We all count on our cars to get us where we need to go, but not all of us are careful with how we maintain them. If you have ever been driving and had your dash light up like a Christmas tree, then you may have regretted not taking better care of your car. While there are many things that can cause your car to malfunction, here are five common car maintenance mistakes that can cause you to end up with a big auto repair bill.
1. Ignoring bad wipers. A set of new wipers is a small cost in comparison to the cost of your insurance deductible when you hit something that you couldn’t see. While you can certainly replace wipers at any time, replacing them before a long road trip or in the fall, before the harshest weather starts, is ideal timing.
2. Buying into the “tune-up.” With new developments in automotive technology, complete car care centers in Parma Heights and Medina, no longer do the traditional tune-up. Since so many of the systems in a car are controlled by a computer, the only thing left to change is the spark plug. The time to complete bigger maintenance is at 60,000 and 120,000 miles. Speak to your car care center to determine the best time to bring in your car for maintenance.
3. Using a dirty air filter. Air filters put clean air into the engine to help the carburetor with combustion. Dirty air filters can not only hurt your fuel economy but put a stranglehold on your car’s air supply, making your engine work that much harder. Talk to your local car care specialist to have your air filter replaced today.
4. Not using a gas cap. While you might think that a gas cap keeps others from stealing an expensive commodity right out of your gas tank, it can also cause a lot of annoyance with your check engine light. The gas cap is a critical part of the ventilation system and is one of the most common reasons the engine light goes on. If your gas cap is on tightly and your check engine light is still on, then take your car into a complete car care center in Cleveland or Akron for evaluation.
Taking care of your car means it will take care of you each and every time that you want to go somewhere. Watch out for these common mistakes in maintenance. If you have questions about how best to care for your car, then take your car to a car care center or auto mechanic for advice.