Just because mechanics are readily available in Pakistan doesn’t mean you should be careless with your car and risk breakdowns. Maintaining your car and elongating its life is entirely the owner’s responsibility. If you want to avoid frequent breakdowns, you need to know how to prolong the life of your car and for this, you’ll need the easy but essentials car maintenance tips we’ve discussed below:
Maintain Fluid Levels
One of the essential car maintenance tips is to top up the fluid levels in your automobile regularly. This doesn’t just include petrol or diesel though. Your car’s engine requires other fluids to run, so pop the hood open and measure the engine oil, steering oil, battery water, and radiator water to make sure they don’t go empty.
Inspect Tire Pressure
Most car owners get the air pressure of their tires checked when they fear a puncture or overuse. However, it is best to actually check tire pressure every week as driving your car without the correct tire pressure can damage the tire beyond repair. The lack of air in your tires can also lead to a loss of fuel efficiency.
Keep Your Car Clean
Dirt and grime can significantly reduce the life of your car. This is why it is important to keep it clean, from both the inside and out. From removing bird droppings that can ruin your car’s paint to washing the tires and the windscreen for a smoother driving experience, there is a lot that can be done when washing your car. If you do not want to give it a wash yourself, take it to a professional car washing station where the experts can revive the shine of your vehicle. Remember to keep it clean from the inside too.
Cover It
You may have access to indoor parking areas if you are living in an apartment complex or a bungalow, but this is not the case for all the cars we see driving on the roads. Most vehicles spend their days and nights outdoors, under the open sky, and while there is nothing particularly wrong with that, it is best to drape a cover over your car when you park it for the night. This not only protects your new car from thefts but also helps it maintain its shine for longer.
Test Your Battery
We’ve all had our car batteries running out on us when we least expected. To avoid this scenario, one of the many ways to maintain the performance of your car is to test your battery after every few days, especially if your car has been sitting idle. Just start up your car and check whether the battery is still in perfect working condition. This should be done quite regularly in the colder months. You should also inspect whether the battery fluids need to be topped up and refill them as required.
Replace Your Spark Plugs
As a car owner in Pakistan, you might prefer to just hand your car over to a mechanic for servicing rather than trying to maintain the performance of your car on your own. However, the task is easy, and even if you don’t attempt it yourself, you should know what is required to maintain your car and improve its performance. Spark plugs become rusted, discoloured and worn over time. Thus, it is important to replace them when the condition of the existing ones deteriorates.
Check Your Air Conditioning System
The air conditioning system in our cars contains a coolant that is transported to the passenger cabin in the vehicle, resulting in a change of temperature. The coolant faces a leak over time, and if you aren’t using your air conditioning from time to time, you will have no air pressure or cooling effect when you turn the AC on to cool the car on a particularly hot day. So, keep a check on the air conditioning system and get it serviced if there is little-to-no cooling effect inside your vehicle.
Change the Filters
Keep a regular check on the air and oil filters if you want to maintain the performance of your car because the filters become clogged over time. This results in loss of air and dirty oil being circulated within the engine and interior of the car, causing performance issues.
Improve Your Driving
Rash driving and sudden application of the brakes can wear out the tires and the brakes earlier, requiring frequent maintenance or even a replacement. In contrast, careful and smoother driving can keep your car running and damage-free for longer.
These car maintenance tips will help you attain a smoother and trouble-free ride. Just don’t forget to abide by all the traffic rules when you hit the road!
