AutoTech India: The basics of car maintenance

If this is your first time owning a car, you might find it intimidating to maintain them at first glance. However, it is actually simple as many might think. 

Having regular maintenance is essential not only in prolonging the lifespan of your car but also in helping you save money on repairs as well. Learn more about it below.

Conduct an inspection

The first thing you need to do if you want to maintain your car is to conduct an inspection of the possible wear and tear.

Check the tread depth on your tires

Tires come in all shapes and sizes, so you must do your research first when trying to assess the type and depth of the tread. One thing you need to keep in mind is that tires now come with tread wear lines that cross the tire perpendicular to the grooves of the tread. So, if ever it tears down to the point that the treadwear lines are even with the tread, your tires must be replaced immediately for safety purposes.

Another technique to know whether your tire is worn out is by pressing an upside-down penny into the groove between treads. If you can see more than half of the coin, then it means that the tread is too worn down.

Take note: Driving on tires with treads that are too worn out can result in accidents.

The tires must be properly inflated.

Having your tires inflated properly is essential for your safety and your car’s overall performance. On the contrary, if you are driving on underinflated tires, it can do damage to the sidewalls of the tires, causing them to rupture and deflate as a result.

To fix this, you must try to look on the side of the tire on your vehicle for the maximum pressure rating for the tire, then fill it to match. Once done, place a tire gauge on the tire’s valve stem to see if the tires require air, then use an air compressor to inflate your tires. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Tires that are under-inflated can dramatically reduce your gas mileage since the vehicle works harder to propel you on soft tires.
• On the other hand, tires that are over-inflated can be more prone to blowouts and will reduce the lifespan of your tire.

Check your oil level.

Checking the oil level is a quick, easy job that helps keep the engine clean, by preventing dirt buildup and overheating. To check your oil, you first need to locate the dipstick in your vehicle. 

Moreover, the top of a dipstick is usually bright yellow and easily identified, but if you have trouble finding it, refer to the owner’s manual for your vehicle. Once you have found it. You need to pull the dipstick out and wipe off the oil on it. Afterwards, look at the clean dipstick so you can easily identify the full line, then slide it back into the engine. Here are some things to remember when checking the oil level:

• If you notice that your dipstick has multiple lines, the top one indicates ‘full’ and each line below it represents a quart of oil that needs to be added.
• On the contrary, if your oil levels are low, it may be because of an oil leak. FOr thi9s reason, it is important to fill it back up and check it frequently to determine if there is an issue with oil leaking or burning in your vehicle.