Maintenance

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Car
Maintenance
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Preventive Maintenance
Is the routine care you give your vehicle to
avoid more serious repairs
Tire Maintenance

• Proper size of tire on your car.
• Never mix different types of tires.

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Properly inflating the tires ensures that they
will grip the road evenly and wear at the same
rate.
Inflation

• Under inflated grip the road only at the
  outside edges, which cause the tires to squeal,
  makes steering more difficult, leads to heat
  buildup, decreases fuel economy, and wears the
  tires out faster.
• Over inflating allows only the center of the
  tires to grip the road, which leads to a harder
  ride, a reduction in the depth of the tires
  print, and faster wear.

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• Check tire pressure at least once a month or
  when you stop to get gas.
• Make sure that you do so only when the tires are
  cold. Because the heat from friction with the
  road causes air in the tires to expand.
• When you check your regular tires, remember also
  to check the spare.
• It is illegal, as well as dangerous, to drive on
  tires that are badly worn.

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• Most tires have tread-wear indicators that tell
  you when they should be replaced.
• If your tires do not have tread-wear indicators,
  you should replace the when the tread wears down
  to no less than 1/8 inch.
• Look for bulges and embedded nails, glass, or
  metal.
• For equal wear, tires should be rotated on a
  regular basis, which means switching them from
  front to rear.

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Fluids are the lifeblood of your vehicle.
Fluid Levels
Oil
If you have any reason to suspect a problem with
your oil or if the oil gauge/indicator light is
activated, stop the vehicle immediately!
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• If you keep driving, you may do irreparably
  damage your vehicles engine.
• Running an engine without oil is a sure death
  sentence for the engine.
• Check the oil level at least once a month, more
  frequently on older cars.
• Change the oil at least every 2 to 3,000 miles.
• The oil level should be checked when the engine
  is cool and not running.

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Transmission Fluid

• The color of the fluid should be a bright,
  cherry red.
• Have a mechanic examine the transmission if the
  color is dark and has a burnt smell.
• Transmission fluid should be changed every
  25,000 to 35,000 miles depending on the type of
  vehicle.

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Coolant

• Check the level of the coolant in the radiator
  overflow tank.
• The engine could become overheated and damaged
  if the level of coolant is insufficient.
• The engine should be running while the coolant
  is being added.

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Other Fluids

• Make sure that there is enough battery fluid
  for your battery.
• Make sure that there is also enough windshield
  washer fluid in your car.

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Brake Fluid

• Have the fluid level in the dual master cylinder
  checked every time you have the oil changed and
  replace it at least once a year.
• Brake fluid attracts water from condensation and
  humidity in the air, causing corrosion in the
  master and wheel cylinders and shortening their
  lives.

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Belts, Hoses, and Wires
BELTS

• Belts should feel tight when you push down on
  them. The belt should be tightened if you can
  push it down more than ½ an inch.
• A loose belt can cause electrical system
  problems, inefficient cooling, and problems
  with power steering and air conditioning.

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HOSES

• Check all the hoses and the hose connections for
  leaks.

WIRES

• Check all wires to make sure that they are not
  loose, broken, or disconnected. Also check for
  cracked insulation on the wires.
• If there is a problem with the wires, they
  should be fixed or replaced.

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The brakes are one of the most important features
on your car!!
Brake Pads
Test the brakes by stepping on the brake pedal.
You should feel firm resistance and you should
come to a smooth, direct stop. The pedal
should be well above the floor.
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• You should let a mechanic know if
• You must depress the brake the brake pedal very
  low to get it to work.
• The vehicle pulls to one side when you brake.
• One tire locks when braking.
• You detect a spongy feeling in the brake
  pedal.
• Your brakes grab, squeal or chatter.

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• The quickest way to diagnose problems with your
  engine is from your exhaust.

Engine

• Exhaust changes to a blue or smoky white color
  engine damage.
• Notice a foul, sulfuric odor like rotten eggs,
  a damaged catalytic converter.
• Overheating can result from the breakdown of you
  water pump or thermostat. Suspicious knocking
  noise, stop and turn off the engine.

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Steering and Suspension
Be alert to problems!

• Vibration of the steering wheel.
• Excessive play in the wheel.
• Difficulty in steering even though tires are
  properly inflated.
• Feel a wobbling.
• Vehicles pulls to one side under normal
  conditions.
• Experience considerable sway or bounce when
  driving over a bump or turning corners.
• Detect rattling, could be faulty shocks.

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Routine Maintenance Schedule

• Every week
• Check oil, windshield washer fluid, radiator
  coolant.

• Every month
• Check the condition of the tires, belts, hoses,
  automatic-transmission fluid, brake fluid, and
  power-steering fluid.

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• Once a year
• Check the air conditioner refrigerant and shock
  absorbers.
• Replace the air filter and windshield wiper
  blades.
• Flush out the radiator and refill it with
  coolant.
• Hose down the undercarriage to remove dirt and
  salt after a cold driving season.
• Check the headlight alignment.

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Finished