National Car Care Month
April is National Car Care Month and to celebrate, we’ve put together a checklist for you! Whether you’re a car care newcomer or you’re an oil-changing pro, car maintenance is an important part of owning a vehicle.
- Check your wipers
- Headlights, turn signals and taillights
- Tire tread
- Tire pressure
- Fluid levels
- Air filter
- Clean it out!
There’s nothing more irritating than having a blurry windshield. It’s also dangerous. Wipers need changing if they leave streaks on the windshield, or if they make a chattering or squeaking sound. When you examine the blades and there are cracks or missing chunks from the wiper blade, it’s a safe bet you’ll need new wipers. If you are unsure, you could bring your car to a service station or your local mechanic for help.
Check your headlights, taillights and turn signals on the front and back of the vehicle. Depending on where you’re traveling to or from, a faulty taillight could lead to a traffic citation. And nobody wants that.
This one’s simpler than it sounds. According to Consumer Reports, if you take a quarter and put George Washington’s head into one of the big grooves in the tire and the top of his head is flush with the tread, you have about 4/32 of tread left. That means you’ll have a little grip remaining in your tires. But you should think about replacing your tires soon.
You can bring your car to most service stations or your local mechanic to have your tire pressure checked. Properly inflated tires can help your gas mileage.
Fluid levels are important to check, but trying to change them yourself could be dangerous. If you look under the hood and notice something is low, you should bring it to your local mechanic to help replace the fluid.
Your air filter is the first line of defense against debris getting stuck in the engine, so it’s important to have it checked. Your local mechanic should be able to help you with this.
You should clean your vehicle on the inside and out before you go on your next trip or if you’re just bumming around your home. The wax on your paint seals the paint with an extra protective layer that can prevent chips to your paint. If the inside is cleaned out, your passengers will be more comfortable. Clean windows and mirrors are also safer.
With these tips in mind, you’ll be ready for your next road trip or even your next trip to the grocery store. And now it’s time to relax, take the wheel and Drive®!
