Being proactive with car maintenance can help you avoid many roadside emergencies. Your vehicle has pretty simple basic needs that you could choose to handle yourself or let your mechanic. As roadside assistance professionals, the Pantusa Towing and Recovery LLC team has compiled a maintenance checklist to help you stay on top of your preventative care. Whether your car fails from lack of maintenance or you are in an accident, we are standing by to offer a swift, professional, and compassionate response.
Maintenance Checklist
· Let’s Talk About Tires—Many motorists do not think about their tires until they have a flat one. Although some tire incidents cannot be prevented, such as driving over a nail, tires are at a greater risk of damage or failure when they are worn down, deflated, old, or previously damaged. Your cars have a recommended PSI for optimal tire performance. You can generally find this information on the inside of your car door. Locate your car’s ideal PSI and use your tire air gauge to ensure that your tires are inflated accordingly. Overfilling or underfilling your tires can be problematic. If you lack the tools at your home, many gas stations have either free or cheap air available for tires and a tire air gauge available. Keeping a tire gauge in your car at all times is not a bad plan though. In addition to air, you need to evaluate the tread on your tires. If you have not had your tires rotated, ask your mechanic if your tires need it. Tire rotations every 6 months are recommended for maximizing your tire life. Regardless of usage, you can expect that your tires may need to be changed around every 6 years. Tires are an expensive investment, but thin or worn down tires are a serious danger to you and the cars around you. Blowing out a tire on the highway is not worth it.
· Keep Your Car Hydrated—Your car depends on seven essential fluids to run properly. Some of these fluids may be easy for you to check yourself or you could ask your mechanic to check them all. The essential fluids include oil, radiator fluid, power steering fluid, transmission fluid, washer fluid, brake fluid, and air conditioning coolant. Not only do these fluids keep your car running, but they also help maximize the lifespan of your car’s parts. Taking good care of your car saves significant money when you think about having to deal with a broken down car or replacing a car prematurely.
· Evaluate Your Windshield Wipers—We always seem to notice our windshield wipers are not working when a storm is going on. Wipers are vitally important for visibility. Unfortunately, our team has witnessed accidents that have occurred because of poor visibility in rainy conditions and failing wiper blades. In addition to rainy weather, wipers are needed during the pollen season as well. Wipers can last 6-12 months, depending on weather conditions. Go test your wiper blades with wiper fluid on a sunny day so you will not discover problems on a rainy one. Wipers can be easily changed DIY style, but many auto part stores will sell you the wipers and include installation. The installation process only takes a couple of minutes.
· Schedule a Checkup—People go for annual wellness checks to stay healthy and catch issues. Your car could benefit from the same attention. Your mechanic can check crucial elements like your alternator, wheel bearings, hoses, belts, brakes, and more. Taking your car for a checkup could allow you to recognize an issue before your car breaks down.
Maintenance can prevent many incidents on the roadside. Give your car some TLC today!