4 Types of Preventative Maintenance you Should Consider Every Year 

No one is going to try and pretend that running a car is cheap. Today’s financial climate sees all aspects of owning and driving a vehicle representing a large chunk of cash. This makes preventative maintenance vital. While it might seem tempting to push back that service or maintenance check to save a few dollars, this will—in all likelihood—end up costing you more in the long term. 

The following looks at 4 important preventative maintenance tasks that every car owner should consider on an annual basis.

Preventative Maintenance Steps that Increase Safety and Decrease Running Costs 

• Preventative maintenance step 1: tire check
• Preventative maintenance step 2: oil change/service
• Preventative maintenance step 3: brake check
• Preventative maintenance step 4: engine tuning 

Preventative maintenance step 1: tire check 

Your tires are a crucial element of car safety. They’re the only part of the vehicle that’s in contact with the road, meaning that they have a direct impact on how the car drives and grips the surface.

Preventative tire maintenance begins at home. You should check the tire pressures and tread weekly. Over or under-inflated tires aren’t only a safety hazard, they can also cause:

• Poor fuel economy
• Uneven or excessive wear means you need to change them more often
• Less than optimal handling
• An uncomfortable ride

As well as these weekly self-checks, a professional tire service each year is a wise move. This should also be done if any trauma occurs to the wheels, such as hitting a large pothole or curb. This can easily knock out the tracking, which causes uneven tire wear and sub-optimal handling. 

Preventative maintenance step 2: oil change/service 

With gas costs rising at the pump on an almost daily basis, ensuring that your ride is running correctly—and therefore providing the best fuel economy—is essential. Oil is a vital element of engine performance. It lubricates the engine and helps disperse the heat that’s generated. However, oil degrades over time and needs changing. An oil service not only addresses this but also replaces essential filters that become clogged over time.

In addition to regular professional oil services, you should check the level of oil in the car weekly. Combine this with the above tire checks for ease. Not only are you checking that there’s enough oil in the system, but you can note the state of the oil. It should have a level of transparency and not be black or claggy. Both of these are definitive signs that your vehicle is overdue for an oil change. 

Preventative maintenance step 3: brake check 

Brake checks are something the savvy motorist never neglects. Not only will this ensure that the system is running as it should—and therefore, is safe—but it’s also money-saving in the long term. This is because the braking system is made up of multiple elements that all work in conjunction with each other. 

A problem in one area will directly impact the others, causing premature wear. This will lead to larger maintenance bills that wouldn’t have occurred if you’d had preventative brake services carried out.

Preventative maintenance step 4: engine turning 

Having an engine tune every year is a no-brainer if you want to enjoy the best performance your car can bring. It’s a quick service that involves a professional technician giving the vehicle the once over and tweaking anything that isn’t quite right.

This will improve:

• Performance
• Fuel economy
• Ride comfort
• Longevity of the vehicle
• Proactively reducing maintenance costs by highlighting any issues before they become a problem

In combination, these 4 proactive preventative maintenance measures will not only save you money but will also increase your driving enjoyment. After all, slipping behind the wheel and hitting the road is something to be savored, so ensuring your ride is running at peak performance is something every car owner should prioritize. 

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