Top 5 Maintenance Tips for New Car Owners

No two cars are the same and if you have recently purchased a new vehicle, there is going to exist a short adjustment period. Once you master the steering system, it is time to turn to proper maintenance. This is where first car owners or those people who bought an entirely different vehicle from their previous one get lost. That is why going back to the basic of car maintenance come in handy, as these top 5 maintenance tips will help you keep your car running for many years to come.

Fully operational brakes

It is highly unlikely that the braking system on a new car will be faulty but over time, the wear and tear will do their thing. You needn’t lose the ability to break entirely before this becomes a problem. Even the slightest decrease in responsiveness implies a fender bender with the car in front of you. This translates into money and so does an increased stopping distance, as more stress is exerted on the car. These are all compelling reasons to check the state of your car’s breaks from time to time. If the brake fluid becomes too dark, then you need to replace it because it has been contaminated by rubber residue.

Adequate tire pressure

Just like when you owned a bike as a kid, you need to constantly check the tire pressure. Because of the tire’s size, it might not be obvious that it has deflated, so you can use a pressure gauge at a gas station to check the pressure. The usual pressure for passenger cars ranges from 27 to 32 PSI but you can find the correct info about your vehicle on the inside of the driver’s door. Tire pressure is important for gas consumption as tires that are not pressurized enough tend to slow down the vehicle, forcing the engine to use up more fuel. This problem becomes apparent on the open road as your car struggles to reach top speed in the top gear.

Checking the car battery

Car owners often forget the importance of a car battery. Only when they find themselves stranded in the middle of the road sticking their thumb out and hoping someone will pull over to help them jumpstart it, do they realize that a full car battery is priceless. Since all the electricity inside your car depends on the battery, make sure it is full, which means never forgetting to turn off the headlights at night. Of course, batteries have an expiry date beyond which they cannot be reused, so you need to call to the nearest car battery replacement service to have it replaced. If you see dirt or mineral build up on the surface of the battery, you can use a special brush to clean the battery’s outside.

The importance of a clean windshield

Since the windshield is the most obvious car part when it comes to noticing dirt, many car owners become lenient about cleaning. By delaying this simple chore, you are decreasing the field of vision while driving and that brings you one step closer to an accident. The next time you up to a gas station, be sure to tell the worker to clean the windshield as this service is even free of charge in some gas stations. Also, you need to make sure that the wipers are functional and that they don’t scratch the windshield in any place. If they get stuck too often, consider replacing them.

Housing the car

When the weather is punishing outside, you probably don’t stay out log but head indoors immediately. The way you treat yourself ought to be the way you treat your car, so you need to make sure it is out of harm’s way. The ideal solution is to park inside a private garage, so it is 100% percent safe from the weather and possible theft. Since parking a big problem today, you can get a car cover that will at least help protect the car against the strong summer sun or the freezing colds in winter. Learn the right way to cover the car so the wind does not blow away the cover and it protects the entire body of the car.

The 5 tips mentioned here are the most essential ones, but you will soon discover many more. Talk to your mechanic and fellow motorists to find out about new ways in which you can upkeep your four-wheeler.