My Maven Autos has 10 New Year’s resolutions for the savvy car owner who wants to get the best vehicle performance. These 10 tips will help you be a better car owner and rarely succumb to surprise breakdowns.
Learn How To Jump Start Your Car
If you can jump your car, you can get more use of the battery until you get the chance to take it to get tested. All you need is another vehicle nearby, a pair of jumper cables, and know where to hook them before applying a charge from the other car. Check out this video that shows how it’s done.
Follow Through With A Routine Maintenance Checklist
You should know all the important maintenance tasks as well as how frequently to do them. This includes oil changes, tire rotations, transmission flushes, tire pressure inflation, break realignment, state inspections, and more. The more you maintain a consistent maintenance schedule, the better your car will operate.
Get a Car Emergency Kit
You or somebody near you could get hurt while you’re on the road. There’s a limitless number of scenarios, but it only helps to have some first-aid materials on hand to address anything from lacerations to chemical burns and anything else you can handle before an ambulance arrives.
Pay Attention to the Dashboard Lights
Tempting as it may be to ignore the “check engine” light, you know it’s a bad habit. Make at least one New Year’s resolution: to not brush off your dashboard lights. It could be telling you that your tire pressure is low, your engine needs oil, your battery is dying, or your anti-lock brakes (ABS) are malfunctioning.
Learn How to Utilize a Gas Can
The key here is to “safely” utilize the gas can. Even the most attentive driver can lose sight of their fuel level and run it to empty. Therefore, you might want to have a gasoline container handy. Here’s a good resource for filling and transporting gasoline cans without risking a fire.
Learn How to Fix a Nail Puncture to Your Tire
Check out these quick tips for fixing nail punctures on your own. What an advantage it would be not to have to replace a tire.
Get Your Car Road Trip Ready
If you know you’re going on a trip across the country, make sure your car is ready for the haul. We advise you to check your engine filters, fluid levels, tire pressure, wiper blades, lights, heating/AC, brakes, and other components before you hit the road.
Learn How to Clean Your Car
Way.com has 10 helpful hints for cleaning your car, and therefore, maintaining solid resale value. At a minimum, make sure you always keep some WD-40 and window cleaner handy.
Resolve to Never Ignore Bad Smells
It’s not safe to ignore bad smells such as burning rubber, excessive gasoline, vinegar, or sulfur odors. These may indicate problems with your vehicle (like a loose gas cap), and they could impact your health if you continue breathing them.
Keep a Car Wash Schedule
Another good habit for re-sale value is washing your car. You might consider purchasing a car-wash subscription so you can get discounts for frequent washing. Don’t forget to wax your car to keep the paint sparkling as well.
My Maven Autos hopes you enjoyed these resolution items for car owners. Tips like these can help you stay in control of things and avoid needing to take your vehicle in for repairs. If you’d like to learn more about car maintenance or want to take advantage of our premier concierge services, call us at (631) 696-2836.