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Car Care for Beginners
Easy and Essential maintenance tips that everyone should know
While your first car won’t be your last, that doesn’t mean it’s good to let its care fall by the wayside. Here are three top tips on how to get started!
Although your first car is unlikely to be your last, that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to let its care fall by the wayside, even if you’re a beginner owner.
Does putting care into your car sometimes cost time and money? Yes, but good maintenance saves you both in the long run.
Small problems, if ignored, can grow into big dangers that are expensive to repair. Routinely nip them in the bud, however, and your ride will keep its best qualities for years to come.
Read on for some beginner-friendly tips to help you get started with some good car care!
Tip #1: Be Gentle, Be Careful
- Avoiding heavy loads, like towing trailers, or overloading roof racks.
- Ensuring you don’t idle in the driveway or on the side of the road (important at all times, but especially during this phase).
- Avoiding heavy acceleration (i.e. anything above 3,000 rpm).
- Sticking to a maximum speed limit of about 88 km/h (or whatever your car manufacturer recommends).
While there are times when breaking the above guidelines is unavoidable (e.g. going 88 km/h in a 120 km/h zone isn’t a good idea), sticking to the above as much as possible will give your engine a longer life without requiring you to sacrifice much when using the road normally.
Even once an engine is “broken in”, however, a mature driver will remember the following:
- Don’t rev violently! A lot of beginner drivers make this mistake, but you aren’t playing Need for Speed, so don’t treat your car like it’s in a race! Unless you have a racing driver’s salary; pushing your car to its limit, especially during start-up, ages it rapidly.
- Do your best to avoid fast starts, stops, and turns.
- Give your engine time to heat up, accelerating more gently during the first 10 minutes of your drive.
- Keep your gear in neutral at red lights. An engine outside of neutral wants to surge forward! Wanting to surge, while not being able to, will damage it.
Tip #2: Don't Shirk the Essentials
Not everyone has the patience to read through the entirety of their car’s manual, no matter how long they’ve been driving, but at least check the maintenance schedule and make the necessary routine appointments.
Tip #3: Remember to Top Up and Wash Down
- Wash and wax your car at least every six months. This helps the paint last longer, which isn’t just there to be pretty: as paint fades, bodywork corrodes quicker.
- Remember to clean the inside too! This will help preserve the upholstery.
- Check (and refill!) brake and transmission fluids every six months. The first prevents wear on your breaks, the second prevents damage during gear changes.
- Check tires monthly. For this routine check, you’ll need both a tire depth gauge and a tire pressure gauge. The first is to check your tires’ treads (those pretty patterns that give your car grip), while the second checks if they have enough air. Low-pressure tires need to be refilled, while those with very worn treads need to be replaced. This’ll help your car’s handling and fuel-efficiency.
Take care of your vehicle and, not only will it take better care of you, you’re also more likely to get a respectable deal should you ever wish (or need!) to trade it in. Don’t be intimidated by some of the checks! The last four bullets especially can be carried out without professional assistance, although it’s both natural and prudent for beginner drivers to seek advice from experienced mechanics.
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