Car maintenance: To keep the vehicle work longer
Car maintenance is an important step not to be overlooked. Indeed, if you miss this task, some parts can come to break. Here is how to maintain your car, and what are the important steps to take!
Car maintenance: Why?
Mechanical parts to be repaired or changed can quickly become expensive for the driver. This is why doing maintenance on your car is important. This maintenance can extend the life of your engine. It can even help save lives. This is why it is necessary to properly target the elements to be maintained in order to carry out effective car maintenance.
The things to adopt:
Update your maintenance book. Indeed, it must tell you how often to drain, when to replace the filters in your engine, when to replace the spark plugs, the timing belt ... The maintenance book is therefore a real guide to the maintenance of your car .
When you park your car, prefer dry places, and out of the sun. If your car is parked in a humid place for too long, water can seep into fuel and liquids, and affect the functioning of electrical and electronic connections. Also watch the essential parts of your car. In fact, regular auto maintenance will prevent engine breakage and save you money on repairs.
Focus on a mechanical part of the car: the engine
This is how the car engine works. In petrol or diesel engines, there are cylinders. Inside these cylinders are pistons. These pistons drive the crankshaft which drives the wheels.
An engine operates in four stages:
- A mixture of fuel / air enters the cylinder. The piston goes down: this corresponds to the intake phase
- The piston goes up: it is the compression of the mixture
- Then when the piston goes back up, the mixture is ignited, either, for a gasoline, by a spark via the spark plugs, or, for a diesel, by compression. The explosion then lowers the piston.
- Last step, the piston goes up and drives out the gas from the cylinder. It's the exhaust phase.
Regular general checks:
Whether for a petrol or diesel engine, it is recommended to comply with the manufacturer's recommendations (available in the maintenance booklet) which will indicate the deadlines for carrying out the oil changes, filter changes (oil, air and pollen), etc. .
Generally, today oil changes are to be done every year or 2 years and approximately between 10,000 km to 30,000 km (the first of the two expired terms) depending on the model. In order to avoid any surprises which may generate very high repair costs, it is also necessary to carry out regular checks. A monthly check of the elements below is a guarantee of security.
Engine oil:
The engine oil level must be checked regularly and especially before long journeys. Oil that is too poor or too old will have its lubricating properties reduced. This will have the effect of increasing friction between the engine parts, and thus damaging them more or less seriously. In addition, an oil that is too old can cause overconsumption of fuel.
The engine oil must be checked when the engine is cold. First pull the gauge (often yellow or blue or red), wipe it completely with a dry cloth, put it back in its place, then remove it to check the level which must be at the Max level or slightly below.
Coolant:
The coolant level should also be checked regularly, and always before long journeys. The coolant, as the name suggests, prevents overheating of the engine , and therefore serious breakdowns. The control is carried out with the engine cold, and we check on the edge of the expansion tank (transparent jar), whether the level is at the level of the Max or slightly below
Brake fluid:
The brake fluid level is obviously essential for safety. Regularly check it hot or cold engine, whatever, in the same way as the coolant. It is also necessary to drain these liquids at the rate recommended by the manufacturer. These changes are most often accompanied by the change of the oil filter.
The air filter:
It is also easy to control the air filter. It is located in the air box, not far from the front ventilation grille of the hood. If it starts to get dirty, the engine will then have a harder time sucking in fresh air, and therefore a decrease in power and an increase in consumption will be felt. An air filter that is too badly damaged will see its filtering properties decrease and may cause breakdowns if dust or gravel accumulates in the intake, or worse, enters the engine.
Timing belt and accessories:
Also remember to check the timing belts and accessories. A lacerated belt means that it is at the end of its life and that it is urgent to replace it.
The hoses:
Check the engine hoses. It is preferable to identify a hose that begins to be porous or a little cracked before it completely fails while driving, and thus avoids more or less significant repair costs.
Special case of electric cars:
There are more and more electric cars on the market. The maintenance of this type of car can however have some differences compared to petrol or diesel engines. The electric motor will not require the most maintenance. The brakes will finally have to be changed less often than on a petrol and diesel car, due to the use of the electric brake. On the other hand, an electric motor often having more torque than the average, the tire wear may be higher.
