Car Maintenance Tips

When it comes to your favourite set of wheels, most owners want them to last as long as possible.

And to be worth something when it comes time to upgrade. The best way to keep your vehicle in great running condition and maintain its value in the long term is by practicing proper car maintenance.

Besides the twice-yearly trips to your favourite mechanic, there are a number of things that responsible car owners can do to keep your transporter in tip-top condition. Follow our basic car maintenance tips to extend the lifetime and value of your prized possession.

Why Car Maintenance Matters

Not only does proper maintenance of your vehicle extend its lifetime but it could also extend your own. Comprehensive and ongoing maintenance of your car can help improve the overall safety of your vehicle and keep you safe in the event of an accident or near-miss.

Things such as worn tire tread, faulty breaks and even blunt wiper blades can all contribute to accidents on the road. Putting lives in danger and potentially reducing the lifespan of your vehicle.

Though maintaining your car won’t completely remove the risk of a motor-vehicle accident, it can most definitely play a part in reducing potential triggers.

Following the below car maintenance tips can also help to improve the overall reliability and performance of your vehicle and save you on expensive repairs later down the track. Regular checks and updates can help car owners to stay on top of the trickier elements of your vehicle’s complex motor.

Optimising the performance of each individual cog before it gets to the point of replacement, extending the lifespan of each individual part and delaying the need to pay for hefty replacement parts. This also helps your car to run more smoothly for longer.

Not only will keeping your car in good nick help you to save money now but it can also help to make you money later. Keeping your car in mint condition with regular maintenance and checks can assist in increasing or maintaining the resale value of your car. Meaning when it’s time to trade it in or sell it on your own, your prized possession can earn you even more cash.

How To Keep On Top Of Your Car Maintenance

1.      Listen to Your Car

One of the best ways to keep on top of your car maintenance is by listening to your car. Understanding what each of your warning lights means, when to address each warning and knowing the difference in the feel of your car. Always check the manual for your vehicle’s exact specifications but these car maintenance tips outline the basics of most car’s warning indicators.

• Check Engine Light

The “check engine” light is usually denoted by a yellow engine symbol, often appearing with the word “check” below or within the engine image. When you see this light, it is usually an indicator that there is an issue within your vehicle’s motor. Most cars won’t give you an exact warning of what within your engine needs addressing so this is a great time to take your car down to your favoured mechanic for a proper diagnosis.

The check engine light can denote something as simple as a loose gas cap, or something more serious such as low oil pressure or overheating. When you see this light it is best to pull over as soon as possible and take a quick look yourself. See if the problem is something easily rectified on your own and if not, stop driving immediately and arrange for your car to be taken to the mechanic for diagnostics and repair.

• Brake Warning

There are a number of different brake warning lights included in modern cars. Including ABS (anti-lock brake warnings), traction control, automatic shift lock, brake pads, brake fluid and parking brake lights. It is important for car owners to know the difference between each of your brake warning lights as they all have different meanings and require different resolutions to keep your car in good working order.

Check your manual for an accurate depiction of each of your car’s brake warning lights and remember to keep a close on eye on each of the designated elements. Including; your anti-locking brake system, brake fluid levels, brake pad & shoe wear and tear and traction control.

• Coolant Warning

The coolant warning light is most often depicted by a thermometer and water line icon. When this light is on it is best to pull over immediately and kill the engine. Wait for your car to cool down and then check your coolant levels.

Though low coolant levels aren’t necessarily the biggest issue in the world, it can lead to other problems as a result. Including damage to your head gaskets, pistons, valve stems and cylinder head. All of which will be bigger and much more expensive fixes than adding a little more coolant to the engine.

• Oil Warning

Denoted by a simple oil lamp icon, this warning is nice and easy to remember and to deal with. It simply means that your car’s engine oil is low and needs topping up. The best way to avoid seeing this warning is to regularly check your oil levels using your engine’s allocated dipstick.

Your car’s dipstick should show markers for both the minimum and maximum levels of oil for it’s engine. Make sure to keep your oil levels within the optimum range as both too much and too little oil can cause issues to your engine.

This symbol can also be a warning of a bigger issue such as an oil pump failure, an issue with the oil filter or a blockage of the oil strainer. Step number one is always to check the oil levels as nine times out of ten, this is the problem. If you find the oil levels are not the cause, take a closer look at these other elements or refer to a professional for help.

