The Easiest Car Maintenance Tasks You Should Know How To Do
If you want your car to last, you’re going to need to take good care of it. In fact, according to Consumer Reports, if you want to see your car reach 200,000-miles, keeping up on its maintenance needs is the best way to go about it. The good news is that you can do many of the easiest car maintenance tasks right at home. Let’s talk about what they are.
Replacing your windshield wipers is one of the easiest car maintenance tasks
Replacing your car’s windshield wipers is among the easiest car maintenance tasks. As a matter of fact, according to U.S. News & World report, changing your car’s windshield wipers should take no more than 10 minutes. When it comes to car maintenance, that’s no time at all.
To change your car’s windshield wipers, simply pull the wiper away from the car’s windshield. Then, U.S. News & World Report says to press the small tab on the underside of the wiper, which will allow you to slide the wiper off the wiper’s arm.
After that, take the new wiper and lower it onto the wiper’s arm. It’s worth noting that the hook’s open end should be facing the plastic clip on the wiper. Next, pull it tight. When doing so, you should hear the wiper click into place. Once that’s done, lower your windshield wiper, and you’re good to go.
Changing your car’s air filter is an easy car maintenance task to learn how to do
Changing your car’s windshield wipers isn’t the only easy car maintenance task you should know how to do if you want your car to last for miles to come. Changing your car’s air filter is another car maintenance task that’s both easy to learn and important to do regularly.
In fact, CarsDirect reports that there are several reasons to change your car’s air filter regularly. According to CarsDirect, these benefits include better gas mileage, reduced emissions, improved acceleration, increased engine life, and improved driveability.
Fortunately, according to Money Crashers, changing your car’s air filter is as easy as popping your hood and finding a black rectangular box that has metal clips on the side. Find that, and then you can open up the casing, remove the old air filter, and pop a new one in. Money Crashers suggests changing your car’s air filter every 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Checking your car’s tire pressure is among the easiest car maintenance tasks
Let’s say your tire pressure sensor goes off. What then? If you don’t know how to check your car’s tire pressure, that warning light might bring on a wave of anxiety. The good news is that it doesn’t have to. Why? Because checking your car’s tire pressure is among the easiest car maintenance tasks.
If you don’t know how to check your car’s tire pressure, Bridgestone Tires suggests investing in a digital or standard tire pressure gauge. Then, after your car has been parked for three or more hours, use the tire pressure gauge to check your tire pressure. The numbers shown on the tire pressure gauge should match the manufacturer’s recommendation, which you can find on the driver’s side door jamb or in your owner’s manual.
Bridgestone Tires suggests checking your tire pressure every month. Not only will doing so help to ensure your car’s tire pressure doesn’t dip below normal, but it will also last longer, ride smoother, and help your car be more fuel-efficient.
Car maintenance is the key to keeping your car in good condition
Replacing your car’s windshield wipers, changing its air filter, and checking your car’s tire pressure are among the easiest car maintenance tasks. However, if you want to keep your car on the road for 200,000-miles or more, these aren’t the only car maintenance tasks you should be keeping up on. As a matter of fact, if you want your car to last, you’re also going to want to keep up on maintenance tasks like oil changes, tire rotations, spark plug replacements, and even timing-belt replacements.
