To be quite honest, there are times when you really don’t have to care much about a car. Take for example,if it seems to be running smoothly. As long as it’s not smoking,or making a strange noise when you drive it and as long as there isn’t a big dent on the body or a smashed windshield, the car is considered “safe” and its not chopping any extra money. And you dont even take time to check the fluids or to check the tire pressure.

In an economy like ours,it makes much sense to pay a little more attention to our cars and it saves us more money on the long run. The day we drove the car from the car dealer,most of us aspire to keep the thing looking as new as possible. But many of us have “memory lapses,” or more than likely they fall back into bad habits. Car maintenance just happens to be one of them. Not keeping up on car maintenance can be expensive (in some situations, really expensive). Here’s our list of some of the biggest car maintenance mistakes you can make:

1. Low Tire Pressure
Upwards of 90 percent of all the vehicles on the road are driven with improperly inflated tires, with the majority being under inflated. Incorrect tire pressure can compromise cornering, braking and stability. In a worst-case scenario, incorrect tire pressure can lead to tire failure. It should come as no surprise that under-inflated tires also have an affect on fuel economy and tire life. Tire pressure changes constantly. This may be caused by a minor leak, but the most common factor in pressure change is ambient temperature. If tire pressure is too low, friction between the road and the tire increases. This result in increased tire wear. Low tire pressure also creates a situation where the tire can overheat, which usually ends in catastrophic failure.

2. Not Checking the Oil
It’s really important to check the oil level in your vehicle engine on a regular basis. That should be a basic task for all. Two things can cause drops in oil level: The engine burning oil or leaking oil. Either way, if the oil level becomes too low, you’re risking major engine damage. Often, the first thing to go—the bearings—is the worst that can happen. If they should get damaged, you won’t go very far before the crankshaft and the connecting rods become welded together (which can happen in a short manner of time). Checking oil level (and condition) is not difficult. For the most part, it’s a good idea to check the oil every time you fill your tank, especially if your vehicle is considered “high mileage,” or one with more than 75,000 miles on the odometer. It’s not difficult to check your car’s oil and it doesn’t even take five minutes.

3. Neglecting Oil and Filter Changes
Okay, we’ve mentioned checking the oil, but many people also postpone fluid and filter changes (engine oil, engine oil filters and coolant as well). Maintaining a clean, adequate supply of oil within the engine is absolutely critical for the long-term life or your vehicle. Operating conditions have an effect upon how often oil should be changed. Seasons have an effect too. Many of today’s cars and light trucks are engineered so that the condition of the oil is monitored based upon your driving habits. And when its time to change the oil, a message (actually, an “electronic nag”) will be displayed somewhere on the dashboard. Oil filters should be changed with the fluid,and not just changed with any cheap oil filter in the market. When it comes to oil filters, the words cheap and good usually cannot be used in the same sentence.The same goes for coolant. Coolant, does, in fact, wear out. As a result, the system should be “cleaned” and replenished on a regular basis.

4. Delaying Brake Pad Replacement
Stop-and-go driving (including traveling on the expressway), driving in mountainous terrain,or on our typical pot hole filled roads can severely shorten the lifespan of your brake pads. Mix all or some of them together and your brake pads (particularly the fronts, since they get the most use) will usually be worn quicker than you might imagine. Now modern cars and modern brake pads are virtually all equipped with audible wear sensors. Basically, once the brakes wear out, the pads will start making sounds, and not only when the brake pedal is depressed. The squawking and squealing will go on continuously, which is your key to getting the pads replaced soon. If you don’t, then the rotors will eventually be destroyed. What was a routine (and inexpensive) brake job then becomes costly.

5. Burned Out Bulbs
How many times do you take a walk around your car or truck and check the lights? You’re not alone. Many of us neglect vehicle lamps. Lamps are (obviously) very important, and there’s no reason not to check them regularly, since it’s a very simple process. Turn on the headlights. Check park lamps; high and low beam lamps and the license plate light. If equipped with fog or driving lamps, inspect them. Examine the turn signals (all four corners) and follow up with an inspection of the emergency flashers. Back up against a wall where you can see the lights, apply the foot brake and check the brake lights. Place the vehicle in reverse (with the park brake on) and check the backup lights. If any bulbs are burned out, or if there is a lighting problem, it’s obviously time to repair. And the repairs aren’t that difficult or expensive.

Questions or comments,are welcome.You can also check out us out for more tips and top quality auto products for your car
http://www.autoselectcorp.com
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nice. quite educative. maintenance attitude is very important.not only does it save money but it also saves lives too. Some of our public transport drivers are so negligent of their faulty car components that it sometimes leads to accidents

nice one.