Car maintenance and upkeep for the novice

Insist on the dealer or seller providing you with an owner’s manual for the vehicle.  The owner’s manual contains information on how to change things like headlights and also tells you where everything is located.  It will give you a list of part numbers in case anything needs to be replaced, and will tell you what types of fluids to use.  It will also give you a detailed listing of optimum settings for things like tire pressure in the winter and summer.  If you already have a vehicle and it doesn’t have an owner’s manual, consider going on-line or to a local dealership to purchase one, they come in very handy!

That includes your oil (oil level should be checked while the engine is cold), brake fluid, transmission fluid (transmission fluid should be checked while the engine is hot and the vehicle is level), anti-freeze (check when the engine is cold), steering wheel fluid, and windshield washer fluid.  Add any if needed.  This is where your manual will come in handy because it will tell you where all of these things are located and give you detailed instructions on how to check them.  Also, it will tell you what fluid is recommended for your particular vehicle. 

Keep a tire gauge in your car for this purpose.  Most stations offer air (and you can usually get them to turn it on for free-be sure to ask before you put money in).  If you look inside the door of the driver's side, there should be a sticker that tells you what the pressure should be for each season (and of course the manual should tell you).  This gives you better gas mileage by having the optimum pressure.  (NOTE:  the tire valve cap is there to protect your tire valve from leaking, do not lose it!) Check your tires for bubbles or deep rubs or scrapes each time you check the pressure because such things could cause the tire to become weak and blow. To use a tire gauge, remove the valve cap and place the end of the gauge over the valve opening.  If you have placed it correctly you should hear a short burst of air and then the gauge should tell you the tire pressure.  If you need to remove some air, just push the little center piece of your valve to one side until you hear air escaping.  Check pressure often during this process.

If you are having a mechanic that you trust do the work, you can ask them to check all of your hoses and belts as well (only do this if you trust them, some mechanics are not trustworthy and might damage something so that you have to spend more money).  Be sure your air filter is also changed at this time, if needed.  Your manual can tell you how to check the air filter and if it is one that should be cleaned or replaced. Air filters may need to be changed more often if you drive through dusty areas or through a lot of dirt and debris.

They can get brittle, nicked, or worn down quickly depending on how much and when you use them.  Replace at a minimum twice a year (just before winter and just before summer).  Remember to check the back one if you have one-this often gets overlooked.  Check your wiper arms for damage and ensure that your motor is working properly BEFORE the rain and snow begins.  NOTE:  Wipers come in very different sizes even varying from the driver’s side to the passenger side.  Be sure to check with your owner’s manual or a parts manual at the store before you purchase.  Most places that sell wiper blades have some type of parts book.  Directions for replacing blades are usually on the back of the package.

Have them stand in the back of the car while you hit the brakes, turn the lights on and off and turn each signal on and off; they can tell you if any of them fail to work.  Then have them do the same in the front.  Lights are fairly easy to replace (usually just a bulb), however, check your owner’s manual for part number and instructions.  This should be done when you change your wiper blades.  Police will cite you if your lights are not working properly, especially if there is a safety hazard such as no brake lights at all.  If your protective lens is damaged (no matter which light it is), be sure to replace it immediately because a bare light is blinding to other drivers at night and could cause an accident.

Before you race off to a mechanic, check your fuses.  Your manual will tell you where each fuse box is located and what fuse runs what equipment.  So check the manual for the location of the fuse and then check to see if the fuse is blown (a fuse must have a complete connection to work, if the center wire of a fuse is burned or broken, then the fuse must be replaced).  Be sure to replace all fuses with the same type and size that was in the spot originally.

Check the following before you go to a mechanic:  check to see if there is something caught in the tread of the tires, these will clack, click, and sometimes hum as you drive; check for loose rubber on your tires; check to see if there is anything caught under one of the brake pads; check to see if there is something foreign under the hood (like an animal or a stick); check to see if there is anything loose in the area of the noise such as loose lug nuts; check to see if there is a piece of metal broken or hanging from the sides or under carriage of the car; check for a foreign object like a stick caught underneath your car; check for loose light fixtures; check to see if your antenna is loose; check to see if your license plate is loose; check to see if there is anything small like a stone or screw caught anywhere (there are often small lips under the fenders and bumpers that things can get caught in); and just check over the general appearance of your car, you might just find something that isn’t supposed to be there and by removing it, you remove the noise--if you don’t find anything out of the ordinary, then you might want to have it checked out, but before you do, make sure you can describe the noise and you can give a general location--such as ‘driver’s side front tire wheel well’.