The Basics of Car Maintenance: What Every Car Owner Should Know

It’s no secret that, as Australians, we just LOVE our cars.

With our continent being so huge, it’s no surprise that the total number of registered vehicles is now at 20 million; and for a country of over 26 million people, it’s clear that most Aussies rely on their trusty vehicles.

However, many car owners neglect basic vehicle maintenance.

A big part of car ownership is the responsibility of routine maintenance, which helps keep your car running smoothly for years to come.

Whether you just got a car or have been driving the same one for a long time, following certain car maintenance tips can help your car be at its best. If you need some guidance or a checklist of tips to keep your car in optimal condition, this is a useful read.

Importance of regular car maintenance

When you perform car maintenance at regular intervals, it keeps your ride in proper working order and helps prevent expensive mechanical repairs down the road – literally. Even if you aren’t concerned with car performance, when it comes time to sell or trade in the vehicle, having detailed service records can help boost its car sale value.

The average age of registered Australian cars is 10.7 years old. This means maintenance skills are even more important as older cars require more regular upkeep to keep them in tip-top condition.

Vehicle maintenance does require an investment of time and money. Yet, taking care of your car can often help you avoid major repair costs associated with breakdown or malfunction, making it a worthwhile investment.

5 basic car maintenance tips you should adopt

You don’t need to be a professional mechanic to own and operate a car, but the following car maintenance basics are essential for all drivers to know:

1. How to change car headlights

   It’s unavoidable: headlights burn out eventually, and when they do, they should be replaced ASAP. Headlights are one of a car’s most important safety features — they help you see, and they help others see you.

   How many car owners does it take to change a headlight bulb?

   Well, with the proper skills, just one! Changing a car headlight is a fast and simple fix that anyone can DIY. 

2. How to check tyre pressure
   

   Most of us understand that tyres can be dangerous when they’re old and worn out, but did you know they’re also dangerous when running at the wrong car tyre pressure? The correct tyre pressure PSI allows your car to effectively accelerate, corner, brake and grip the road.

   It also enables your car to run more efficiently, so you’ll spend less on fuel. Optimum tyre pressure varies depending on the make and model of your car. You can find the specifics for your car on the manufacturer’s information plate, usually located inside the driver’s door panel. It’ll also be in your owner’s car manual.

3. How to replace your wiper blades
   

   With hours upon hours spent facing the Australian elements, windscreen wipers can take a real beating, so it’s important to stay on top of their performance. Once you notice leftover water streaking to the windshield after every swipe, it may be time to swap them out for new ones. You can always try wiping down the rubber with a washcloth to see if that improves performance.

4. How to jump-start a dead battery
   

   When attempting this, the most important thing is to make sure you do not mix up the leads. A positive terminal must connect to a positive terminal and a negative to a negative. A helpful hint to prevent this is that the colour red is associated with positive and black with negative.

5. How to change a flat tyre
   

   Every driver should be able to change a flat tyre. Unfortunately, temporary spares have become less and less common, replaced by space-and-weight-saving emergency inflation kits.

   Still, the ability to jack a vehicle up, remove a flat tyre and install a spare is an important skill to have, especially if you get a flat where mobile service is not available.

It always pays to have basic vehicle knowledge when it comes to maintaining your car

As you can see, you don’t have to be a mechanical whiz to master the basics of car maintenance. By following these simple steps, you can help yourself avoid more serious issues down the track. However, if car maintenance doesn’t fix the issue – maybe it’s time to put your old car to rest.

If you’re ready to take the next step towards a new car, it helps to have a vehicle expert who can guide you when purchasing a car. If you have questions about the latest vehicles and how you can choose the right one for you, simply reach out to us for a chat.

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Should I Service My Own Car?

One of the things that you should always factor into your budget when you buy a new car is the maintenance of that vehicle. It would be nice to think that cars never run into trouble, but this notion would be far removed from reality.

A number of people wonder if they can save a few dollars on their car maintenance by doing their own car repairs. The answer to this question is yes and no. Some things can be done by a handyperson with a good set of tools and some video tutorials on YouTube – ahh, bless the internet!

However, some other things require an expert because not only do you need specialty equipment, but if you fudge something, you run the risk of causing more damage.

So which repair jobs can you tackle yourself? Let’s take a look.

