We provide lots of useful vehicle maintenance tips and car insurance policies, you main find the information you need in “vehicle maintenance” category or “vehicle insurance” category
Vehicle maintenance describes the act of inspecting or testing the condition of auto subsystems (e.g., engine) and servicing or replacing parts and fluids. Regular maintenance is critical to ensure the safety, reliability, drivability, comfort and longevity of a car or truck. During preventive maintenance, a number of parts are replaced to avoid major damage or for safety reasons, e.g. timing belt replacement.
The actual car maintenance schedule varies depending on the year, make, and model of an auto, its driving conditions and driver behavior. Car makers recommend the so-called extreme or the ideal maintenance schedule based on impact parameters such as
* number of trips and distance traveled per trip per day
* extreme hot or cold climate conditions
* mountainous, dusty or de-iced roads
* heavy stop-and-go vs. long-distance cruising
* towing a trailer or other heavy load
Experienced service advisors in dealerships and independent shops recommend schedule intervals, which are often in between the ideal or extreme service schedule. They base it on the driving conditions and behavior of the car owner or driver.
Common car maintenance tasks include:
* Car wash
* check/replace the engine oil and replace oil filters
* check/replace fuel filters
* inspect or replace windshield wipers
* check or refill windshield washer fluid
* inspect tires for pressure and wear
* Tire balancing
* Tire rotation
* Wheel alignment
* check, clean or replace battery terminals and top up battery fluid
* inspect or replace brake pads
* check or flush brake fluid
* check or flush transmission fluid
* check or flush power steering fluid
* check and flush engine coolant
* inspect or replace spark plugs
* inspect or replace air filter
* inspect or replace timing belt and other belts
* lubricate locks, latches, hinges
* check all lights
* tighten chassis nuts and bolts
* check if rubber boots are cracked and need replacement
* test electronics, e.g., Anti-lock braking system or ABS
* read fault codes from the Engine control unit
Some tasks that have equivalent service intervals are combined into one single service known as a tune-up. In modern autos, where electronics control most of the car’s functions, the traditional tune-up doesn’t apply anymore. Maintenance jobs like a tune-up used to mean getting the engine’s performance back on track. Today embedded Vehicle maintenance software takes care of it by constantly checking thousands of sensor signals, compensating for worn-out spark plugs, clogged filters, etc. The so-called limp-home function allows driving on limited power when the engine is in trouble. In the old days this might have meant a breakdown.
Regular car maintenance is related to car fuel economy. Some of the procedures include:
* Ensure tires are properly inflated. The owners manual for the auto will indicate the proper pressure to inflate you tires to. Decreased tire pressure increases the rolling resistance of your tires and decreases fuel economy, and may also increase tire wear and impair performance.
* The thermostat, oxygen or O2 sensor should be replaced either at a manufacturer recommended interval or when a electronic fault code/ low temperature problem is detected. Electronically fuel injected cars have an O2 sensor or sensors in their exhaust system which helps the autos computer determine how to optimize fuel economy. These O2 sensors may need to be changed periodically for a auto to optimize it’s air fuel mixture and maximize it’s fuel economy.
* Insure car air filters are clean. Black or otherwise dirty air filters make your engine work harder to get enough air for proper combustion and decrease its efficiency; however, electronically fuel injected cars can automatically compensate for the decreased air flow caused by a dirty air filter and experience relatively little decrease in fuel economy. Most owners’ manuals will recommend a service interval at which to change the air filter, but periodic visual inspection is the best way to ensure that the air filter is clean.
* Using the recommended weight of oil can decrease the burden on the engine. Heavier oil weights, such as 20W-50, are harder to maneuver through the engine than, for example, 10W-30 or 5W-20 oils. The result can cause a decrease in fuel economy.
In some countries, the completed services are recorded in a car maintenance log book which is rubber-stamped by the service center upon completion of each service. A complete service history usually adds to the resale value of an auto.
