3 Car Checks – Important
There are 3 car checks that can save you thousands, by doing it yourself (diy) but literally only takes a few minutes.
How often do we spend money on our car repairs we could have prevented?
HINDSIGHT IS A BITC…..!!!
3 Simple Checks I regard important in maintaining your car – you can do yourself regularly.
- Tire Inflation,
- Engine Oil Level
- Engine Coolant Level
It will take you 5 Minutes – Tops !!!
1.) Tire Inflation
Do a visual check before you get into your car, simply walk around the car and see if it looks like there is enough air in your car’s tires, if not pop into your nearest filling station en route and have them properly inflated.
It is good practice to check your car’s tire pressures at each refuelling stop, make it a habit. Some more proactive drivers own a reliable tire pressure gauge and do regular tire pressure checks themselves, I am one.
Some modern cars today have dash-mounted tire pressure monitors, this is convenient, but bear in mind that all electronic aids have a tendency to malfunction from time to time, so a manual check is always the most reliable method.
Advantages of Correct Tire Pressures.
Significant fuel saving as there is no excessive resistance to the rotation of your car’s wheels on the road, no drag.
You will save on the cost of Tires as it will last up to 25% longer.
Disadvantages of Incorrect Tire Pressures
Excessive resistance to the rotation of your car’s wheels on the road, the tires foot is larger when under-inflated and therefore creates more friction with the roads’ surface increasing Heat and Tire wear by up to 50%. Overinflation puts more pressure on the tire’s sidewalls as it is designed to take a specific pressure.
See what they are saying about tire maintenance in Abu Dhabi click below…
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/abu-dhabi/tyre-maintenance-crucial-for-safety-during-summer
2.) Engine Oil Level
When there is not enough Engine Oil in your car’s engine it could cause costly damage, a simple way to prevent this is by simply checking your car’s engine oil level regularly at each fuel stop or weekly.
Some modern cars have warning programs on their dashboards warning of low oil levels and pressure, this cannot be missed by the Driver as it will be visual and audible. To ignore such warnings would be both Foolhardy and Costly.
Method of Checking Manually
Open your car’s bonnet, ensure that it is securely supported, and will not close on you.
Find the Engine Oil Dipstick, have a cloth or tissue paper handy.
Pull out the Dipstick and wipe it clean, then insert it back into the Engine all the way, pull it out again, ensuring the bottom of the Dipstick faces the ground as oil is a liquid and flows easily.
Check the level on the dipstick indicator, if it is below the Max. mark then it is advisable to top up the level, either yourself or at your nearest filling Station. In the illustration above right (B) is Min.-Low & (C) is Max,-Full.
To Top up the Oil level
To do it yourself, ensure that you have the correct grade of oil handy, check your car owner’s manual.
Remove the oil filler cap and fill the engine oil slowly, a little at a time, between level checks, remember, remove the Dipstick, wipe it clean, insert back into the engine, then pull it out again and check the level, repeat this procedure until the Engine Oil Level is at the Max. mark see illustrations above. When done, replace the oil filler cap and ensure that it is properly tightened. It really is as simple as that.
3.) Coolant Level
WARNING !!!!!
Never open the Cooling System when the engine is hot. The reason for this is that the coolant becomes pressurized when it heats up in the cooling system, opening the cooling system will cause the rapid release of very hot coolant, resulting in serious burning and injury.
Method
To check your car’s cooling level it is advisable to do it when your car’s engine is cold, 1st thing before startup. Open the car’s bonnet, ensure that it is securely supported, and will not close on you.
Find the Coolant reservoir and simply visually check that the coolant level is between the Max. & Min. levels. top it up if required by removing the coolant reservoir cap, remember (“lefty loosey, righty tighty) add the appropriate coolant to the Max. level indicator, replace the coolant reservoir cap and all done.
Some Car’s coolant levels must be checked directly at the radiator when there is no reservoir present, easy as that.
Caution
When your car runs low or out of Coolant it could have devastating effects on your car’s engine, it could cause a cylinder head to crack or blow a gasket, affecting the efficient running of your car.
Always check the spot where your car stands and make sure that there is no coloured liquid left behind from your vehicle, this normally indicates a cooling system leak. Have your Auto Mechanic take a closer look, “a stitch in time ” as the saying goes.
Check Out How A Cooling System Works Here !!!
These are the 3 Simple Checks I regard as Important in the Owning and Maintenance of our Automobiles – which you can do yourself regularly.
What are your thoughts on these 3 simple checks, did this article help you?
Until Next Time “Safe Motoring”
If you are a DIYer in any field, you can cut your few extra expenses. The article here elaborates how your skill in car domain helps you save money. With little knowledge, one can check his car’s engine oil level, engine coolant level and pressure of tires. If your knowledge is applied on right direction, it would result in extending your vehicle’s longevity thereby maintaining the weight of your wallet. You cannot gather the knowledge only by reading the manuals rather you have to consult with a professional.
Hi Olivia
Thank you for the visit to my website, and for sharing your views and observations.
I started this website to help all with saving some expenses on their car’s maintenance and repairs, by reading and learning how to do certain maintenance and repair procedures themselves,
There are those advanced procedures which cannot be executed by the Diy’er, these procedures takes years of practise to perfect.
I will proceed to help those I can by adding to my website, useful and engaging content in regards to car maintenance and repairs, that to my mind is capable of being done by the ordinary car owner to help all to save a little.
All the best
Gary
Your post is well detailed and is and easy to read, well informative with tons of good information that will help your reader
Thank you Norman it is what I set out to do with this and many more to follow, I am glad that I am achieving my goal.
Regards
Gary
I am actually going to bookmark this page, the amount of trouble i have been thru with cars in my lifetime
Hello Gary
Thank you for popping in and commenting so positively, I pride myself in the quality of content
that I post and the way I present it to my visitors, with no interruptions such as pop ups and
negative experiences here on my website, I try to post once weekly so here is always fresh content.
Thank you once again
Gary
Hello Gary,
Nice page with a lot of maintance tips that will keep your car running longer and safer !
Very autodidactical approach !
EVEN A WOMAN WILL UNDERSTAND ! :):):)
Greets,
Attila
Thank You Attila, it is good to know that Iam delivery easily
understood content, your time and comments are greatly appreciated.
All the best
Gary