October 24, 2019 - Matt Herlache
With the temperatures beginning to feel more like winter, now is a great time to make sure that your car is in good shape. Everybody has been in the situation where your car takes a couple tries to get started, and once it starts, you wait for the heat to kick in. Not to mention the road conditions making it both difficult and frustrating to drive. Today we will be discussing some basic car maintenance techniques to make sure that your car is running smoothly, not only for the upcoming winter months, but year-round.
Read the Owner’s Manual
Ah yes, the boring owner’s manual. There is obviously no need to read the entire thing. That would be a major waste of time. However, it is good to know the organization of contents in your manual. I was once in a situation with my first car, a 2001 Pontiac Sunfire, that I did not believe had cruise control. I looked in the manual for 45 minutes just trying to find the section on cruise control. If I had just looked through the manual beforehand and been familiar with the contents, it would have been much easier to find the cruise control function. The manual also helps you decipher what the blinking lights mean on your dashboard. It is a great idea to look over the manual.
Check your oil and oil filter
The condition of the oil is a great indicator of the car’s overall health. Essentially, the oil keeps the various parts of a car’s engine from grinding against each other. Motor oil that is not changed regularly can be detrimental to the engine as a whole.
When you get your oil changed, the mechanics place a tag on your windshield that states the date and mileage that your car will need its next oil change. Most auto shops and mechanics will have their prices posted on websites for oil changes and other services they provide. Do your homework on which one offers the best rate and has quality service.
Check Tires
Tires are obviously a critical part of a car’s performance. Two basic things to check for when it comes to tires are the “tread” (traction) and the tire pressure. To check the tread, a classic trick is to stick a penny in one of the crevices of the tire. If you can see all of Lincoln’s head, then your tread is too low, and the tires should be replaced. As with oil changes, do your homework when it comes time to replace your tires. It is important to get quality tires at a low price.
Some newer cars have features that can display your tire pressure. If not, you should check the pressure yourself. To do that, you need a tire gauge. You can get a tire gauge from places like Wal-Mart, Amazon, and various hardware stores. The recommended tire pressure is typically between 30-35 PSI. It is smart to keep your tire pressure closer to 30 in the winter months.
If you need to fill up your tires, Kwik Trip is the place to go! They have free air for tires and it even tells you the pressure, so you don’t have to check afterwards!
Car maintenance tends to be something that I forget about from time to time, as it can often be pushed off to the side with a hectic schedule. However, it is vital to make sure that you routinely check up on your car every few weeks, as it will help your car’s long-term health and will prevent unexpected large expenses. I hope these tips and tricks can help you in your routine car checks!
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