are like electric lights. We often don’t
appreciate them until they go on the blink. Regular maintenance checks
and simple service can greatly reduce the cost of car ownership and
keep you a much happier traveler!
Don’t let the thought of car maintenance intimidate you. There are
actually several car maintenance tips you can do – even if you’re
totally mechanically-challenged!
For instance, you’ll want to keep your windshield washer fluid
reservoir full. This involves screwing off the cap and pouring
windshield wiper fluid in the right spot. You can quickly check the
fluid levels when filling up at the gas station.
While you’ve got the windshield washer fluid out, pour some on a rag and clean the bug guts, etc. off the wiper blades.
If you see any colored fluid leaking from your car, get it serviced immediately.
If you smell any peculiar odor coming from your car, take it to the
nearest service station. Odors mean something inappropriate is going on
under the hood of your car!
Every fall, go ahead and replace your wiper blades. You need new
ones once a year – might as well get them before winter sets in and
you’re wiping away that ice and sleet!
Be sure all your lights are clean and working, including brake
lights, turn signals and emergency flashers. You can perform this quick
check while filling up your gas tank.
Check your tires once a month – give a look over for cuts, bulges, or nails or other foreign objects sticking out.
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How to check and change your air filter |
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You car's air filter is very important since it
maintains some parts of your car system clean and free of dirt. If your
air filter doesn't work properly and dirt enters your car this might
make it go through different problems, and therefore it is important
that you check the filter and change it when necessary. Your mechanic
can do it for you although it is very easy and you could do it yourself
as well.
It is recommended that you change your car's air filter once a year
or every 15.000 miles if you live in an averagely dusty area. But, if
you can check it once in a while and replace it as soon as it needs it
this would be much better. Checking it is a very easy thing to do and
replace it is not complicated once you learn how to do it.
If you wish to check your car's air filter yourself and in an easy
way, you can do so by using a light from inside pointing outside and
check how bright it looks through it. If you see the light clearly,
then your air filter is still good, but if you can't see much of the
light then it indicates the filter needs to be changed.
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How to change a tire without help |
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Learning how to change a tire can be one of the
most useful things you could learn regarding your car. Having a flat
tire in the middle of a route or on your way to an appointment can be a
big problem if you do not know how to change it and have to wait for
help, and therefore, it would be great if you can do it without having
to wait for someone else.
In order to change a tire you should make sure you have parked your
car at the side of the road and following all the safety rules that
correspond to the case. You must apply the parking brake and place the
shift in first gear. Then, you should look for the spare tire, the lug
wrench and the jack. If you do not know where the spare tire is, you
can look for it in the car owner's manual.
Once you have found all you need, you should start by taking off
the hubcap of the tire you wish to remove. You should do this with the
help of a screwdriver or the end of the lug wrench. Then you should
loosen the lug nuts with only one turn, do not completely loosen them
until you have lifted the car.
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How to Extend The Life Of Your New Or Used Car |
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You don't think much about your car do you? Your
car sits outside 24/7, 365 days a year in all extremes of weather. You
routinely drive it at speeds that exceed 70 mph. You stop, start, stop,
start through city traffic. You sit idling in traffic jams day after
day. Yet, you expect your car to start every time you get into it and
turn the key.
The best thing that you can do to extend the life of your car, and
to potentially save yourself a bundle of money, is to have your car
serviced on a routine basis. All car manufacturers have a schedule of
recommended services for each vehicle they sell. Follow this schedule.
The best place to have work done on a new vehicle that is still under
warranty is the dealership.
It's a bit different when you have an older, out of warranty car.
At this point you can make a decision to continue to use the dealer for
service, or find yourself a local mechanic.
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