2.      Top Up Your Tires

A massive contributor to the safety of your vehicle is your tires. When maintaining your car make sure to always keep an eye on your tires, including the wear of the tread, pressure, alignment and don’t forget about the spare!

Your tire pressure should be checked on a regular basis and altered depending on the terrain on which you are driving. Ordinary on-road driving that is performed day-to-day requires the recommended PSI for your vehicle’s tires.

Bear in mind that the pressure of your tires will differ depending on the make and model of the vehicle as well as the size of the tires fitted to your car. Check your manual for the recommended PSI and stick to standard sized tires for your model for best performance. If you choose to change the type and size of tires upon upgrading, chat with the professionals fitting your tires for the recommended PSI.

You can find the designated PSI for your tires either within your owner’s manual, or on the inside of the driver’s side door. Most modern cars will include a chart here of the size of tires required and their designated PSI.

When checking the pressure of your tires, try to do it close to home, before getting up to any high speeds. The temperature of the tires and the climate surrounding them can have an impact on the pressure reading so it’s always best to do this when the tires are still cool. Due to the fact that heat has an expanding effect, making your tires seem more inflated than they actually are.

Pressure isn’t the only thing to keep an eye on. Your tire’s tread is just as important as this is what helps your vehicle to grip to the road in all kinds of weather. The longer your tires stay in a single position the more the tread is worn on a certain part of the tire.

In Australia, you’ll find your front left tire wears much faster than the others as the majority of travel paths consist of left-hand turns. Make sure to keep an eye on the depth of your tread and rotate your tires regularly to maximise the safety of your car.

When it comes time to replace your tires, it’s always recommended that you change all tires at the same time, or at the very least replace a missing or damaged tire with the same make and model as the others installed. Mixing treads can have catastrophic effects as the difference in grip and water dispersion leads to imbalance and potential loss of control.

And don’t forget about the spare! In the unlikely and unfortunate even of a flat, wherein you need to change tires on the fly, having a flat or worn spare tire can do more harm than good. Don’t neglect your spares.

3.      Keep It Clean

One, often forgotten, element of car maintenance is in the details. Literally. Keeping your car’s interior and exterior clean and tidy goes a long way in increasing the resale value of your vehicle. Let’s face it, the brighter, shinier and newer your car looks, the more most people will be willing to pay to take it off your hands. Annual professional detailing can help keep your car in tip-top condition both inside and out but there are a few things you can do along the way to keep it looking like new.

Keep the interior clean. Regular vacuuming of the interior of your car can prevent a build up of dirt and dust that may otherwise clog the tracks, nooks and crannies within the cabin. It’s also best to immediately clean up any spills or stains on the carpet and seats to prevent prolonged and difficult to remove staining.

It is also important to clean and maintain the harder internal surfaces. Such as your dashboard, steering wheel, and sun visors. Each of these are prone to fading and cracking depending on several external factors.

Using a windscreen shade, steering wheel cover and parking in the shade can all help to reduce damage to the plastic trims of your vehicle. But the products you use for cleaning can play just as big a part. Many silicone-based cleaning products “designed” for these surfaces can actually do more damage than good.

The silicone in these products can negative long-term effects on your trim, drying them out and making them more prone to cracking in the heat. And let’s face it, in Australia, your car is bound to be exposed to incredible heat! These products can also make your dash and trim sticky and more conducive to dust, having the opposite effect than what is desired from a cleaning product.

Sticking to quality, non silicone based cleaning products can assist in prolonging the life and value of your interior.

The exterior of your car is just as important to keep in good nick. Which, again, can be helped by a number of factors. Regular, but not too regular, washing of the exterior of your car combined with a good polish and safe parking practices can help to keep your car looking it’s shiny best!

Also, remembering to use a good quality car cover in adverse weather and parking under cover wherever possible will go a long way in protecting the value of your prized possession.

Thinking of buying a new car? Read our complete, comprehensive Car Buyers Guide.

4.      Leave It To The Professionals

Finally, and most importantly, professional and consistent log-book servicing is a major contributing factor to retaining the value and safety rating of you car. Professional maintenance on a six-monthly basis can help to keep your car in perfect working order. It can also help to identify any major issues as they begin to emerge, saving you money in the long run when you address potential issues at the source.

A good, clear record of regular servicing can also show potential buyers how well cared for your car has been. Letting them know that the engine has been well serviced and looked after, leaving little room for surprise problems when they drive it away. You may be surprised how much more people are willing to pay for mint-condition vehicles compared to the number of “fixer-uppers” on the market today.

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