Car Maintenance At Home

Automobiles are machines and as such require care, extra components for their operation and maintenance. Of course, this does not imply that for each operation we must go to the nearest technical service. In fact, it is possible to do part of the car maintenance at home.

Some care is quite simple and only requires basic knowledge and a little dedication on our part. Of course, we will not be able to repair a complex fault in the engine or the electrical system, but not everything is that complicated. It is feasible to become the first repairmen of our own car.

Basic car maintenance : checking car fluids

It is known that a car needs water, engine oil, brake fluid, etc. Knowing these types of indicators is not so complicated and we can verify them, and thus we will have our machine up to date; we could call these tasks ‘preventive maintenance’.

In today’s vehicles, the engine coolant is checked every six months or so. Although the control panel offers us a digital indicator, we also have a minimum and maximum meter available.

We just have to look for the refrigerant container, which is plastic and with a lid that is usually blue and black. With the engine off, we verify and complete the amount indicated if necessary. It is important to use the same type of antifreeze when filling, otherwise we could generate a fault.

The engine oil can also be measured by means of the dipstick that is incorporated into this component; With the engine cold, we take it out and clean it.

With the dipstick clean, we reinsert it and proceed to check to what level it is moistened with the oil. This instrument has markings that indicate the maximum and minimum level to maintain optimum lubrication.

Check tire pressure

Observing whether our tires have the correct pressure will be key to preserving their useful life. To do this, we can buy a pressure gauge or go to the nearest gas station. There they have air pumps with a manometer, which will be useful to make the measurement.

If the tires are excessively full or empty, the conditions are created for their wear in certain areas. Therefore, we must always check which is the appropriate level according to the manufacturer, which appears in the car manual.

It is advisable to review this document, the pressure recommended in the manual, and not be guided by the indicators established by the company selling the wheels or by other indicators.

Car Maintenance at Home: Other Things You Can Do

Measuring fluids and tire pressure is not the only thing we can do with our own hands. For example, changing the air filter is something that does not require the experience of a mechanic ; To do this, you only look for the box where this accessory is located and the old part is replaced by a new one.

Similarly, we can replace a damaged electrical fuse in a stereos or power windows if we can easily identify it. Other tasks that we could learn without much effort consist of changing bulbs and spark plugs, although for this we must see a tutorial.

The maintenance reminder device

The real problem in taking care of our car will be the maintenance interval indicator. Beyond making the pertinent verifications, the use of this device is very useful to detect breakdowns and urgent maintenance needs.

To achieve this analysis, you must access the OBD diagnostic connection, connect it to a computer and upload special software. In the technical services they have them and through them the activation of the device is coordinated.

If we were able to have this device, we would have more options to solve many problems exercising car maintenance at home.