Go Getters World

Since I was a small child, I have had the importance of automotive maintenance drilled into my head. Now that I’ve reached adulthood, I appreciate the sound foundation I had in this discipline of critical importance. I cant imagine the time and money Ive saved and headaches Ive avoided. If you didnt have this background, and dont have a clue about how to maintain your car, dont despair. There are a number of simple car maintenance tasks that anyone can do even if you know nothing about how a car works.

–Wash your car regularly: Keeping the exterior clean may not be as important as taking care of what’s under the hood, but it still has a number of practical upsides. A clean car looks better, of course, and its much more enjoyable to drive a clean car than a dirty car. More significantly, frequent washing will keep your headlights and windshield clean, as well as preventing rust and corrosion.

–Wash the undercarriage of the car: This is particularly important if you live anywhere it snows. The salt, sand and chemicals that are used for ice and snow removal accumulate underneath your car and will rust out the body faster than anything else. Even in the coldest weather, its a good idea to wash your car at least once a week giving special attention to the wheel wells and undercarriage of your car.

–Clean your engine: Wash your engine, complete with soap and water, every time you wash your car. Not only will a clean engine run cooler, but washing it also cleans off crusty oil deposits, battery acid, and grime collected from the road. Let your engine run at idle to dry off before you start driving again. This is less of a problem with modern fuel injected cars, but still a good idea.

–Change and/or clean your air filter: Change your filter every time you change your oil filter. While it won’t kill you to change your filter less frequently, they’re so cheap and easy to replace there’s really no reason to put it off. In between changes, give the filter a good spray with a compressed air hose and blow out the filter chamber as well.

–Check and change your oil: Back in more civilized times, a full service gas station would check your oil every time you filled up. You should do the same. Change your oil frequently”at least every 5,000 miles and better still, every 3,000 miles. Change your filter when you change the oil or youre going to be pumping clean oil through a dirty filter which doesnt do you a bit of good. Oil changes are a pretty easy job even for those without much of a mechanical background, and drive thru oil change businesses are ubiquitous in any decent sized market. Most of these places do a decent job and charge a reasonable fee. Many also take care of several other of the maintenance tasks on this list.

–Check and top off other fluids: Change your anti-freeze/coolant annually, and check the coolant reservoir anytime youre under the hood to make sure that its full. It’s also a good time to look for cracks or other damage. Check the transmission, brake and power-steering fluids frequently, and top off when necessary. If your car is going through a lot of these hydraulic fluids it indicates a leak or other mechanical issue and needs to be looked at as soon as possible.

–Check your air pressure and rotate your tires: Check your air pressure levels with a tire gauge at least once a week, keeping them filled to manufacturer specified levels. Also, don’t forget about the spare. Rotate your tires every few months to insure even wear. Some automotive chains will do this free of charge if you’re a regular customer, but even if you’re not it’s a lot easier for them to do with the car up on the rack than for you to do with a jack and jack stand. Simply checking the air pressure in your tires and rotating them periodically prevents countless problems and saves you a ton of money.

Emergency supplies: Obviously if you just drive cross town your emergency equipment needs will be different than someone who drives cross country in bad weather. You’ll definitely want a flashlight and tire gauge. A set of jumper cables isn’t a bad idea either, as is a few basic tools: slip joint and needle nose pliers, flat head and Phillips Screwdriver, adjustable wrench. If you travel through remote areas some emergency food like Cliff Bars are good to have, as is a blanket in case you have to sleep in your car. A cellphone charger–particularly one that doesn’t require an external power supply–are also helpful. If you travel during the winter in snowy areas don’t forget sand, salt, a small shovel and tire chains.

–Get an auto club membership: An auto club at a minimum should give you free towing, trip continuation insurance, lockout service, free maps, and some other bells and whistles. AAA is the best known, but there are countless others provided by credit card companies, cellphone providers, banks, etc. Shop around and find the best deal for the services you need. A growing number of car manufacturers also include lifetime roadside assistance, and not just luxury brands–Mini Cooper and Volkswagen offer new car buyers 24 hour roadside assistance free of charge. Also, ask about the size of their provider network. In a decent sized city you’ll be fine but if you live or frequently travel in less populated areas you might want to stick to AAA or another major company. There’s nothing more infuriating that learning that your auto club doesn’t have providers in Mesquite, Nevada or Vernal, Utah.

These tips are all things that anyone can do, even without more than a basic knowledge of how a car works. Regular car maintenance will prolong the life of your vehicle and help maintain its value, provide a safer and more enjoyable driving experience and save you money in the process.

Ross Everett is a consulting handicapper for Sports-1 and an authority on thoroughbred horse racing and NFL football betting . He’s a published expert on handicapping theory, as well as financial investment strategy. He contributes to a number of websites providing insight on how to bet on NFL football, hockey and mixed martial arts.

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