Outside of a home, and college, an automobile is probably the largest investment that many of
us will ever make. Given this fact, and also the fact that we need that car to last as long as
possible, it makes good practical sense to keep it in good working order. For many, this can
seem overwhelming. Thankfully, manufacturers have made it easy to tell when you should
bring your car in for regular checkups and maintenance.
Your car’s owner’s manual gives you the guidelines and times for scheduling routine
maintenance visits. If you’re a do-it-yourself kind of person you can choose to forego the
service center, and perform many of these routine fixes yourself. With the proper tools and a
little time, and by doing these things yourself you can save quite a bit of money on oil changes,
radiator flushes, or replacing spark plugs, bulbs, hoses, belts, or brakes.
If, however, you don’t have the time or tools to do it yourself, you can always take your car in
for service at your car dealership or another local service center. But even if you do take your
car to a service center there are a few things you should do yourself in between scheduled
visits. You should periodically check your tire pressure to make sure that it is as close to the
manufacturer’s suggested PSI (pounds per square inch) as possible. Additionally, you should
routinely check your oil between maintenance visits to ensure that your car is not using more
oil than it should.
Lastly, you should ensure you are using the proper Octane rating of gasoline in your car. Your
specific car model will have this listed in the owner’s manual. Improper Octane rated gasoline
could harm your car’s engine, so make sure you pay attention at the pump.
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