2 Preventative Maintenance Tasks You Should Do To Your Car

Even if you are on a tight budget, doing all the preventative maintenance to your car makes a lot of economic sense for you. You save money in the present by getting the best possible gas mileage and save money in the future by catching small problems before they become big problems. Preventative maintenance also lets you get the full benefit of the investment that you put into your car.

Oil Changes

You know that your car needs to have oil in it.It keeps the engine nice and lubricated so that all the metal parts don't rub together and do move smoothly. You also know that you need to check your oil regularly, but you may not know what you are looking for and how often to do it. You can check your own oil easily. All you need to do is open the hood while the engine is still warm and check the dipstick. You will need a rag or towel so you can wipe the dipstick off. After you have wiped it off, put it back in, and then pull it back out. Look where the oil level is on the stick. You may need to top it off. If your engine burns oil, you may want to do that every week, otherwise, you can probably stretch to every three or four weeks.

When it comes to changing the oil, the old rule of thumb was that you should have it done every three months or 3000 miles, whichever came first. However, with improvements to both natural and synthetic oils, and improvements to cars, that rule of thumb has changed. These days, the recommendations are between every 7500 and 10,000 miles. 

Belt and Chain Checks

Your car uses belts to run the fan and could use a belt or a chain to make sure the timing of the engine is right. You will need to have these checked and changed every so often. Belts can loosen and wear out, and the timing chain can get old. Your car's owner manual will tell you how often you need to have those things checked and repaired. The general rule of thumb is that the serpentine belt in your car gets replaced every 40,000 miles while you replace the timing belt or chain about every 60,000 miles. If your owner's manual says differently, then you should follow that recommendation instead. If you do a lot of driving and rack up the miles quickly, you may have to get the belts and chains checked out more regularly. 

Just like you see your doctor for a checkup, your car needs to see a doctor. The mechanic will check out everything and make sure your car stays running the way it should. 

For more information, contact a company like Import Automotive.

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