After spending thousands of dollars on the car of your dreams, it’s safe to say that keeping it clean and perfect is highly important so it lasts as long as possible. While some people swear by taking their prized vehicle to a local car wash service, the cost can quickly add up.

There are also more aspects to keeping the value of your car up besides maintaining the exterior look of it. No matter what model you have, always follow your car’s maintenance schedule and never ignore an issue so your car is always up to speed with its best performance.

Preventive maintenance is the best thing an owner can do since you’ll save money on costly repairs in the long run. Even if you don’t want to spend extra now, preparing it for harsh weather and road conditions is the best thing to do. Let’s walk through the best car maintenance tips to keep the professional detailing of your ride safe and sound.

Car Maintenance Tips

Here are my top tips for taking care of your car, no matter what model! Some of these fixes can be easily done by yourself if you watch a YouTube video online or look up do it yourself articles.

1. Check out your air filter. Many long term car problems can be prevented if your faulty air filters are fixed in advance. You should be getting your filters changed at least every year or after about 12000 miles driven on the road. Whichever comes first! If you choose to ignore your filter, your air conditioner, heating, and overall air quality won’t be up to par. What’s good to know is that filters are extremely easy to fix too since it takes a professional mechanic as little as ten minutes from start to finish. However, you can also do it yourself and save some money by following a comprehensive guide for free online!
2. Keep up with the pressure. Make sure your tire pressure and fluids are working well, even if you don’t think the car has a huge problem. This is so important as tires are the main components of your car and are constantly being worn down every time you take it out to drive.  It takes as little as ten minutes to check your tires as you only need to cool your car down, open up the engine, and detach the oil dipstick. Clean it as best as you can and fasten it back. If you notice a lot of oil stuck to it, you’ll know it’s time to change the engine oil as well.  For your tires, you can check the pressure by using an appropriate gauge on all wheels. If you can, try to do this at least one to two times a month so your tires are in top shape!
3. Make sure you have battery. This can be overlooked but your life will depend on it! We all faced the dire situation where we are left stranded in a parking lot or worse, a crowded highway with no battery left in our car. To prevent this from happening again, never ignore your low battery sign and always get it checked at the mechanic.  They can look for any signs of leakage or crusty mineral build up in it which will affect its performance. It’s much better to be safe than sorry.
4. Make sure your tires are rotated! This is the easiest thing to do in terms of taking care of your car well. Making sure they are placed correctly will not only make them last longer but keep your ride as smooth as possible. You only need to rotate your tires every once in a while and most shops will provide this service for free if you visited them before. This allows the wear and tire on each tire to be more equal and will give you peace of mind.
5. Make sure your windshield is clean. This seems like a no brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people choose to ignore this step and live with dirty windows throughout each drive. The dirty windshield can prove to be a lot of hassle if they are not cleaned enough each month and can cause terrible accidents if the timing is right. It is very important for you as a driver to get the clearest view of the road while you’re going out and about. Over time, windshields that aren’t cleaned can decrease in quality if enough dirt and grime starts accumulating. There’s a very easy way to clean the windshields and exteriorof your car without having to go to the car wash. If the weather in the area you drive in the most is rainy or foggy, check your wipers and get them replaced if you need to as well. Never use wipers that aren’t in top condition since it can scratch the glass and harm your view overall.
6. Take care of your brakes. This is probably the only prevention device you have when you’re driving if someone or something comes in your way. There is a very easy way to check your brake fluidyourself and doing so will help you ensure that your car’s system is working properly. If the color of your brakes looks a little darker than usual, you might want to take it to the shop so it’s replaced.  Displaying a dark black color indicates that the fluid in your brakes is filled with rubber and need attention as soon as possible. Aim to replace your brakes every two years so you know you’re safe at all times.

Car Maintenance Is A Habit

I hope these tips gave you more insight into how to take care of your car. You want your vehicle to run a long lasting and quality life while you have it, so make sure everything works properly! You’ll save lots of headache and costly repairs in the future by being more mindful about its features.