Routine car maintenance is an important part of owning a vehicle, but unfortunately, too many car owners don’t take routine maintenance as seriously as they should. Keeping your car working at its best for as long as possible requires more than just fixing major problems when they occur. Keeping your car up to date on its routine maintenance is the right decision for a variety of reasons. If you’ve been neglecting yours, it’s important to change your habits. If you’re interested in learning more about routine car maintenance and why it matters, this guide has you covered.
What Is Routine Car Maintenance?
While you may know that it’s important to keep your car well-maintained, not everyone knows what counts as routine car maintenance. Even car maintenance for the winter season is important. Here are the top car maintenance considerations to pay attention to so you can keep your car working at its best:
- Oil changes: This is perhaps the most well-known form of regular car maintenance. Although many modern cars let you put in more miles between oil changes, it’s no less important to get your oil changed when your vehicle reaches the specified number of miles. Check your manual or speak with your mechanic about how often your oil needs to be changed, and make sure to stay on top of your oil change schedule to keep your engine working at its best.
- Fluid checks: Your car is a complex machine, and it requires many different fluids to run at its best. It’s important to make sure that you have these important fluids inspected and topped off when needed to avoid damaging your vehicle. Regularly checking your car’s oil, brake fluid, transmission fluid, coolant, windshield washer fluid, and power steering fluid ensures your car keeps working at its best every time you get behind the wheel.
- Tire care: There are few elements of your car more important than your tires. They not only allow you to get from where you are to where you need to be, but they keep you safe in between. Let’s not forget about brake maintenance! In addition to checking your tire pressure to ensure that all four are inflated to their recommended pressure levels, it’s important to get your tires rotated after the recommended number of miles. Although your car rides on all four tires, their wear and tear patterns are not the same, so rotating allows you to extend the life of your tires and avoid dangers from eroding sections of the tires. Here’s our guide on more tire care for your car!
- Checkups: Although not required as frequently as some other regular maintenance tasks, it’s very important to take your car in for servicing, usually every 30,000 miles. During a routine servicing, your mechanic gives the car a full inspection to look for any problems, as well as any warning signs for potential issues in the future. This is a critical part of keeping your car working the way it’s intended to, and it can save you a lot of money in the long run by catching possible issues early. Be sure to ask about updating your Hyundai’s navigation at your next appointment!
- Look at the ground: Not every form of regular car maintenance requires you to have car repair expertise. One of the simplest ways to monitor the health of your car is to pay attention to the ground where you park it. If you notice pools of liquid or stains developing, that means your car is leaking and should be checked out for any potential problems causing the leak.
Why Is Routine Car Maintenance Important?
There are many reasons to pay attention to your car’s routine maintenance needs, and many of them can have a significant impact on your bottom line. Here are the top reasons to stick to a consistent car maintenance schedule with your car:
- Safety: There’s nothing more important every time you get behind the wheel of your car than the safety of yourself, your passengers, and others on the road. Keeping your car well-maintained is an important part of driving safety, as failing to perform routine maintenance can lead to critical failures when you are driving, increasing your chances of being involved in an accident.
- Efficiency: A car that is working at its best can work more efficiently, which means that staying on top of your routine car maintenance can save you money at the pump by decreasing the number of times you need to stop and fill up. If you drive long distances regularly, you can save big by keeping your car working at its best.
- Major repair avoidance: Although some damage or erosion in your car can not be prevented, major repairs often come about as a result of a failure to identify and repair a problem when it is still small. Keeping your car well-maintained means you’re more likely to notice a small issue before it has the chance to become a big problem, letting you save money in the long run.
- Longevity: Buying a new or used car is a major purchase, and one of the best ways to save money is to reduce how often you need to do it. Keeping your car well-maintained can add years to its life, which means big-time savings with each car you purchase.
- Resale value: Even if you’re not the type to drive your car until its last day, if you’re looking to trade in your car, there’s no better way to maintain your resale value than to regularly maintain your car. By keeping it in premium condition, you ensure it’s worth as much as possible when trading in or selling.
So, there you have everything you need to know about keeping your car well-maintained, including both what goes into proper routine maintenance and the many reasons you benefit from staying on top of it with your car. If you’re ready to trade in your car, those tips can help you maintain its value and to protect the new or used car you purchase next. The team at Huffines Hyundai Plano is excited to show you the many options we have available. Just get in touch or come out and see us, and we’ll get you out for a test drive today!
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