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Banking and Finance  » How To Save Money By Properly Maintaining Your Car

How To Save Money By Properly Maintaining Your Car

Did you know that you can substantially save a lot of money

simply by doing a quick 10-20 minute checkup on your car each

week? In this article, I will give you the information you need

properly maintain your car and saving money that would otherwise

be spent on expensive repairs.

My first advice to you is that you need to read and understand

your Owner's Manual for each car that you own. Next, follow the

tips below and inspect your car on a weekly basis (should take

no more than 10-20 minutes).

- If you can get someone to help you just for minute or two then

get them to watch your lights and turn signals to make sure they

are all working properly.

- Look at your tires and make sure that they look good without

cracks or cuts. You need also to check the air pressure in each

tire with a gauge. The tire will have a psi pressure on it and

it will also be printed in your manual. Tire pressure is very

important to the control of the vehicle.

- Look at your belts and hoses for cracks and tears and replace

as needed. Also check your hoses for any leaks.

- Check the oil in your engine with the vehicle "not running".

Pull out the stick and wipe it off then replace the stick in the

engine and then pull it out again and check the level. Add

proper oil if needed and be sure to change your oil and filter

every 3000 miles.

- Look under your car and look for any fluid leaks. Fluid leaks

are the most common failure of vehicles. The vehicle needs all

of its fluids and when it leaks the leaking part can fail at

great expense.

- Check your battery. Your battery will have two flat covers on

the top. Pull each cover off and check to make sure there is

enough water in each cell. Put distilled water in batteries.

Also check the connections and if they are corroded you will

need to take them off and clean them with a wire brush.

- Check your brakes. The brake master cylinder is normally

mounted on the fire wall just on front of the driver. It has a

flat cap on it and it just pops off. Make sure that your brake

fluid is kept full and if you keep having to add fluid you need

to check for a leak in the brake system. This is very important

as a brake failure can get you killed.

- Check your power steering. The power steering unit will be

located on the front of the engine and it normally has a screw

on cap that has a short stick gauge attached to it. The power

steering unit is a closed system and you want to be very careful

not to over fill the unit. If you have a power steering failure

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the vehicle will be hard to steer and control.

- If you vehicle has a transmission stick pull it out and wipe

it off. Replace it in the transmission and then pull it out and

check the level and condition. The fluid should be red in color

and full on the stick. You should have your transmission filter

and fluid changed about every 30,000 miles unless you live in a

very hot or very cold climate. If you live in a harsh climate

you need to change your fluid and filter at least once a year.

Note that you should be careful to keep your hands and any

foreign objects away from the fan and the belts while the engine

is running. It is best to have a professional car technician

help you out if you are doing this for the first time.

By following the above tips and advice, you can quickly and

easily inspect your car each week and save a lot of money by

having a longer-lasting, more durable car!

About the author:

Dr. Drew Henry maintains a network of auto-related sites,

including Auto

Transport Secrets, Car Lease Secrets and

Car Accident

Online. Visit his sites today.