Top Tips To Keep Your Car Mechanically Sound On The Roads

For those of us who have cars, we all know the amount of responsibility that comes with owning your own vehicle and the amount of time and effort that is required to keep it mechanically sound so that it is safe to drive on Australia’s roads. It can run into a considerable amount of money over the course of any year, so anything that you can do by yourself to address some of the smaller issues is something that you should really be considering. Rather than waiting for a major problem to occur, it would make a lot more sense to try to address small issues as they come up, and this should help to save you both time and money.

For those important occasions like proms and major milestones like a 21st birthday or a wedding anniversary, you always have the option to take advantage of limo hire, where the vehicle is supplied to you, and you can be pretty sure that it is mechanically sound for the day or the evening that you have rented it for. Your own vehicle, however, needs ongoing essential maintenance, and for that, you need to turn to a professional who knows exactly what they’re doing and who has many years of experience behind them. Your local mechanic can easily diagnose issues quickly, which saves you both time and money, and they have the necessary skills and tools to address them.

The following are just some of the top tips that can help to keep your car mechanically sound on the road and help to make your mechanic’s job a little bit easier when it comes to getting your car checked.

Always Check the Spare Tire

You may not be aware of this, but there should be a spare tire underneath the boot of your car, or it may be contained within it under the panel we normally put all of your shopping for the week. Many people only ever check their spare tire when they needed after a flat, and this is the wrong time to do such a thing. Make sure that you keep the tires inflated so that in the event of an emergency, you have a spare tire that can get you to a proper mechanic.

Get the Oil Changed

This is something that you could probably do by yourself, but it makes a lot more sense to book your vehicle in with your local mechanic, who can do all of the hard work for you so that you don’t have to worry about it. Changing the oil regularly is incredibly important because it keeps your engine lubricated, and this is the single most important part of any vehicle. It doesn’t cost a lot of money to get the oil and filter changed, so get it done when you’re supposed to and protect the life of your engine.

Keep the Battery Terminals Clean

If you have a liquid battery, then you should top it up with distilled water when it goes down past a certain level that you can see clearly. Many people tend to put in too much distilled water, which causes the battery to overflow, and this leads to corrosion on the terminals. It only takes a moment to quickly wipe the terminals down so that they are clean, and this is essential if you don’t want to have to buy a new battery which can be really expensive.

Get your Brake Pads Changed

After the engine, your brakes are one of the most important parts of your car, and these are the very things that can save you in the event of an accident happening right in front of you. Get your mechanic to check the brake pads on your car at least once a year, and even though it does cost a little bit to do so, this is your safety and your family’s safety that we are talking about here. This is not a job or your DIY skills, and this needs to be done by a competent professional mechanic who knows exactly what they’re doing from start to finish. Also, make sure that you check your brake fluid whenever you get the oil changed on your vehicle.

Replace your Air Filter

We use the air conditioning system and our cars regularly here in Australia, so you won’t always be breathing in the clean and fresh air. Get your mechanic to service your air conditioning unit and replace the old air filter that has been in the car since you bought it. While you are replacing this, get the windshield wipers replaced as well; these can be really inexpensive, but they are incredibly important when it comes to your safety and the safety of your passengers.

Get the Tires Rotated

This is something that not very many Australians do, and yet it is incredibly important. The tires all around your car don’t necessarily wear down the same and so it is important that they are rotated regularly, and they will last you a lot longer. It doesn’t take very long to get your mechanic to do this, and if it can save you from having to buy new tires earlier than you should, then it is time very well spent.

Another important thing that you could do by yourself is to just walk around your car and just have a look at things like your headlights, your turn signals, and the other lights related to breaking and parking. It is important that other road users can see you on the road at night because this can be a real lifesaver. You do not want your lights to not be operational when you are stuck out in the middle of nowhere, and you’re not really sure where you are. These six things that are being pointed out to you before are all jobs that your mechanic can do easily for you.