Sunday, July 22, 2012

Automotive Maintenance Tips - Give Your Car a Longer Life!

Keeping your car in good condition is not only important for its long term durability but also for your safety. Driving in a car which is not roadworthy will not only cause you problems with the authorities, but also put your life at great risk. It is for this reason that this article offers all car owners crucial automotive maintenance tips to help them fix any problem with relative ease.

Automobiles, just like any other type of machinery, are prone to developing mechanical problems every now and again. Although you may have your trusted mechanic who attends to such problems, it is also important that you also take some time and learn a few things that could save you on a bad night. Better still, learning some tips on automotive maintenance provides you with important information necessary for proper maintenance of your car.

To replace wiper blades, pull up the windshield wiper arm so that the arm and the blade are sticking out perpendicularly to the window. Depress the tab which attaches the blade to the arm using a screwdriver. Fix the new blade onto the wiper arm using a new attachment and turn on the wipers to test.

A Philips screwdriver and a rag are enough to give your car a new air filter. Remove the clamps or screws on the top of the air filter housing using the screwdriver. Use a clean rag to clean the air filter housing, install the new air filter, and clamp the air filter housing's lid back.

To change the battery use battery pliers to loosen the nuts attaching the red and black cables to the battery terminals and detach both cables. Remove the battery hold-down clamp using a socket and ratchet and get the battery out of the battery tray. Use a wire brush and battery-cleaning solution to clean all corrosion on the battery tray, hold-down clamp and battery cable connectors. Place and secure the new battery, spray the terminals with anti-corrosion solution and firmly attach both cables to the rightful terminals.


Changing oil requires jack stands, an oil drain pan, and a socket set. Place the car on a level surface, run the engine for ten minutes as warm oil drains faster, and jack the car up especially if its clearance is low. Crawl under the car, locate the oil drain plug and loosen it with a socket wrench. After the oil drains out, replace the drain plug gasket and reinstall the plug. Pour new oil in up to the recommended level.

Replacing spark plugs requires changing each at a time and replacing the plug wire before proceeding to the next. Pull the wire off, wipe any dirt on the spark plug and use a socket and ratchet to remove it. Fix all plugs' ends to match the gap spaces and tighten all the plugs to position using the socket wrench. Ensure that you do not over tighten.

With these automotive maintenance tips, you are sure of saving both time and money.

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3 comments:

  1. It would also give your car a longer service life when you opt for a reputable service station to buy gas. Other stations may not mix alcohol and fuel properly, or might even water down their gasoline. This would do much damage to your engine, so find a service station that provides gasoline that can give you good mileage, and then stick to it.

    Phil Craig

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  2. One practical tip to give your car a longer service life is to never exceed your vehicle’s weight limits. You can find the weight limit specifications in your owner’s manual. Bearing the weight limits in mind would save your car from further wear and tear.

    Jack Chapman

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  3. In addition, you should also check the condition of your tires. Your car tends to consume more fuel when you’re driving on under-inflated tires. See to it that the tires are properly inflated. If you maintain the correct tire pressure, you can get better fuel efficiency.

    Rita McCall

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