Did you know?
Preventive maintenance is crucial for maintaining your vehicle’s smooth and safe operation. This maintenance extends its lifespan and prevents costly repairs in the future. However, regularly performing preventative maintenance measures can be challenging.
Unfortunately, many vehicle owners make common mistakes that can impact their vehicle’s performance and safety.
Here are common vehicle maintenance mistakes and their prevention strategies that can help you prioritize and plan maintenance tasks.
Not Checking Your Tire Pressure
It is common to overlook checking tire air pressure, as it indicates proper tire inflation. Even when tires appear properly inflated, they may be low on air.
While tires may not blow out, low tire pressure can potentially result in decreased fuel efficiency. Tires can lose air pressure as easily as running over a pothole. They lose 1 to 2 lbs. of air pressure for every 10° temperature drop outside. The outside weather impacts tire pressure. So, regular tire pressure inspections are essential, as they can sometimes be low.
Skipping Oil Changes
Advancements in motor oil and engine technology have led to an average oil change interval of over 7,000 miles for today’s cars. The good news is that getting car oil changes takes less time and money.
However, this does not mean that these changes can be neglected. Motor oil is crucial for the proper functioning of your vehicle’s engine, as without it, it can seize up and die.
This oil must not be too old to keep your engine operating. Overly prolonged use can cause the oil to break down, resulting in nasty sludge in your engine.
Neglecting Fluid Checks
It’s a myth that motor oil is the only fluid in an automobile that requires inspection and replacement. While motor oil is one of the more important fluids in your automobile, plenty of other fluids also need to be topped off, changed, or checked often. The manufacturer’s recommendations for checking and servicing engine coolant, power steering fluid, brake fluid, and transmission fluid should all be followed. Doing this lets you keep your car running well and prevent leaks.
Not Inspecting the Brakes
The squealing noise produced by worn-down brakes is often overlooked. It’s common to assume there’s time to spare before checking or that the noise is coming from another car. One of the most vital parts of your car is the brakes. If they are worn out or malfunctioning, your car will be unsafe.
So, if you hear squealing or grinding noises while braking, it’s important to have your brake system evaluated promptly.
Servicing your Own Vehicle without the Proper Know-How
A computer keeps an eye on a number of sensors located throughout the vehicle and uses that information to control critical operations, including:
- Fuel injectors
- Spark plugs
- Idle speed.
The computer can detect an issue and activate the vehicle’s Check Engine light to notify you of the problem.
Due to the computerized nature of your truck, doing repairs on your own without the right tools, truck repair equipment, and experience can be quite challenging.
