#Car engine maintenance checklist how to#
#Car engine maintenance checklist driver#
#Car engine maintenance checklist manual#
#Car engine maintenance checklist license#

Unless you have a lift at your home or really want to take turns jacking up your car and removing each tire, this is another job that can be outsourced. To properly check your brakes and wheel bearings, you need to remove the tires. You can buy a FRAM engine air filter for your car at Walmart. This is one of the easiest maintenance tasks too so definitely don’t pay someone else to do it. Once per year should be sufficient ( follow recommended change intervals as noted in your vehicle owner’s manual) to keep your engine running smoothly. Unlike the oil filter, it doesn’t need to be changed frequently. Some benefits of a clean air filter are: increased acceleration, horsepower, and improved overall engine performance. Your engine air filter protects your engine from dirt and dust that can damage it. Just like we need clean air to function our best, so do our car engines. Also, dirty air makes your air conditioner work harder. If you have allergies, you really need to remember to change it. You can usually find it either behind the glove compartment or under the dashboard. The cabin air filter helps keep the air inside your vehicle clean. Annually (12-15k Miles) Change Cabin Air Filter You’ll have some idea if you need it because you’ll hear the squeaking in your suspension. I’m listing it here though so that when the oil change guy gives you a long list of “recommended” maintenance, you’ll know this one is legit. This is another one of those things that because it involves crawling under the car, I prefer to let someone else do. Inspect Hoses for CracksĪgain, as long as you are under the hood with a critical eye, go ahead and look over all of the hoses to make sure there aren’t any cracks in them. Also watch out for belts that appear oily or glazed since they might slip, which will affect how effectively the engine is cooled. You basically want to check to make sure the belt doesn’t have any tears, bumps, or small holes. Modern serpentine belts don’t require a lot of maintenance but they should be checked periodically since they don’t last forever. If it’s below or near the minimum, you just need to add more fluid to the reservoir. To check it, just unscrew the cap and check the fluid level on the dipstick, which should be labeled in some way indicating a minimum and maximum fill line. Your power steering fluid reservoir should be clearly labeled. Either one will impact the flow of electricity and the operation of your vehicle. You’re looking for signs of corrosion or loose connections. Sometimes, like ours, they are covered with a protective rubber casing that you have to pull back. While you’re under the hood checking the transmission fluid, go ahead and check the cables connected to the battery. The process to check is the same: pull it out, wipe it clean, reinsert, pull out and check. In fact, if you don’t know much about cars, it’s easy to confuse the two dipsticks. Check Automatic Transmission FluidĬhecking the automatic transmission fluid is similar to checking your engine oil. What good is putting nice, clean oil in your vehicle if it has to travel through a dirty filter clogged with old oil? Each time you change your oil (or have it changed), you should also replace the oil filter. And as long as you’re checking and filling all of your own fluids, a routine oil change is usually inexpensive.

You can do this yourself, but if you have a car that sits low to the ground it can be a pain. Every 3 Months (3-5k Miles) Change Engine Oil It only takes a minute to lift up your wipers and inspect the blades for damage or debris that will interfere with their windshield wiping efficiency.

#Car engine maintenance checklist license#

To demonstrate, I enlisted the help of my 16-year old daughter who gets her license in a few weeks.

#Car engine maintenance checklist driver#

It only takes a few minutes to check everything and once you know where to look and what to look for, it’s so easy that even a novice teen driver can do it without assistance. MonthlyĮach month you should check fluid levels and general condition of the car, like if you need to remove water spots from car.

#Car engine maintenance checklist manual#

Important Note: You should always consult your vehicle’s owner manual for maintenance guidelines specific to your vehicle. The recommendations within this post are GENERAL guidelines.

#Car engine maintenance checklist how to#

He made sure I, and our teen drivers, know how to perform all of the routine maintenance to: 1) save money and 2) help us understand how our vehicles function. He has always been good about making sure we do routine checks and maintenance on all of our vehicles to ward off expensive repairs or unexpected car trouble down the road (Haha! Double entendre. I wish I could take credit for the condition of our vehicles, but the truth is my family has my husband to thank.