Car care – maintenance tips for your vehicle

Caring for your car is essential to keep it running smoothly. Preventive maintenance is, without doubt, the best option to avoid larger and more expensive problems. After all, nobody wants to be stranded miles from home with a problem that could have been avoided with some simple car care.

The Rexbo.co.uk is an auto part store that specialized in automotive items, and can help you to meet maintenance demands more quickly. Providing you find one with good prices and easy accessibility, it’s guaranteed to be a useful place to meet your car maintenance needs.

If you think about it, you will probably be able to make a preliminary survey of the main components of a car quite easily. However you must pay attention to all parts, as quite often one depends on the other for the ideal performance of the car as a whole.

To help you out, here’s a checklist with the most essential car parts that require maintenance.

Engine

Watch your mileage, which can be easily found on the trip computer. Spark plugs, air filter and fuel filter all need replacing every 12,000 miles or so.

Your vehicle’s handbook will give you the suggested mileage for your vehicle but, if in doubt, speak to a garage.

Oil

Check the oil level frequently using the dipstick and ensure it is kept topped up to the required level. In addition, change the oil completely every 12 months or in line with the mileage recommendations for your vehicle. This will help keep it running nice and smooth.

Do not forget to inspect the oil filter, which is where the impurities drained from the engine are stored. These same recommendations are valid for air and fuel filters.

Timing belt

The timing belt should be checked at least once per year. Total replacement is less frequent – every 50,000 miles or so – but by checking more regularly you can spot potential issues before they arise and wreak havoc on the engine – an often costly issue.

Cooling

It is advisable to maintain and change the coolant at least once a year or when the vehicle runs 15,000 miles. Always pay attention to the water level in the radiator, and as the weather gets colder be sure to have the right amount of anti-freeze in the system.

Brakes

Brakes are easy to keep on top of – we use them all the time when driving so it is quite easy to feel when something is not quite right. If the brake pedal is a little spongey, or if the parking brake isn’t holding as firmly, you may need to make some adjustment.

It is also important to check the level of the brake fluid and the other parts that make up this system: pads, pedal, drums, discs, tarpaulins, master cylinder. The time to exchange these items varies between 20,000 and 40,000 miles. Consult your vehicle handbook or speak to a garage if you’re not sure.

Tyres

You should check tyre pressures every couple of weeks, and keep them topped up to the right level. Also take note that the recommended pressures may be different depending on whether you are running with a light or heavy load, so pay attention.

Tyres have wear indicators on them. Look for signs of uneven wear – if it is wearing faster on the inside than the outside, for example – as this will need addressing. Know the legal limits and make sure to change your tyres before you reach this point to avoid a run in with the law.

Alignment and balancing

Keeping the car aligned and balanced provides the driver with more steering wheel stability and fuel savings. This will also prevent the uneven tyre wear mentioned above.

Battery

The repair on this part is done by checking the connection cables, the battery box and its fixation and the level of the electrolyte, which is the liquid present inside the battery. If you’re unsure when it comes to your car battery, a garage will help.