Most of us depend on cars to travel to work and school. We also use them during road trips or to conduct our day-to-day business, which ranks them among the most important accessories at home. While use, cars gather dust and grime. We dent them occasionally or strain mechanical parts such as the engine and transmission to the core. To keep your car working optimally, therefore, we have provided some top tips on how to maintain a car and keep it in top condition.
Wash Your Car
This is an obvious fact but we will talk about it anyway. If you have a car that you depend on to move around, make sure that you wash it thoroughly at least once every week. Many people ignore this tip and end up with scuffed or faded cars that require a bit of effort and time to restore. Washing a car has many benefits. First, by removing dirt and grime from paint, you keep the car looking great as you move around. This not only has a bearing on how your car looks but also on your reputation. Cleaning cars can also improve fuel efficiency. By cleaning grime and dirt, you lower friction between your car and the air, improving fuel efficiency
Which is the best strategy for cleaning cars? Most people apply soap and blast cars with water to clean. This work. However, you have to be meticulous to be able to do a fairly decent job whenever you have time to clean. Use a microfiber cloth to apply soap to your car. These are soft, super absorbent, and can apply soap evenly on cars without scratching the paint. You can also use a soap gun to get more coverage faster, but you have to dig deep in your pockets to own one. Leave the soap to loosen dust and caked grime for a minute or so and then rinse it off with clean water. You can use a garden hose to do this or buy a water pressure gun.
To prevent blotchiness and streaking, leave your car to dry in the shade. You can use a dry microfiber cloth to dry it even further before polishing it and applying a thin layer of wax to restore its shine and protect the paint. Wax also creates a watertight barrier and makes cleaning dirt or bird droppings easy. While buying car wash supplies, you will come across two broad types of wax. Liquid wax is pliable and therefore easier to apply on cars. While the initial results are similar to solid wax, it does not last as long as the best solid wax does.
Regular Maintenance
Like other electrical devices that we use at home, cars can break down if managed poorly or not managed at all. As such, apart from cleaning your car, do regular mechanical maintenance to keep it working in top shape at all times. For the best experience, change the engine oil and the oil filter at least every 5,000 miles or as recommended by the car manufacturer. Oil lubricates moving engine parts. When it is dirty, it thickens, thereby losing its ability to lubricate engine parts. As such, while driving your vehicle, parts rub on each other, accelerating damage, or causing engine breakdown. You can do this at home or hire a mechanic to do it for you. Change your spark plugs as well to improve fuel efficacy.
Tires endure the most abuse on cars. As such, they are likely to fail if you manage them poorly, causing serious outcomes such as accidents and mortality. Check their treads. Are they in good shape? These boost traction on the road, thereby preventing cars from slipping. You should also check their wear patterns. If uneven, you might be having an alignment issue on your car which you need to correct. Finally, watch out for structural issues such as cracks. These can cause tires to fail at high speeds or in extremes of temperature, thus causing accidents. Replace all car tires with such defects.
Drive with Caution
To keep your car performing well for years, you should avoid driving like a maniac whenever you take the wheel. Avoid doing burnouts as much as possible as this will only strain and eventually damage its transmission. Do not run over wheels to protect its wheels and transmission and always push the clutch to the floor whenever you are switching gears. Such good behaviors will prevent or minimize damage to your car and save you money on repairs.
This video shares other tips on how to take care of your car: