Regular DIY Auto Maintenance and Troubleshooting

Regular DIY Auto Maintenance and Troubleshooting

Regular maintenance and temporary troubleshooting are necessary to ensure the durability and reliability of a car. Routine maintenance tasks are usually done in autrepair and autbuffer stores. Some of the routine maintenance tasks like checking tire pressure changing engine oil and cleaning air filter are simple and often affordable. Yet they can be costly in the long run. Lonterm costs can be minimized if the simple routine maintenance tasks will be performed as DIY projects. A car owner does not necessarily need to be an expert on vehicle mechanics to perform many of the simple and routine maintenance tasks.

Thorough maintenance

Automotive maintenance involves routine cleaning repair and replacement of certain components. Routine maintenance should normally be based on the distance traveled by a car. However it can also be done or a regular time interval monthly quarterly or twice a year. It will also depend on the frequency of use and extent of abuse that a vehicle is undergoing. For example a pickup truck used several hours daily for agricultural work more frequent maintenance. Similar things can be said of a taxi and other types of public transport vehicles.

Here are some of the basic maintenance tasks that can easily be done even by nomechanics. These can be done by following simple DIY instructions contained in handyman manuals books or websites. There are also instructional sounds and videos that can be purchased. In a few cases everything is required for common sense.

Air filter Automotive experts recommend replacing air filter once every 15000 miles traveled. Because the air filter is clogged with dust and other particles the engines inlet efficiency is compromised. Therefore engine performance is also affected.

Antifreeze More commonly known as antifreeze ethylene glycowater mixture is intended to protect the engine against extreme colds. As the name suggests antifreeze prevents the refrigerant from crystallizing into ice. It is crucial that the level of antifreeze is checked especially during the winter. Antifreeze blend should be added if the current level is low.

Battery Although car batteries are dense and engineered to last for almost a decade there are cases where leakage can occur. Since battery fluids are acidic they may damage other vehicle parts. Leakage can also cause short circuit of electronic / electrical circuits and can discharge the battery. It is recommended that the batteries be checked quarterly. The aciwater solution should also be replaced or replenished on a regular basis.

Brake fluid Car safety can be compromised if there is a leak in the brake fluid or if it is already too dirty. It should be exchanged regularly at least once per 24000 mileages or about two years. However a car owner should regularly check the brake fluid level once every three months along with the engine oil change.

Engine oil The car is basically an incinerator. This means that it burns fuel and thereby generates heat. The engine oil helps prevent the engine from overheating. It also ensures that frictions between the moving parts are minimized. The engine oil should be replaced every three months or every 3000 km traveled whichever comes first.

Power steering Operation of your vehicle will be severely affected if the power steering fluid is defective. It should be checked at least once every six months especially if the vehicle is to be used for a long journey.

Transmission fluid This is another very important fluid that has to be checked periodically and replaced. Without it mechanical force will not be efficiently transmitted to the wheels. It should be checked at least once every three months and should be replaced every 50000 miles for reawheel drive cars and about half the mileage of vehicles that are fronwheel drive.

Other common but more complex issues such as noisy brake pads misaligned wheels and defective steering should be referred to professionals. However they are all preventive with regular or regular maintenance.

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