Car Maintenance Checklist: 6 Things to Know

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Car Maintenance Checklist 6 Things to Know
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• Woman giving the thumbs up from her car window
  because she followed Toco Warranty's car
  maintenance checklist.
• Here are some of the basics to regular car
  maintenance so you can know when to perform a
  check-up or get your vehicle serviced.
• Many drivers are unaware that their vehicle may
  need a little maintenance every now and then to
  continue running. Some maintenance you can do
  yourself, while you might need to get some other
  services done by professionals.
• Where to find information
• The best source to learn about your vehicles
  recommended maintenance intervals and practices
  is in your owners manual. The car maker should
  detail when you need to do routine maintenance.
  Because the manual was written by experts, it is
  your best source to learn about your vehicle.
• Car Maintenance Checklist
• Keep Your Car Clean
• Car maintenance starts with something very
  simple cleanliness.

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You might be used to cleaning your car for the
aesthetics, but did you know that grime and salt
from the road can also get stuck on the underside
of your car and cause damage over time? Wash your
car on a regular basis to help prevent this from
happening. Change Your Oil In an April 2013
study, the Car Care Council found that, 22
percent of cars have dirty or low engine oil, and
20 percent have inadequate cooling protection
1. Fortunately, changing the engine oil and
adding coolant are some of the easier maintenance
routines to perform or are inexpensive to get
done at a service station. Next, theres a reason
people say they want a well-oiled machine.
Change your cars oil as often as recommended by
the manufacturer- usually every 4,000 to 5,000
miles.   Check Other Fluids But dont stop there.
You should also take a look at the levels of the
other car fluids, including brake, transmission,
power steering and transaxle fluids. When it
comes to break fluids, the system should be
flushed every 30,000 miles.
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Battery Terminals and Tires Once youre done
checking those, head to the battery terminals and
make sure theyre clean. If not, it can be harder
for electrical currents to pass through your
cars system. Each month, you should also ensure
your tire pressure is at the recommended level
for your car. Wheel Bearings and Engine
Belts Now, youre almost done with these
recommended car maintenance checks. Take a look
at your wheel bearings and engine belts. The
bearings should be cleaned and repacked on a
regular basis, and the belts should simply be
inspected to ensure theyre in good shape. After
checking that off your list, lubricate the moving
parts in your ride, such as ball joints and
u-joints. Lack of grease in these areas can cause
damage. Coolant Last but not least, your cars
coolant should be replaced and the whole system
should be flushed out once a year.
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Scheduling a Visit If you know what maintenance
needs to be done and what the mile intervals are,
you should look around for the best prices to get
your car serviced. While you might be able to
perform some maintenance yourself, you should
bring your car to professionals if you are
unsure. Preparing ahead of time by knowing when
you will need to perform routine maintenance and
how much it will cost can help you budget for
these expenses better and not be caught off guard
by the amount. Getting Coverage While you should
perform maintenance tasks regularly to keep your
car functioning properly and performing to its
best ability, you should also be sure to get
adequate insurance coverage. Most states require
at least a minimum level of liability insurance,
but you should check out policies that fit your
budget and will help you in the case of an
accident. Additionally, you should invest in a
vehicle service contract to help you cover the
cost of certain covered repairs if your car
breaks down. As your vehicle ages, the need for
repairs can increase. If you dont have coverage,
you could be faced with potentially steep
expenses if your vehicle breaks down.  
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1.Three Out of Four Cars Need Service,
Carcare.org The Car Care Council is not
affiliated with Toco Warranty Corp. and has not
endorsed Toco Warranty products and
services.   Article Resource - https//www.tocowar
ranty.com/knowledge-center/car-maintenance-repair/
routine-car-maintenance-tasks