One thing that causes many drivers concern is hearing a new noise from the car. During spring, this is especially noticeable when you roll down the window for the first time.
You drive your car everyday. How it should handle is something you definitely know. Get it checked out if you notice that something's amiss especially if it's more than once. A lot of inconvenience and money is what you might save yourself from in the long run. When it comes to the maintenance of your car, you and your mechanic need to be a team. But the eyes and ears of the team should be you.
You need to pay attention every so often when you pull your car out of a parking space. Did you notice if there's any fresh fluid? It's hard to tell sometimes due to the stains left from other cars. How about your driveway? Do you see any new stains? If you did, what's the fluid's color? Oil will be quite obvious, appearing black or dark brown. With its yellow green color, antifreeze would be easy to recognize. Also unmistakable is the odor of antifreeze. Fluid that's reddish in color is either power steering or transmission fluid.
How is your car handling? When you stop, is it pulling to one side? A front end alignment may be needed. As for your tire pressure, make sure you check it. Under inflated tires can cause lower gas mileage. To prevent wear, get your tires rotated on a regular basis.
Are you breaks squealing? You shouldn't let this problem go on and get to the mechanic as soon as possible. If you continue driving, you may have to replace worn rotors and break pads. Rotors are quite expensive.
Check if your car is acting sluggish. Does it accelerate like it used to? A tune up is probably what you need. Do you also notice hesitation? If yes, maybe it's the gas filter.
Your oil should be changed every 3,000 miles. This is an important rule, regardless if your car is new or old. The first thing the mechanic told me when I bought my new Toyota truck 20 years ago was I'd get at least 200,000 miles out of the engine if I kept the oil changed. Well, fifteen years later I had 189,000 and the engine was still going strong. But the frame was rusting and this is her ultimate demise.
Cars manufactured today are much better than they were 20 years ago and if you listen to what you car is trying to tell you, you should be able to have many worry free years with your car too.
You drive your car everyday. How it should handle is something you definitely know. Get it checked out if you notice that something's amiss especially if it's more than once. A lot of inconvenience and money is what you might save yourself from in the long run. When it comes to the maintenance of your car, you and your mechanic need to be a team. But the eyes and ears of the team should be you.
You need to pay attention every so often when you pull your car out of a parking space. Did you notice if there's any fresh fluid? It's hard to tell sometimes due to the stains left from other cars. How about your driveway? Do you see any new stains? If you did, what's the fluid's color? Oil will be quite obvious, appearing black or dark brown. With its yellow green color, antifreeze would be easy to recognize. Also unmistakable is the odor of antifreeze. Fluid that's reddish in color is either power steering or transmission fluid.
How is your car handling? When you stop, is it pulling to one side? A front end alignment may be needed. As for your tire pressure, make sure you check it. Under inflated tires can cause lower gas mileage. To prevent wear, get your tires rotated on a regular basis.
Are you breaks squealing? You shouldn't let this problem go on and get to the mechanic as soon as possible. If you continue driving, you may have to replace worn rotors and break pads. Rotors are quite expensive.
Check if your car is acting sluggish. Does it accelerate like it used to? A tune up is probably what you need. Do you also notice hesitation? If yes, maybe it's the gas filter.
Your oil should be changed every 3,000 miles. This is an important rule, regardless if your car is new or old. The first thing the mechanic told me when I bought my new Toyota truck 20 years ago was I'd get at least 200,000 miles out of the engine if I kept the oil changed. Well, fifteen years later I had 189,000 and the engine was still going strong. But the frame was rusting and this is her ultimate demise.
Cars manufactured today are much better than they were 20 years ago and if you listen to what you car is trying to tell you, you should be able to have many worry free years with your car too.