10 Essential Maintenance Tips to Keep Your Car Running

Maintaining your car is about more than just keeping you on the road. Your vehicle needs regular checkups from professionals to ensure your safety. There are, however, some issues which can be addressed without a visit to the mechanics.

Here are ten maintenance tips that can help you to keep your car in excellent condition between those all-important services.

1. Check your tyre pressure

Maintaining the right tyre pressure is important for fuel efficiency, comfortable riding, and long lasting tyre performance. To find specifications, prefer to your car owner’s manual.

On the wall of your tyres, you will see the correct pressure range for each tyre. Once every few weeks, check your tyre pressure when you visit a petrol station to see if it is in this range.

2. Check your oil level

The engine of your car has lots of mechanical moving parts which are operating at high speed and generate friction as they function. Friction generates heat inside the engine and affects the performance of the vehicle. Keeping your car in good condition, one of the quickest and easiest ways is to check your oil levels regularly.

Locate the dipstick under the bonnet and remove it. Then clean it with a cloth, and re-insert it into the housing and seal the lid correctly. Then wait for a few minutes and then remove the dipstick to check the oil levels accurately. On the dipstick, you will find high and low markings to indicate whether you have correct oil levels. Simply adjust to meet your cars oils levels using the right motor oil that is required for your vehicle.

3. Checking your brakes

Brakes make the difference between a safe journey and a nightmare ride. It’s a good thing that most instances of brake failure can be avoided with regular maintenance. 

Brake dust contains a number of nasty substances, so you will want to clean this away. Brakes also get hot, so they have a chance of burning and causing damage if any lubricant or residue falls onto the brake pads. Replace your brake pads, if you notice a degradation or any scraping noises. Brakes are constructed such a way to make a scraping noise as part of an early warning that they need to be changed.

Know more about checking and maintenance the brake system.

4. Windshield wipers maintenance

Windshield wipers make your journey safe and sound and increase driving visibility in lousy weather. Keeping them in working order is mandatory for safe driving. You should replace your wipers once a year. The replacement process is less complicated than you may think.



Check whether the wipers are starting to get streaky or making unusual noise when switched on. Also, check that the blades have no cracks or broken parts. Simply lift the blades from the windscreen and detach the wiper from the frame, then replace with new wipers – again following the owner’s manual recommendations.

5. Paint and exterior cleaning

Your car is likely your most valuable asset after your house, so it’s important to have it shine. For this reason, regular paint and exterior maintenance are required. Luckily, maintaining the paintwork and the exterior denting is not challenging; all you need are some tricks and tips.

Wash your car with proper cleaning solution and washing mitt, as it is affected by dust, salt water and chemical substances. Ensure you are properly cleaning the joints and flanges of the doors and engine wood, as the dirt is likely to hide from view and make sure that the cleaning solution is removed correctly after washing.

Check out  to know more about paint and exterior maintenance. 

 

 

 6. Check your coolant

The cooling system of your car is one of the most vital parts , as it prevents the engine from overheating and keeps your car running. Regular maintenance will ensure the life and efficiency of the engine.

Carefully open and check the reservoir and radiator under your bonnet – once again it’s the recommended fluid level in the owner’s manual that we’re looking for. Also, take the time to visually inspect for faults or damage to the hoses and belts, or for radiator leakage.

7. Dashboard warning lights

Modern cars tend to feature many sophisticated sensors. These sensors notify you if there is something wrong with your car and show warning symbols on your dashboard panel.

The most common lights to flash up are the oil warning, coolant warning, brake warning, ABS or engine lights. It’s important to take a look at dashboard warning lights as they can help you avoid a breakdown, as well as potentially saving you from an expensive repair bill.

8. Check your power steering

A hydraulic system is installed with the steering mechanism of your car to add extra energy to help the wheel rotate quickly. A hydraulic fluid reservoir is added with the system that helps to apply the force to the rotor. The fluid reservoir needs to inspect on a regular basis to see whether it is at the recommended level. If the level is low, add fluid in the reservoir, referring to the owner’s manual for specification.

9. Vehicle battery maintenance

Your battery is the primary electrical power source of your car; it’s responsible for powering the vehicle’s start-up, operation, computer, dashboard lights and so on. Still, most people do not even bother about to know the maintenance process of their car battery.  

Check  your battery for corrosion or rusting around each terminal and keep the  terminals clean and free of dust. Use only a battery that matches the specifications of the vehicle, and go for a battery that use better technology to help them last longer than regular batteries.

10. Lights

Lights are a vital safety component; despite this, a routine check-up is often overlooked in this area.

When checking light casings ensure you check all the exterior lights; headlights, indicators, fog lights, brake lights, reversing lights and license plate lights. Check light casings when they are clean and dry, and ensure all the bulbs are in working condition. Also, check the brake lights and indicators are working as they should. 

Summing Up

Clearly, a lot goes into keeping your car running. Even beyond this home maintenance, professional servicing is mandatory on a regular basis. It’s important to remember that keeping your car in tip-top condition is essential for safety as well. 

Servicing at Mitsubishi service center will make sure the quality and the price for your car maintenance.