• Oil changes: Just make sure that you drain the oil out of the right compartment if you have an automatic transmission so you don’t leave the gear system without lubrication. Get this wrong and you wreck the engine. Also remember to put the plug back in the drain hole BEFORE you pour new oil in. Many a humble DIY’ers have missed that one!
• Air filter change: Another fairly simple task that every driver can learn how to do. A quick fix too!
• Replacing light bulbs: You probably shouldn’t do this with more modern LED units, but old-style lamps can be replaced with ease.
• Replacing your windscreen wipers: wax on, wax off! You don’t need a mechanic for this one, easy peasy.
• Changing the fuel filter: Another comparatively simple task.
• Changing the spark plugs: a little more complicated that some of the other tasks above, but as long as you have the tools for the job, this one can be done on a weekend arvo!
• Replacing the drive belt: This one is probably as complex a task as the novice might want to tackle, and you need to make sure you remember which way the belt is configured. Photos help, and you will likely need to remove a few bits to get access, so this isn’t one for those with limited tools in the garage.

What about the things that you shouldn’t touch? You should never attempt the following unless you REALLY know what you’re doing:

• Anything to do with the electronics or computer componentry. If it involves wires or circuit boards, leave it alone. You never know what can go wrong.
• If you don’t have the right tools for the job, don’t improvise. Borrow the tool from a mate, buy yourself one (although this could end up getting expensive) or bite the bullet and take the car down to the mechanics and grit your teeth for the repair bill.
• Anything you don’t have the right spare parts for. Even if you have some doubts around whether a replacement part is the appropriate part, err on the side of caution.
• Unless you’re very well-versed in all things cars and mechanical, don’t tinker around with the brakes, nor too much with the cooling system, or deep down in the engine bay.

Filled For Life? The Truth About Automatic Transmissions

“Oh, you don’t have to change the automatic transmission fluid,” he said.  “It’s filled for its lifetime.” He was a university professor (in the field of biomechanics) so I assumed he knew what he was talking about.  However, things didn’t go so smoothly when his automatic transmission tried to change gears later.  Turns out that biomechanics experts aren’t actual mechanics!

The idea of having a fluid in your car that doesn’t ever need to be replaced or topped up sounds great. We should be topping up everything else on a regular basis, from the radiator to the window washing fluid to the oil. Not having to do this for the transmission fluids sounds almost too good to be true.

And you know what they say about things that sound too good to be true…

The trap that a lot of us can easily fall into is the whole idea of the “lifetime” automatic transmission fluid.  What does a lifetime actually mean?  Does it mean forever until the end of the universe (short answer: no)? Does it mean for the rest of your lifetime?  The car’s lifetime? Or something else?

It turns out that the lifetime in question is the planned lifetime of the car. This is not the same as the actual lifetime of the car.  Car manufacturers, who are always coming out with nice new models want you to buy those nice new models. No harm in that and if you want a new car, why shouldn’t you get one? However, some manufacturers have a sneaky way to push you into buying a new car possibly sooner than you want to, known as “built-in obsolescence”. This means that the car manufacturers expect that a vehicle will wear out – and need to be replaced – at some point.  You can get an idea of what the expected lifetime of a car is by looking at the warranty, which is either going to be the age of the car or the mileage. After the car has clocked up that many kms or that many years, you and the manufacturer can expect things to start showing a few signs of wear.

Don’t blame the car manufacturers too much for this. There is nothing that can be done about the law of entropy, and it’s in the nature of things to break down and wear out over time.  You can see evidence of this fact when you look in the mirror (and the biochemist could tell you more about that in great detail). I know my face doesn’t look as smart and new as it did 15 or so years ago.

However, some of us like our cars and we’re rather fond of them. We don’t want to move on something as comfortable and familiar as an old friend. We would like to keep them for longer, thank you. There are those of us who are into classic cars, and there are those who, despite some of the great offers out there, are more likely to get a second-hand car that has passed the threshold of the magical number in the warranty. What happens then?

The fact is that you’re going to have to do something about the fluids in your automatic transmission. That fluid gets old and deteriorates over time, and when it does, then it won’t work as well as it used to… and neither will your automatic transmission. To keep the gears changing the way they should, then it’s time to do something about the fluid.

I don’t want to hear that line again about not changing the automatic transmission fluid because it’s got a lifetime guarantee. Remember those cheap watches that had a “lifetime guarantee”? That “guarantee” that meant that the watch wouldn’t break until it came to the end of its life, and you knew when it came to the end of its life because it would break, i.e., it was guaranteed not to break until it broke.  The same thing applies here. The lifetime is the lifetime of the fluid, so it won’t need to be replaced until it comes to the end of its lifetime – which is shorter than the lifetime of the car, to say nothing of yours.

