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In order to keep your car in great running order you need to maintain it regularly. Maintaining your car engine is crucial if you want the vehicle to last longer, not have that many breakdowns and retain its value.
Here are a few points to consider:
- Never ignore any warning lights. Yes, there is a criticism that the electronics in new cars are too sensitive. They can trigger a fault warning light but when you take the car into a garage for a diagnostic check they may be unable to find any problem. It is always best to check, particularly if you are still in the warranty period.
- Get into the habit of having a walk around your car before you drive it to check the condition of the tyres, whether there are any problems on the body work and in some areas, even for vandalism.
- Problems in the car engine are harder to spot on observation that is why they are best avoided with regular maintenance.
- Follow the guidelines suggested by the manufacturers when it comes to suggested oil changes. Running an engine on dirty oil can cause a lot of damage. Think of your oil as the blood of the engine. It needs to be maintained at a certain level as driving a car with oil at too low levels will damage the engine and can lead to expensive repairs. Overfilling a car can also cause major problems. New cars rarely need oil adding if you have them serviced regularly because when the oil filter is changed so is the oil. But it still pays to check every week or two.
- Check the coolant tank for leaks but it shouldn’t require topping up particularly in modern cars.
- Check brake fluid levels regularly as any sudden changes in the levels can indicate a serious problem which could cause an accident. If your car has a hydraulic clutch and you notice the fluid levels are low get this checked as it could be contaminating the clutch.
- Batteries should be checked regularly. Even those that are supposed to be maintenance free. These do not need to be topped up like the older style but they still need to be reviewed for faults. Look for any furry residue on the battery connections as this is a sign that the battery is leaking and needs replacing. Use Vaseline to rub around the connections to the terminals as it helps to prevent any corrosion.
- If you find white powder on the top of a maintenance free battery it needs to be replaced as the acid is leaking which means the casing is cracked. On an older style battery you have probably not tightened the top up plugs correctly.
- In the unlikely event you need to charge a battery in a modern car, you should probably remove it or you could cause serious damage to other parts of the electronics. Leave this job to a garage if you do not understand the mechanics involved.
- If you have changed a battery dispose of the old one properly. Your local council will tell you where you can take it. They can cause environmental damage as well as inflicting serious injury on children if they decide to play with them.
The very best way to prolong the life of your car engine is to have it serviced by a fully trained mechanic at regular intervals. It pays to use the same garage each time as they will get to know your car and will also call you to remind you when your service is due.