Car Maintenance: The Basics

Car Maintenance: The Basics

Car maintenance describes the act of inspecting or testing the condition of car subsystems and servicing or replacing parts and fluids. Regular maintenance is critical to ensure the safety, reliability, driveability, comfort and longevity of a car.

Scheduling

The actual scheduling of car maintenance should be done based on the recommendations provided by the manufacturer, which depend on the year, make and model of the car. The manufacturer also provides recommendations on when to have different maintenance services performed. Some parameters that can affect service timing include:

  • Number of trips and distance traveled per trip per day
  • Extreme hot or cold climate conditions
  • Mountainous, dusty or de-iced roads
  • Heavy stop-and-go vs. long-distance cruising
  • Towing a trail or other heavy load

The schedule should be based on the amount of time that has passed or kilometres driven.

What Needs to Be Maintained and How Often

Owning a car requires regular maintenance of many different parts, systems, fluids and so on. However, not all of these aspects need to be examined as often as others. Some may need to be taken care of every three months, while others may need to be maintained annually. Here is a list of time intervals when certain aspects of a vehicle need to be taken care of:

Often

  • Dashboard indicator lights
  • Headlights, taillights, brake lights, interior lights, etc.
  • Tire inflation and condition
  • Windshield washer fluid
  • Engine oil level

Every Three Months

  • Automatic transmission fluid
  • Battery and cables
  • Belts
  • Engine air filter
  • Exhaust
  • Hoses
  • Power steering fluid

Every Six Months

  • Chassis lubrication
  • Wiper blades

Annually

  • Brakes
  • Cabin air filter
  • Wheel alignment

Maintenance Appointment Types

There are different types of maintenance appointments that need to be performed on a vehicle – aside from a few isolated cases. Every vehicle will require certain check-ups to happen at different times, depending on the make, model, year, kilometres driven and so on. Here are the appointments that every car owner needs to make on a regular basis.

  • Inspection of lights and tire pressure
  • Oil & filter change and chassis lubrication
  • Under-hood belt and hose inspection
  • Tire rotation and wheel balancing
  • Brake inspection
  • Replace air filter
  • Replace fuel filter
  • Automatic transmission service
  • Wheel alignment check
  • Cooling system flush and refill
  • Belt and hose replacement
  • Air conditioning performance check

This is a list of general services that apply to most vehicles, which means that it is possible for different manufacturers to suggest other services. For optimal results, it is best to follow the advice of the car manufacturer.

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