We're not here to lecture you about how dirty your car is or inquire about when you last got it serviced, but it's fair to say that most people could do with stepping up their car maintenance. Of course, you can't really tidy your car quickly or even in segments like you would a room in your home, and so car jobs get postponed until next weekend and the next... and then you have a dirty, smelly car on your hands, and an even larger cleaning job to boot! How can this be avoided? Today we are going to explore some car maintenance basics that all drivers should know, simply so that they can start to be effortlessly proactive about their car maintenance, and reap the benefits of a happy, shiny, and indefatigably well-tuned automobile.
How to change a car battery
It's certainly no fun when a car battery dies on you, but this situation becomes worse still when it leaves you stranded or without the resources you'll need to rectify this little mishap. As a rule of thumb, you want to know when your current car battery was bought to get an indication of its lifecycle. You can also have a spare one ready to go in your home in case the battery dies, or even one that you can bring with you on a holiday nearing the end of your car battery's life, that is if you are particularly organised.
You'll also want to understand the ways in which a car battery can be drained, as this will prevent future issues and potentially some money replacing car batteries before you should have to. When your car runs for a long period of time (playing the radio, charging a phone, etc) then the battery can be chewed up quite quickly. Of course, leaving your headlights on unnecessarily can also drain your car's battery fast, so it's definitely worth double checking to ensure your lights are never left on after driving home from a long and busy work day.
Changing a tyre
There is a lot of expectation around knowing how to change a car tyre, but it isn't as easy as everyone would have you believe. You need to be prepared with a new tyre and have the right tools, for a start. Get in the habit of ensuring that these tools are in the boot and ready to go because that way you can always ask someone for help if you can't do it on your own. Rather than explain this rather technical activity here in text, it's best to watch some YouTube videos to see how it is done and maybe even ask your mechanic to show you next time you pick up your car.
Deep cleaning
There's a reason that so many car detailers are in business because most car owners don't really want to be putting in the effort to give their car a deep clean as often as they should be. It's fine to use outside help with this, but make sure you actually know how to vacuum your car, wash the exterior, wax the exterior and even how to steam your car interior upholstery. If you have leather inside, then you can find a quality car leather conditioner that will give your leather a new lease on life and remove any grime that will erode the material over time. You could even make it a family or friend event cleaning your cars so that everyone can listen to music and chat while doing this fundamental chore.
Regular services
Nothing good can come from skipping your next car service. This is the first thing a potential car buyer is going to look for, and it's the only way to spot issues that might become bigger and more expensive to tackle down the track. You don't have to service your car with your car's manufacturer either. You can actually find a trusted and more local mechanic to do the work for you. Just be sure to keep in mind that not spending money on car services will result in a bigger spend further down the road - so stay on top of your regular maintenance and be sure to fix any and all concerns that may come up along the way.
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We hope that isn't too much to get you started because these tips are going to make an enormous difference to your car over the course of its life with you. If you want your car to look good and retain its value for longer, trust us, this is the way to get that done!
