If you own a car, it is probably one of the biggest investments you will make in your life. So it makes complete sense to protect it just as one protects their house or any other high-value asset. The best way of protecting your auto investment is to follow a Maintenance Plan for your car. Once you have a maintenance plan drafted and put up, it will guide you about when you need to get specific parts of your car replaced or repaired. This is a simple task although it may take some time if you are doing it for the first time.
To get started on making your maintenance plan, consult your owner’s manual. It will explain to you how different parts of your car experience wear and what you can do to get the most out of your auto investment.
The engine is the most important part of the car. Your maintenance plan must include a trip to the service station or any qualified mechanic to get a tune up for your engine. While ordinary car owners are not qualified enough to detect and repair emission problems with the engine, you must ensure that you change the engine oil and filter regularly. A good measure is to get these changed every three months or every 3000 miles, whichever comes first. This will ensure a long life for your Car Engine.
Other things you need to change regularly are the coolant and the brake fluid. Replacing the coolant is very important because doing so reduces corrosion in your engine and prevents buildup within the cooling system. In the same way, you must also make it a matter of routine to replace the brake fluid regularly. The chemistry of brake fluid is such that it absorbs moisture and makes it less effective over time. Also, when you get the brake fluid removed and refilled, it will also prevent sludge from accumulating in the braking system and prevent leakage of the wheel cylinders. If you neglect this aspect, the anti lock braking system could become damaged and replacing it would be very expensive.
As part of your vehicle maintenance plan, you must include replacing the transmission fluid. This is the fluid that helps to keep the transmission system of your car running smoothly. How often you need to replace the transmission fluid will depend on the type of car you own and will be mentioned in the owner’s manual. In recent years, car manufacturers have been lengthening the period for replacing transmission fluids. However, it never hurts to get a check-up to see how the transmission system is doing.
Do make sure that you replace the air filter and the carbon filter regularly. The air filter prevents smoke and dust from entering the transmission system but the filters can become clogged over time. Replace the air filters after every 15000 miles of driving and more frequently if you drive around in heavily polluted or dusty environments. Similarly, the carbon filter also needs to be changed because it too can become clogged with carbon particles from the emissions from your car.