3 easy car maintenance tasks you can perform at home
Keeping up with an aging car can be a bit of a challenge. The older a vehicle gets, the more things tend to go wrong with it. Of course, this is completely normal; and, to some extent, it’s to be expected. After all, as parts wear down, they begin to malfunction. Once that starts to happen, things need to be replaced. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a junk car.
If you’re not careful, the number of “little things” wrong with your car can start to accumulate and creep up on you. Before you know it, you’ve got an incredibly long list of things to fix. And, in the interim, your vehicle isn’t running as well as it could be.
We all know that our cars need regular oil changes, and we generally try to stay on top of those. But there are other things you can do for your car, too. In fact, there are a number of easy, DIY maintenance tasks that you can perform on your own. These will help keep your car in better shape over the long haul. Read on to learn more.
1) Changing your air filter
Changing your air filter is easy
Cars need to have their air filter replaced once a year, or once every 12,000 miles. This is a simple job, and there’s no need to take your car in for repairs: you can do it yourself at home in a matter of minutes. First, just take a look at your owner’s manual to locate your air filter: it’s in a black box, and is usually pretty obvious. Then, open up the box that contains the filter. Pop out the used filter, put the new one in (make sure it faces the same way), and you’re good to go!
2) Clean your battery
Your battery is essential to keeping your car running smoothly. While you’ll eventually need to replace your battery, cleaning it can improve its performance. First, remove the cables from the terminal posts on your battery with a wrench. Be sure to remove the negative cable before you touch the positive one. Apply some baking soda and water to the posts, and scrub them thoroughly with a wire brush. Rinse them with a small amount of water, dry them off completely, and then reconnect your cables. Good as new!
3) Check your belts for wear
At the front of your car near the engine, you’ll find a series of belts and pulleys. These belts keep everything running while your engine is firing. Over time, these rubber belts will begin to deteriorate. As they do, they’ll become looser, and pieces of them will flake off. They can start to make screeching noises, too, which you might notice while driving or idling. Periodically check the belts while your car is turned off: see if you notice any cracking or brittleness. Then, watch them run while your car is idling. If they seem loose or damaged, or if they’re making noise, it’s a good idea to have them replaced before one of them breaks (and strands you on the side of the road).
If these tasks seem like too much work, or you car needs far more work than these three easy fixes, it may be time to consider selling. Call [namebrand] to learn more about selling your junk car today. They operate all over the country including Washington.
References:
https://www.moneycrashers.com/diy-car-maintenance-tips-checklist/
