4 Basic Maintenance Tips Every Driver Should Know

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When you get behind the wheel of a car, you should know how to take care of it. Knowing the basics of caring for a vehicle can save most drivers hundreds of dollars and prolong the life of their vehicles. By learning these four basics, you’ll be ready to hit the open road.

Pumping Gas

Even if your husband, boyfriend or father likes to keep the fuel tank full for you, you should know how to fill your car with gas. Knowing where to put the gas nozzle in the tank can keep you from running out of fuel when you’re taking a road trip.

The car’s owner’s manual can show you where the tank cover is located on the vehicle. After you have filled the tank, put the gas cap back on and make sure it’s tight. Most of them will click twice to let you know it is completely airtight.

Check Tires

It is important for your safety to know whether you have enough tread on the tires and they are fully inflated. Checking the tread is easy to do because you can take a coin, a penny or a quarter, to measure it. Put the coin in the tread with the head upside down and facing you.

If it’s a penny and you can see all of Lincoln’s head, then you only have about 2/32 inch of tread left, and you need to get new tires. If it’s a quarter and the tread touches Washington’s head, then you have about 4/32” left and the tires are fine.

To check the air pressure, buy a good quality tire gauge and read the owner’s manual to see how much air the tires should have in them. Remove the cap from each tire stem, put the head of the gauge flat against the stem and press down. Check the reading and add air if necessary.

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Check Oil

Running out of oil can cause the engine to seize and usually the only way to fix the car would be to replace the engine. To avoid this expensive problem, you should know how to check the oil. The owner’s manual can show you where to find the oil dipstick on the engine.

To check the oil level, make sure the engine is warm first, then pull the dipstick out and wipe it off. Reinsert it for a few seconds and pull it out again. If the oil mark is between the two markings on the dipstick, then you have enough oil. If not, you should have some added.

Test the Brakes

The last thing that you want to happen is for your brakes not to work when you’re trying to stop at a red light. If you hear a squeal when you press down on the brake pedal while driving, if they feel mushy when braking or if they don’t stop quickly, then you need to have them checked.

Losing brakes is dangerous and can cause an accident. If you want to learn more advanced information about car repairs, learn more at https://www.chicmoto.com/. You can learn more about your vehicle and how to take care of it, so it takes care of you.

Along with saving money, knowing the basics of car maintenance can prevent accidents. There are more basics that every driver should know, so check out the articles on the website to learn more about your car or truck.