How to Perform Routine Maintenance on Your Vehicles

Spring is the ideal time for yearly car maintenance and care. All cars require some type of routine and preventative maintenance. This maintenance helps to assure that your car will last for years to come. Listed in the owners manual of every new car is the specific types of maintenance that your car, truck, or SUV requires on a normal basis. My next series of articles will walk you through the basic steps of most types of routine maintenance. Some of the maintenance work can be easily done by a do it yourselfer, while other types of maintenance work are more involved and may require a trip to your dealer or local mechanic.

This article will discuss the reason for routine maintenance and the type of tasks that are required in most routine maintenance schedules. First and foremost, please refer to your own owner’s manual that came with your vehicle for specific maintenance that may apply to your car, truck, or SUV. I cannot stress enough that all vehicles are slightly different and will have different maintenance requirements.

This article will discuss typical routine maintenance tasks that apply to most vehicles. The first type of routine maintenance is changing your engine oil and oil filter. This is usually done every 6 months or 6,000 miles, and some vehicles may require this as often as every 3 months and 3,000 miles or as little as every 15,000 miles. Be sure to check your manual to find out the oil change interval on your vehicle.

The next typical maintenance requirement of most vehicles is the air filter. The air filter filters all incoming air that enters the engine. Over time, the air filter will become clogged with particles that may restrict air flow. Most manuals will require that air filter are changed annually or every 12,000 miles, whichever come first.

Similar to an air filter, a cabin filter must also be replaced annually. The cabin filter filters all of the air that enters the interior of the vehicle. Its purpose is to keep the air inside the car clean. A cabin filter is usually located behind the glove box, or in the engine bay. Replacing your cabin filter will assure that you breathe clean, fresh air inside the vehicle, and will enhance the airflow through your interior vents.

While on the topic of filters, we will move on to gas or fuel filters. These filters usually require annual or every other year replacement intervals. The fuel filter removes fine particles from the fuel that powers your car. The fuel filter is usually located in an easily accessible location and is simple to replace. Replacing your fuel filter ensure that nothing can restrict the flow of fuel and helps keeps the fuel entering the combustion chamber clean.

Now we will move on to replacing the various fluids that help keep your car running optimally. First up is the brake fluid. Since brake fluid absorbs moisture and deteriorates quickly over time, it should be replaced either annually of every other year. Most cars on the road have never had brake fluid replaced, but this is risky. As brake fluid collects water, its boiling point reduces dramatically. If the boiling point is too low, a hard stop could cause the fluid to boil and you would feel a loss of braking ability. Brake fluid should be replaced at regular intervals. Replacing brake fluid is cheap and easy assurance that your car will stop when you need it to.

Next on the list of fluid is the coolant or antifreeze. Coolant is responsible for quickly removing heat from the engine. Coolant’s ability to remove heat decreases over time. Also, the additives in the coolant that prevent rust and corrosion deplete over time. Therefore, coolant should be replaced every two to three years. Fresh coolant will result in a cooler running engine and give your protection against overheating and breakdown.

Next up is your transmission fluid. The transmission fluid in your car, whether it is an automatic or manual transmission, will require replacement. The replacement interval varies dramatically depending upon what vehicle is being service. Please refer to your owner’s manual for specific replacement intervals. Furthermore, is a transmission fluid is listed as lifetime fluid and requires no replacement, be skeptical as no fluid lasts forever. If a lifetime fluid is used, I advise replacement every 50,000 miles or less. Most transmission fluid can be changed as easily as engine oil can and should not be overlooked.

Now we will move on to differential fluid. If you own a rear wheel drive vehicle, or an all wheel drive vehicle, it will be equipped with a rear differential. This fluid should be replaced in accordance with the owner’s manual. Most differential have a fill plug and a drain plug. These plugs simply need to be removed to allow the fluid to drain and then the differential can be refilled. If a lifetime fluid is listed for the differential, I recommend replacement at 50,000 miles or less.

Finally, most cars will require the spark plugs to be changed at a regular interval. Years ago, spark plugs would be changed every year. However, advancements in spark plug design and materials allow most spark plugs to last 50,000 miles or more. Refer to your owner’s manual for your replacement interval.

In the upcoming articles, I will walk you through each of the procedures listed above in a step by step manner. Most vehicles have similar setups and most of the routine maintenance is carried out in a very similar manner. Please refer to each of my articles when you perform the routine maintenance on your own car. Always consult your owner’s manual for specifics regarding your own vehicle.