Whether you drive a Silverado or a Sorrento, taking care of your daily driver’s regular maintenance needs is an essential aspect of car ownership. While everyone remembers their quarterly oil changes (we hope), failure to regularly maintain some of the other basic components of a vehicle can also lead to major mechanical issues sometime down the road. With that said, let’s have a look at five basic car maintenance tasks you might have overlooked or not thought about either ever or lately.
Air Filter
Both your car’s engine air filter and cabin air filter should be checked periodically and replaced whenever they begin looking noticeably dirty. If they become clogged, not only will they lose their filtering abilities, but airflow will be reduced, leading to poor engine performance and larger issues down the road.
Tires
Believe it or not, tires often go overlooked. In fact, nearly half of all cars on the road have improper tire pressure and insufficient or uneven tread. As part of your regular car maintenance, pay attention to the condition of your tires to keep yourself and your passengers safe on the road.
Brakes
Most people only think about their brakes when they begin squealing or grinding when applied. Although these sounds aren’t necessarily a huge deal, it does mean it’s time to have the pads replaced. If they wear down too far, the rotors will also need replacing, which increases the cost.
Alignment
Your car’s wheels can get out of alignment, causing the car to pull to the left or right and even rattle or vibrate when driving. Uneven tire tread wear is another sign of misalignment. If you notice any of these issues, it’s a good idea to get your wheel alignment checked right away.
Battery
Most car owners never even think about their car’s battery until it inconveniently runs out of juice and needs to be jumped. Like its tires, your car’s battery is only good for so long and needs to be replaced after so many years or months. Regularly testing the battery will tell you how much more life it has and keeping the connectors clean and free of corrosion will help extend it.
As a car owner, regularly performing basic car maintenance is necessary to keep it running for another 30k, 40k, or even 100k miles. You can perform many of these car maintenance tips at home, but for more complicated ones like tires, brakes, and alignment, an experienced repair shop may be the way to go. Regardless, just keeping an eye on these basic things will help prolong the life of your car and keep it on the road where it belongs.
