Keeping your car in the very best condition doesn’t mean having to overhaul the entire engine or spend loads of money on expensive fixes and modifications – sometimes, it’s the small, often overlooked maintenance hacks and tips that can keep your car running smoothly and even give it a bit of a boost when it comes to performance. So, if you want to extend the life of your car, make it more fuel-efficient, and enjoy a better, more comfortable, maybe even faster (within legal limits, of course!) drive, these simple tips are exactly what you need – read on to find out more.
Regular Oil Changes
Here is a really necessary but often forgotten about hack that’s going to make a massive difference – regular oil changes. Clean oil lubricates the moving parts in your engine, and that leads to a lot less friction, less wear and tear, and a more efficient engine overall. And the fact is that when your car runs on fresh oil, it doesn’t have to work as hard, meaning better performance and even improved fuel mileage in the end. It’s best to change the oil around every 3,000 to 5,000 miles, but if you drive in tough conditions or your vehicle has quite high mileage on it, then it might need to be changed more often.
Also, don’t forget to just check your oil level on a regular basis as well – it’s a quick, easy thing that anyone can do, and it might save you having to pay out for a major repair later on when something drastic goes wrong because you’ve accidentally run out of oil. Just make it a habit to check the oil level every time you go out on a long journey or maybe when you fill up with fuel, and you’ll soon spot when it needs to be topped up.
Keep The Air Intake Filter Clean
A clean air intake filter is an amazing thing to do for your car’s engine – it’s a small part, but it plays a big role in maintaining the right air-fuel mix in the combustion chamber. All that might sound quite complicated (and it is if you want to get into the nitty gritty of it), but all you need to know is that if there’s a problem with the combustion chamber, there will be a problem with the power your car can give, the fuel efficiency, and your overall engine health. That’s because over time, dirt and debris can clog the filter, meaning airflow is restricted and the engine will have to work harder than it should to keep things moving. So, by replacing your air intake filter on a regular basis, or cleaning it if it’s a reusable one, it’s an easy way to give your car a quick performance boost and to stop something more major going wrong.
The great thing about this is that not only will it keep your car running efficiently, but it can even slightly improve acceleration and fuel economy, so it’s a win-win and a great idea no matter what way you look at it. Plus, it’s something you can do at home (although a mechanic will do it if you prefer).
Check And Rotate Your Tires
When you think about it, your tires are the only point of contact between your car and the road, so they’re hugely important when it comes to performance and, of course, safety. Underinflated tires can increase friction, and that can make your engine work harder which, as we said above, isn’t a good thing at all. And if your tires are overinflated, you’ll have a pretty bumpy journey when the tires aren’t at the right level, plus the handling of the vehicle can be a challenge. The best thing to do is make sure your tires are somewhere in the middle because then you’ll get better handling, fuel efficiency, and the tires will last longer as well.
It’s wise to keep an eye on the tire pressure too and make it a habit to check it every few weeks. And while you’re at it, rotating the tires every 5,000 to 8,000 miles will also help them wear out more evenly, which means yet again a smoother drive (which is probably more important than you think) and longer lasting tires. This is such a simple hack (and you can take it to experts to do it for you, making it even easier), but it can make a big world of difference for the better, so it’s a great thing to do.
Replace Spark Plugs
Spark plugs might be a bit of a mystery if you don’t know a lot about car engines, but that’s okay – they’re basically where the entire combustion process starts because they’re what ignites the fuel-air mixture in the engine cylinders, which is what creates the power to move the car. In other words, they’re really important and you need them if you want to go anywhere. The problem is that over time, spark plugs can actually wear down, reducing your fuel efficiency and eventually your car probably won’t even start. Have you noticed that your car sounds a bit rough when it’s idling or it’s not accelerating as well as it used to? If so, it might be your spark plugs that are to blame, and it could be time to replace them.
And if you’re replacing the spark plugs, don’t forget about the spark plug wires as well. These are the wires that transfer the all-important spark to the plugs in the first place, and old, worn out wires means that doesn’t happen effectively, if at all. If you replace the plugs and wires at the same time, you’ll probably save a lot of hassle, time, and money in the long run, and that’s really what all these useful hacks are designed to do.
Keep An Eye On The Battery
A healthy battery is essential if you want your car to do pretty much anything, let alone actually start and run, but corrosion on the battery terminals can mean it doesn’t work so well, and even if the car does start, it might stop after a while (which is clearly dangerous if you’re driving along) or at the very least, your radio or lights might not work (which ranges from annoying to dangerous depending on what’s not working and what conditions you’re driving in). The simple fix here is to give the terminals a wipe down and a clean every now and then so you’ll always have a steady, strong power supply. And to clean them, you just need a small brush and a bit of baking soda mixed with water and that should do a great job.
On top of this, keeping track of how old your battery is is a smart move too. Most car batteries last between three to five years, so if yours is getting older, it’s better to replace it before it starts to get slow and sluggish, and in that way you won’t get stranded with a dead battery and you can go about your business without any issues.
If you have any worries about the car, particularly the most integral parts of the vehicle, then it’s worth getting it checked out. For vehicles on the larger size, a truck transmission repair might be helpful to explore if you’re having trouble with the transmission.
Top Up Fluids
It’s easy to overlook the fluids in your car (other than oil, as we’ve already discussed), but things like coolant, brake fluid, transmission fluid, and water are all important if you want your car to run well and the engine to last for a long time. Keeping these fluids at the proper levels and replacing them when necessary can prevent overheating, improve your brakes and how well they stop the car, and even make shifting gear smoother (whether you’re in an automatic or a manual car, the gears still have to move). So just by taking a few minutes once a month, you can top up these fluids (have a stock in the garage or shed so you can easily get the job done) and you’ll never have a problem – in fact, your car might even start to perform better.
And if you’re topping up the fluids, you could also consider changing the filters at the same time. We’ve already mentioned air filters, but they’re not the only ones in your car, and you’ve also got transmission and fuel filters and they can also get clogged up over time. If you replace these filters on a regular basis, your car will work much better.
Keep Your Car Light
Believe it or not, your car’s weight actually matters when it comes to fuel efficiency and performance. If you lug around unnecessary stuff in the trunk or back seat, you’re forcing your car to use extra energy to move, which will make it work harder, and as we’ve seen, that’s never an ideal situation.
If you can keep your vehicle light, you’ll save on fuel and get a bit more speed out of the vehicle, so regularly do a clean out of the car and you’ll feel the difference. Plus, when you declutter, it’s better for your mental health, so you’ll feel more comfortable in the car, and that should make your driving better.
