Almost everyone owns his own car right now, but not everyone knows how to take care of it. While it might be easy to learn how to drive a car, car maintenance is a whole lot different topic that you need to get yourself familiar with. In this article, I am going to highlight nine things every car owner needs to know and pay attention to so that he doesn’t have much trouble when on the road.
Car Insurance
The very first thing that you should do after getting a car is to make sure that you get it insured. It might look like a costly expenditure at first, but when it comes to such a huge investment, you have to make sure that you do it the right way. Car insurance is going to give you the peace of mind that in case of an accident, you don’t have to deal with a huge financial loss. Moreover, you should also look into insurance policies for high-risk drivers if you are a full-time driver who spends most of his time on the road.
Engine Oil
The next thing that is vital for your car performance is the engine oil of your car. Many people think that engine oil helps their car burn the fuel, when in fact, it acts as a lubricant so that your engine stays clean. If you drive your car on low engine oil, not only is it going to lower the engine performance, but it may also cause your engine to break down for good. Low engine oil can lead to thermal degradation, oxidation, and compressive heating, all of which are going to destroy your car engine.
Spare Tire
You have to realize that a spare tire isn’t just there for a piece of decoration, but it plays a huge part in making sure that you don’t have to deal with a lot of trouble if your car tire gets punctured in the middle of nowhere. So, make sure that you familiarize yourself with how to change a car tire and have a spare tire present in your car all the time. You can easily put the tire in the trunk of your car and change the tires in about 10 minutes if there is no tire shop nearby.
Windshield Wipers
Everything that comes with and in your car is in there for a reason, and it is your job to make sure that everything is in working condition all the time. One of the most important things in your car are the windshield wipers, and it will be near to impossible for you to drive in rainy weather without your windshield wipers. Most people tend to overlook these wipers as they are not used most of the time. However, you don’t want to be one of those people and make sure that your wiper blades are in good shape.
Vehicle Fluids
Another basic yet important thing that you should keep an eye on is the vehicle fluids in your car. These fluids range from engine oil, coolant, steering fluid, brake fluid, windshield washer fluid, etc. If you want to make sure that your car keeps running smoothly without any trouble, you should regularly check the fluid levels and keep them up to an optimal level. If any fluid falls below the critical level and you keep driving the car, it is going to cause long term damage to that component.
Tire Pressure
Before you set out on long routes, you should pay a visit to a mechanic and get your tire pressure checked. Moreover, you should pay attention to your tire pressure levels as low tire pressure causes lots of friction between road and tire, which is not only going to make the tire wear out faster, but it is going to present lots of safety concerns. On the other hand, too much tire pressure is also not good as it is going to make the car ride bumpier for everyone. So, you should get your tire filled to the optimal air pressure and keep it that way for as long as you can.
Head and Tail Lights
One of the most important things that especially comes in handy when you are driving your car at night is the head and tail lights. Headlights ensure that you don’t have any difficulty seeing ahead when driving at night. So, if they start to get dimmer, you should immediately get them to check and replace them if there is any fault. Moreover, your headlights also come in very handy if you are driving in foggy weather as others can easily see a car coming. Getting your headlights to a working condition is going to improve the car safety and make sure that you don’t get pulled over by a cop.
Emergency Kit
While all of these safety tips are going to help overturn any accident, when you are out on the road, anything can happen. You can never guess when your brakes might break down or someone bumps into your car from behind. All you can do is to prepare for the worst, which is why it is necessary that you keep an emergency kit in your car at all times. On top of having an emergency kit, you should also have a fire extinguisher, tire gauge, tire sealant, jumper cables, flashlight, batteries, gloves, water, a warm blanket, and tow rope in your car.
Good Mechanic
Last but not least, you have to make sure that you find a good mechanic that you can trust. When you start driving your car, you are going to have to go to the mechanic for small repairs. A good mechanic is going to keep your car in the best working condition without costing you a lot of company. A skilled mechanic can easily find what’s wrong with your car and find the best solution for it, while an unskilled mechanic is going to leave your car in a worse condition than the original problem.