The last thing you want is your car breaking down on the side of the road as a result of not keeping up with the maintenance. We wouldn’t feel great about that either, so we’re here to help you by putting together a car maintenance checklist for gas-powered vehicles for you to follow. First things first, even if you have a brand new car with a warranty, it still requires regular maintenance as warranties don’t cover wear and tear on a vehicle. Staying up-to-date on your vehicle maintenance keeps you safe, helps with the vehicle’s lifespan, ensures better performance, and is a great way of getting the best resale value. Hint: keep all maintenance records so you can show them if and when you decide to sell or trade your vehicle. Psshh, here’s our little plug. If you’re considering selling or upgrading to a newer vehicle, you can see what the value is worth without visiting a bunch of dealerships. Use our fancy technology to see an offer in just a few minutes (cue, sales music here). Now back to maintenance items.
When it comes to proper car care, it’s recommended that car owners have a maintenance schedule based on specific car needs. We like to make things easy, hence why car buying is so convenient with FFUN Cars, so we’ve broken the list of vehicle maintenance down by time frame, i.e., monthly, quarterly, and yearly.
Monthly Checks
Tires are the only part of the vehicle that connects you to the road, so they are one of the most crucial parts for your safety. Add it to your calendar to check your tires monthly or before heading out on a road trip or carrying a heavy load. When checking tires, don’t forget about the spare tire. Look for puncture marks, nails stuck in the rubber, and tread depth and always check the tire pressure. Having the wrong tire pressure can impact how your vehicle handles and wear the tire tread down quicker than it should. Low tire pressure can also affect the fuel efficiency of your vehicle. Take a look at the owner’s manual to see the manufacturer’s recommendations for tire pressure.
Not only do lights help you see in the dark, but having burnt-out lights can result in a driving infraction if you get pulled over. Checking your lights is much easier when you enlist a friend to help. Have your friend stand in front and behind the vehicle as you test the high beams, brake lights, backup lights, and turn signals.
Checking your vehicle fluid levels is different from changing them, but to ensure you don’t run out before a full change over, check them monthly. That doesn’t mean all vehicle fluids; certain ones like transmission fluid, brake fluid, and power-steering fluid can wait until you take your vehicle in for servicing. Do use the dipstick to check engine oil levels and coolant levels monthly. If either gets too low, it can damage your engine, which is way more expensive to fix than a jug of oil.
Checking your windshield isn’t really something you need a reminder for since you look through it every time you get in your vehicle. With that being said, your windshield wipers aren’t always used daily, so it’s wise to inspect each wiper blade every month, especially before the rain and snow weather arrives. At the time you check your motor oil and coolant, have a look at your washer fluid.
Quarterly Checks (Every Three Months)
The most common maintenance item for vehicle owners is getting an oil change. How could it not be; it seems there’s an oil change shop on every corner in major cities. As a rule of thumb, it’s best to get an oil change done every three months or every 5,000-7,000KMs. You can DIY it, but for the cost and headache, do yourself a favour and take it to a mechanic. Getting your engine oil changed will ensure proper lubrication, which will help reduce heat from the engine. Switching out the oil will also get rid of contaminants that can build up and eventually destroy the engine. As part of the oil change process, and to help keep debris and dirt out, replace your oil filter.
As nice (and cost-effective) as it would be to have your vehicle’s belts and hoses last the entire life of your car, it’s not possible. Every three months, examine your timing belt, serpentine belt, V-belt, and hoses to look for holes and cracks. If you aren’t sure what you are looking for, book an appointment with a servicing department to have a check-up. At this time, you can also have the other quarterly maintenance completed.
Once a Year Maintenance
The once-a-year checks aren’t so much as checks, but the maintenance required to keep your vehicle healthy. Have your cabin air filter and engine air filter changed out. Both of these filters prevent debris from entering the cabin and engine, respectively. In addition, a clean air filter helps the air conditioning run better and keeps the vehicle acceleration and engine performance consistent.
As much as we all like to think that our tires will wear 100% even, they don’t. Every year check the tire wear and rotate them to be sure they wear out evenly. Having uneven tread will lead to replacing your tires sooner than you wanted. A great time to have a tire rotation done is when you change your tires between seasons. Yes, we live in Canada, and unless you live in the Vancouver area, you should have two sets of tires; winter ones and summer ones.
Without properly working brakes, your vehicle is rather deadly. Every year have your brakes checked, and at that time you’ll want to look at the brake pads and rotors. Fortunately, when brakes start to go, they make a lot of noises, so pay attention to strange sounds and don’t ignore them. Cleaning out brake dust from time to time can prevent the brakes from making unnecessary sounds. Since getting your brakes changed requires a mechanic, have them also look at your axles, radiator, spark plugs, and test your car battery.
So, there you have it; a checklist to keep your car in tip-top shape. Whether you love your car or are ready to trade it in, take care of it. If you’re ready to move into a new car, give our super cool car buying experience a chance. You have the option of buying your car online, in-store, or a combination of the two and we can assure you that all of our vehicles are up-to-date on maintenance; we even provide a free CARFAX report with every vehicle, so you know exactly what you are buying. Once you’ve searched our inventory, fallen in love with a vehicle, and purchased it - we can even deliver it right to your door where you can enjoy a 24-hour test drive and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Yup, we’ve made car buying fun.