So what comes next? To flush or not to flush the automatic transmission, that is the question.

There’s a bit of debate about whether one should flush an automatic transmission, or whether it’s better to simply change the fluids. If you’re new to the world of motoring – which we all are at some point – then let’s start by describing the difference between them.

• Changing the fluids means that the old fluids are simply drained out without the help of any special equipment, new fluids are put in, then the filter is replaced and there you go. You can do this yourself. Some of the old fluid will still be left inside the system and will mix with the new fluid.
• Flushing the automatic transmission involves the use of a pump that will ensure that every single bit of the old fluid, along with any junk and debris that’s got caught in it, gets removed from the system and completely new fluids will be added.

You can get a rough idea of this by picturing a bottle of hand sanitiser or similar goop. Changing the fluids is like squeezing or pouring out the contents and putting fresh stuff in (try it; you’ll see bits of the old stuff stuck on the sides). A full flush is like giving it a full scrub out under the tap before putting new stuff in.

Some say that you should only change the fluid, as the forces involved in flushing can move that inevitable debris from the corners and get it into the working parts, which can damage the transmission. This argument has some weight to it, and the risk is real. However, a mechanic who knows what she/he is doing will have the right equipment and will be able to do it properly. Because this can be a bit pricey and it’s something of a deep clean for your car’s transmission, it shouldn’t be done that often. Have a look at the fluid in question. If its still a nice translucent scarlet, a flush isn’t needed. If it’s thick and black, then it’s flushing time.

Merely changing the fluids can be done more frequently – about every 2 years or thereabouts for your average driver. It will need to be done more often (as will a full flush) if you put your automatic gearbox through a workout on a regular basis – lots of towing or lots of very short trips being the main ways to stress the auto gearbox.

How often should you change the fluids in your automatic transmission or get it flushed?  The answer will vary. However, one thing’s for certain: the gearbox is not filled for life and when it comes to automotive maintenance, listen to the person in the blue overalls with black smears, not the person in a white lab coat.

Essential Car Maintenance for Summer Driving

With summer upon us, it’s a perfect time to look at some basics of car care. Of course, you can take your car to a service centre or mechanic, but you also have the option to do some things at home.

The logical starting points are the tyres and the engine. Let’s take a look at these two areas.

Tyre Maintenance

A crucial point is tyre pressure. Why? Having an under or overinflated tyre causes excessive tread wear, can cause sidewall damage, limits the size of contact on the road, and can affect the performance of your braking system.

The sidewall of the tyre will have the maximum pressure recommended for the tyres on your car.

The tyres themselves will be a certain size in diameter, width, and sidewall height. Again, you will also find this information on the sidewall. This is important as certain sized tyres should be fitted to your car and therefore, the pressure for them will vary.

Somewhere inside your car should be a placard with the right tyre pressures for your particular tyres and car.

Engine Maintenance

The most common thing to take care of as far as engine maintenance is changing the oil.  Fresh oil lessens interior engine wear nd will help in fuel consumption.

Keep in mind, however, safety is paramount, so pick up some good thick gloves and eye protection if you’re doing this at home.

Start with a good drive to warm up the current oil, which will make it easier to drain. Then jack up the car, loosen the sump plug, and slide in an appropriate holder. Carefully remove the plug. Remember the oil will be hot.

Using an oil filter remover, swap the old filter for a new one once the oil has finished draining.

Wait for the engine to cool and after reinserting the sump plug, pour fresh oil into the top of the engine. Refer to the car manual for information on the appropriate engine oil.

Other Maintenance Tasks

Another task you may wish to tackle is changing the spark plugs. Providing you set the gap at the end of the plug correctly, these will aid fuel efficiency by burning the fuel more effectively, reducing emissions, and improving driveability. Check what types of spark plugs your car needs before making any changes.

Next up, your air-conditioning system may need a regas. This is one task you should take to a licensed service centre where they can check for leaks from potentially corroded connections or cracked pipes.

Then there’s windscreen wipers. Being rubber, they suffer from UV exposure, and if not cleaned regularly, can trap and scratch windscreens from embedded particles. While you’re at it, check the level of wiper fluid, and if it needs topping up, head to your local auto retailer.

Last but not least, the radiator is important. Radiator fluid may fail to be efficient over time. Check your car manual to see how much, and what type of radiator fluid your car needs. Depending on the car you have, there will be a drain plug at the base of the radiator. Only drain the radiator when it is completely cold. Once drained, flush the system with water and follow the directions in regards to refilling.