Engineering Magazines

I am going to start this article with an obvious cliché that says that the car is one of the most important and useful inventions of all times by far, in the whole history of humankind.

Yet, getting over this aspect of the problem we land on this: how important is the maintenance to a car (owner). This is a very suitable question because there are many people that would rather buy an expensive car and not to make those indispensable maintenance changes that simply have to be done at some point, or simply there are people that do not take care of their cars but only when they do not seem to work at all anymore.

Yet, no matter if we are discussing about a car as a personal asset, a car as a public transportation mean it is suggested to avoid different difficulties that may appear when owning a car.

Try not to be one of those owners rather indifferent to their cars that simply start the car, drive and then park it. Not knowing what may be wrong with your car or how it works it makes it impossible to maintain it in a perfect condition.

Do not think of keeping your car in a perfect condition as another way to lose money – think of if you keep it in a perfect condition you will get to sell the car at a great price in a few years.

Think if you really afford not to pay the attention, you should to your car, and go for learning how to take care of it. Even if you do not know basic things about cars such as how to do a rudimentary check of your car engine, or how to check your engine oil level, the spark plug change (if it may be the case) or even the windscreen wiper change it does mean you have to worry.

All these can be learnt very easily and the Internet is full useful advice on this subject. Another important thing you should learn (if you do not already know, of course) is how to take care of your car during winter months when winter tires are required and sometimes even chains. I have listed below a few basics when it comes to owning and maintaining a car.

First of all, you will need to know how to buy a new car, what values you should look for and how to spot possible problems. This will take just a few hours because all you have to do is check car guides and see a few aspects and their meaning.

Second, assuming you do not want to buy a new car, or simply want to buy a used one too, you should know how to buy a used car and not be scammed. This way you will know how to sell it yourself in the future and obtain a good price for it.

Third, you will need to prepare some kind of a schedule based on which you will do a routine check-up. This will avoid any serious problems in the future.

Fourth, something very important is to how to change a tire because there are many people who simply do now know what to do.

And last, but not least you will need to know when the battery is flat and how you can either replace it or recharge it.

Of course, aside from these, there are a few other general aspects that you should note, but these will give you a great start.

Winter brings with it an array of holidays, family picnics, and snow balls! On the other hand winter also brings long mornings filled with excruciating car troubles. Preparing beforehand on the maintenance of your car can help greatly with the endless troubles a car can give in winter.

A well maintained car has less chances of ditching you while driving then an ill maintained one. You should have a regular maintenance checklist of your car throughout the year. Some specific maintenance is advisable on a seasonal basis. And generally annual preparation tips include cleaning battery posts, inspection of spark plugs and breaks, and checking the engine oil.

Here are some winter maintenance tips you should keep in mind for preparing your car for winter:

• Check your Antifreeze: antifreeze plays a vital role of your car’s protection against cold weather. A car generally has a solvent made with 50% water and 50% antifreeze in it. The level of the mixture should be checked regularly and should ideally be at full level. If you do not have the knowledge or are not open to the idea of popping that hood of your car, many service centers and mechanics will check the level for you free of any charge. A radiator flush should have already been done in the last season for optimal performance of your car.

• Inspect your tires: Good and healthy tires have many benefits. From assisting in good and efficient breaking to boosting the mileage, a good set of tires proves to be a knight in shining armor in winter. The depth of the tires should be checked for optimum depth. The recommended tire depth is 2/32′ but if your tire depth is less then 4/32″ then you should consider buying a new tire. Along with a tire in a good condition, the tire pressure should also be checked and maintained at the recommended pressure for the tire, the tire losses pressure in winter because of contraction of air molecules.

• Replace your wipers: In winter wipers do the job of cleaning and wiping anything that falls on your windshield, from snowfall to splashed slush from molten snow, the wipers of a car take care of everything. For proper cleaning a wiper should be in a healthy condition. The rubber blades of the wiper should be checked for cracks and unevenness resulting from change in weather conditions, or long term use.

• Check your windshield washer fluid: Windshields are used regularly in winter for cleaning the windshield. A lot of dirt and dust settled on the windscreen turns to stains when it mixes with dewdrops or water from snow. The use of washer fluid is used extensively for this reason only. The level of washer fluid should be checked regularly to avoid running out of the washer fluid. Care should be taken not to use anything other then washer fluid in the washer fluid reservoir because a washer fluid is specially designed for winter and wont freeze.

Apart from the above mentioned tips, many other precautions could be undertaken to suit the individual needs.