{"id":3533,"date":"2021-04-06T07:07:00","date_gmt":"2021-04-06T14:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.usagencies.com\/blog\/?p=3533"},"modified":"2021-04-05T17:08:26","modified_gmt":"2021-04-06T00:08:26","slug":"vehicle-maintenance-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usagencies.com\/blog\/car-tips\/vehicle-maintenance-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Basic Vehicle Maintenance Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Being stuck at home has made us all a bit more conscious of our cars\u2019 condition, even if we\u2019re not driving as much. A study by SimpleTire<\/a> found that 65% of U.S. car owners performed maintenance on their vehicle during COVID-19. Are you among those ranks? If not, you should be! That\u2019s why we\u2019ve created this list of basic vehicle maintenance tips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the items on this list are easy to do at home, even if you don\u2019t have much experience working on cars. By following this checklist, you can keep your vehicle in optimal shape and reduce the chances of needing to use your roadside assistance<\/a> to bail you out of a jam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Change Your Oil<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sure, you could take your car to the shop for an oil change, but why not do it yourself? It takes just a few minutes of work and could save you $30. All you need to do is drain the old oil and put it in a jug of fresh new stuff. This will keep your engine well lubricated, so you don\u2019t face any major problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for how often to change your oil, you should do it every 5,000 miles at a minimum. Your owner\u2019s manual may have a different recommendation, though, so defer to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clean Your Battery<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Keeping your battery clean isn\u2019t just for aesthetics! Corrosion, which naturally builds up over time, can block the flow of electricity and prevent your car from starting. To get rid of this white or blue power, all you need to do is scrub it off with a wire brush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to keeping your battery spick and span, we also recommended testing its juice levels twice a year. Batteries don\u2019t last forever; replace yours if it\u2019s on its last legs. It\u2019s better to replace it now, so you don\u2019t end up stranded in the middle of nowhere<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check Your Tire Pressure<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Check your tire pressure every few weeks to make sure it\u2019s still at the recommended inflation level. You should be able to find this information on the inside of the driver\u2019s door or in your owner\u2019s manual. Additionally, you\u2019ll want to check the pressure any time your tire pressure sensor goes off or there\u2019s been a cold night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keeping your tire pressure at the manufacturer-recommended PSI can improve your gas mileage by as much as 0.6%<\/a>, according to the EPA. That equates to about $0.02 savings per gallon for no real effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top Off Your Fluids<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Your car relies on a lot of different fluids to keep it running well. It\u2019s a good idea to spot-check these every couple of months to make sure you\u2019re not low on any of them. Some of the ones you\u2019ll want to check include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n