Car Repair And Maintenance Made Easy
Here is an article that will help you stay on top of the various maintenance and repairs your car will need as it ages.With so much emphasis on car buying, few people consider the maintenance requirements of an automobile. The modern car may have as many as 75,000 parts, and the malfunction of just one can make your car behave very strangely. Maintaining a car in good condition will help you to keep it safe, drive it for a long time, and someday sell it for a better price.Planning on going on a road trip soon? Before you do so, you should check your car to make sure that it is in good condition and running smooth. Here’s how.Check the fluids in your car. Checking the oil, coolant and brake fluid levels may help you avoid an accident or an unnecessary breakdown.Check your air pressure. These should be printed in the owners manual or a sticker on the body where the drivers door shuts. The pressure marked on the side of the tire is the max which must not be exceeded. Also, don’t forget to check your spare tire pressure. Often neglected, not doing so will turn a bad time into a worse one if unusable.
Check your tire wear by using a penny or tread gauge. Tires heat up on long trips which can cause blowouts on worn out tires.Check to be certain that all lights and signals are functional on your car. You will need the help of another person for this. Sit in the car, turn on each light or signal and ask your friend to tell you if it is working or not. Replace bulbs as necessary. Note: occasionally, lights may not work because a fuse needs replacing.Ensure that you have all emergency equipment inside your car, and that everything works properly. Emergency equipment includes, an up-to-date map, cell phone, spare tires and emergency tools. Though usually absent; flares, flashlights, medical kits and fire extinguishers may come in handy in worse-case scenarios.The ball joints allow the front wheels of a car to move up and down to soak up road bumps and to pivot for steering. Think of the ball-and-socket joint in your shoulder or hip, and you’ll have some idea how the ball joint works for your car’s steering and suspension.
Over time, a car’s ball joints may wear down. If a ball joint starts to loosen, you’ll hear clunking sounds from the front as the joint rattles in the socket. If it tightens up, the steering will bind so you can have a stiff spot as you turn the steering wheel. Follow the steps outlined in this article to check ball joints for excessive wear before you experience severe steering or suspension problems.Motor vehicles are one of the chief polluters in our society today and many steps have been taken to reduce the carbon footprint of our vehicular usage. Because of this, numerous cities and states worldwide have implemented mandatory emissions testing to force adherence to government standards and regulations. If you have a vehicle of your own, you should learn how to pass emissions testing.