14 Easy Steps to Keep Your Car Running Optimally

With Spring coming quickly, here are 14 steps you can follow to make sure your vehicle is running optimally to avoid the mechanic!

Transcript:

As we are heading into spring with hopefully the weather warming up soon in our area, now is the perfect time to not only complete your spring cleaning at home but also include your vehicle.

Hi, I’m Nancy at Kneble’s Auto Service Center.

I cannot count how many times I’ve mentioned this in my videos over the last five years, but deferred maintenance can be costly in the long run.

And I want to save you money, but providing you with a simple checklist of items you can do to keep your car running optimally, especially if you’re back to driving to the office again.

If you’ve been a devout follower of these videos, you would know I gave the six-step list to prepare your car for spring.

This is a great list, and I’ll start off with those before providing some additional items for your checklist because we got to up our 2019 list.

We need to keep our cars pristine since new and used car prices have skyrocketed.

Before I start the list of items to check off, to help maintain your vehicle, as always, like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and check out our YouTube channel.

Number one, time to make sure your brakes are working properly so you’re stopping safely and not causing people to wince as you brake.

No one wants to make that noise.

Number two, has the winter been bad for your vehicle in terms of potholes and rough conditions?

Have your alignment inspected to make sure you’re driving straight.

Number three, check your tire tread.

Heading, especially into the April showers, it is important to have a minimum tire tread depth of 5/32 to help disperse the rain and prevent hydroplaning.

Refer to my video on the importance of tire tread and needing new tires.

Number four, windshield wipers can deteriorate during the winter, so make sure you check to see if they need replacing so you are ready to combat those April showers.

I really don’t hope we have a lot of rain on our days off.

Number five, check the condition of your coolant.

Check your owner’s manual to determine when your next coolant flush is needed because proper coolant level and good coolant prevent overheating.

Number six, wash and buff your vehicle to remove the dirt and debris to help keep that paint in good condition.

Great time to have your car detailed.

Now that we got those fantastic tried and true steps from 2019 out of the way, here are some additional ones that I recommend doing.

Number seven, as the summer months are approaching, it’s the best time to check and make sure your air conditioner is working properly.

If you notice it isn’t blowing cold air, schedule your air conditioner to be inspected by your technician.

Nothing worse than sweating while driving, because you didn’t find out the air conditioner isn’t working until it’s too late.

Number eight, check your air and cabin air filter, just like you would check the filters at home in your air conditioner or heater.

Replace them when needed.

Now, it’s common in this area to have rodents build nests or they can store acorns in your cabin air filter during the cold months.

Number nine, while you’re under the hood, check to see if you need an oil change.

For those vehicles using conventional oil, change it every 5,000 miles. And for those vehicles requiring full synthetic oil, you can have yours changed every seven to 10,000 miles.

Check out my video on the most important maintenance for keeping your vehicle running.

But for those of you who haven’t put many miles on your vehicle in a year, then make sure you at least have your oil changed annually.

Number 10, check your tire pressure. Remember that the required PSI is found on a label in your driver’s side door jam.

Refer to my video on ways to save gas for the importance of proper tire pressure.

Number 11, check to make sure your battery is working optimally. Keep in mind that a battery’s life is on average five years.

Number 12, check your headlamp lenses because, over time, those lenses can be foggy, dull, or even the seal of the lens can break, causing moisture inside the assembly.

If you are unable to buff out the lenses or you notice water in the lens, well, the solution is you need to replace them.

Number 13, check the condition of your belts. Make sure your belts are not brittle, fraying, or starting to split or glaze.

If you notice any of these signs, you’re right, it’s time to have them replaced.

And number 14, last but not least, if you plan on going on a road trip, make sure you get your vehicle inspected for that road trip by your local auto technician.

They should take care of that whole list, minus the cleaning, but do a more thorough inspection such as checking the exhaust and other fluids to make sure your trip will go smoothly.

Thank you for watching.

For any of your car care needs, call us at (609) 625-3286, or schedule your appointment online through our website.

We are located here at 5473 Somers Point Road in Mays Landing.

You got it, next door to Freddy J’s Bar & Kitchen. See you here.