Maintaining your vehicle can help make your car last longer, help you save money on gas, help save you money on unnecessary repairs, and so much more. It is not difficult to do on a regular basis, nor is it hard to learn. You do not need to be an auto mechanic to know how to properly maintain your car. This article will provide you with the necessary steps to take to keep your vehicle running smoothly, and help you learn how to do each one.

One of the first things you should do is buy a Chilton’s Manual for your vehicle. It can help you a lot with small repairs, getting to know your vehicle, when to change fluids, troubleshooting, and more. You can find a Chilton’s Manual for your specific vehicle in your local auto parts store or online.

Here is Your Car Maintenance Schedule -

Weekly: Check all of your fluids. This includes your engine oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, radiator fluid, and windshield washer fluid. All of these, except maybe the last one, are vital to your car. All of your fluids need to be filled. If any of your fluids are chunky, discolored, etc. it is time to change the fluid.

Windshield Washer Tip - During the wintertime, you can find windshield washer fluid that helps melt the ice off of your windshield!

Bi-Weekly: Check your tire pressure. You will need a tire pressure gauge, which you can get at any gas station, or auto parts store for a few bucks. You will need to take the valve off of each tire (one at a time) and attach the pressure gauge to the valve. It will read what the air pressure is in your tires. Check your car’s manual or the inside of your front door to see what your tire pressure should be. You might need to add more air to your tires (which you can do at almost any gas station for about 50 cents or a dollar). You will then need to check the air pressure again to make sure it is where you need it to be.

Tire Pressure Tip - Keeping your tire pressure correct can help you save on gas!

Every 3,000-Miles or Three Months: Change your engine oil and transmission fluid. You can get this done by bringing your vehicle to your mechanic or you can do it yourself. Your Chilton’s Manual might have a section that can walk you through the process step by step.

Oil and Fluid Tip – Keeping your engine oil fresh and new will keep your engine running smoothly. Keeping your transmission fluid fresh will keep your transmission running well, and possibly help prevent any minor damages. Doing these changes will also keep debris out of your engine and transmission that can build up when you don’t change them on a regular basis.

Every Six Months: Change your windshield wipers. Windshield wipers corrode over time and that affects the way they work. When it rains, snows, sleets, etc. you need to be able to rely on your windshield wipers to keep the windshield free from these things so you can see properly through your windshield. Even if they do not seem like they need to be changed, change them anyway. You certainly do not want to get stuck in a rainstorm and realize that one or both of your windshield wipers is not working!

You will also want to do a tune up on your vehicle during this time. This includes changing your air filter, spark plug wires, cap, rotor, and spark plugs. You can do this yourself or bring it to your mechanic. It all depends on how you feel. This is something you can learn to do yourself, and you should check your Chilton’s Manual to see if they offer step-by-step guides for these changes. This will help you save on gas.

Wiper Tip - A lot of stores now have a computer system that will help you find the appropriate wipers for your vehicle. This can save you time looking it up in your manual if you do not have to. Call and ask before you go, though!

All of these tips and maintenance schedules depend on how much you actually drive your vehicle. You will want to take that into consideration. Keeping the fluids in your vehicle clean and fresh is important to your vehicle’s life. Maintaining your vehicle is important to its life as well, and will help you save on gas and avoidable (and possibly expensive) repairs.