People on tight budgets are often tempted to skip some routine car maintenance services, or at least to delay an appointment with the auto shop. However, poorly maintained vehicles cause thousands of wrecks each year. The bill for accidents resulting from unperformed vehicle maintenance tops $2 billion a year, according to a 2004 study by Car Care Council, an advocacy group based in Bethesda, Md. Even if you are lucky enough to avoid a crash, putting off maintenance is likely to reduce your car's life span.
As the lubricant for the moving parts of your engine, motor oil is widely considered to be the most important fluid you can use. It prevents excessive engine wear and tear, which makes it vital to keep your car running. So when the time comes to get under the hood do an oil change, you can bet you’ll want to know whether to buy synthetic or conventional oil.
Tire rotation is one of the easiest auto maintenance tasks to accomplish, but it's very important. Done properly, it can extend the life of your tires, improve your gas mileage and ensure that your car handles in a steady and predictable manner when you need to make a sudden turn or stop.
The battery is what powers every electrical component in a car. At some point, the car battery needs to be replaced, but when? Is there a way to tell that the battery is failing? How long does it last?
There are at least 5 benefits of changing your air filter regularly; better gas mileage, reduced emissions, improved acceleration, increased engine life and overall improved driveability.