Car Care Clinic

By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy USAF

With the average cost of an automobile being $30,140, I thought I’d dedicate this week’s blog to car care.  I’m old enough that I can still remember when people used to routinely work on their cars.  Today’s automobiles are more computer than car that practically require an engineering degree to work on.  Even worse, it’s all but impossible to even see, much less reach, anything under the hood.  I mean, I know the engine’s down there somewhere, but it’s going to take a hacksaw to get at it.  That means for most of us it’s vital that we maintain our vehicles if we want to get our money’s worth.  Here are a few tips to help you keep your car from eating you out of house and home.

1.      Preventative Maintenance is Key – If you want your vehicle to get you where you want to go and retain its value without becoming a garage queen, the first thing you need to do is adhere to a rigorous preventative maintenance regimen.  That means changing your oil every 3,000-5,000 miles depending on the manufacturer’s recommendation.  It also means checking and maintaining the proper tire pressure and rotating them frequently if you want to get the longest life out of tires.  Have your brake fluid and coolant flushed and filled every few years.  (The Florida heat can cause them to break down quicker than in many other parts of the country.)  Hoses and the serpentine belt need to be inspected every year unless you want to get stuck on the side of the road.

Image courtesy wikimedia

2.      Read Your Owner’s Manual – Pretty much everything you need to know about the care and maintenance your vehicle is included in the owner’s manual.  So, I ask you, when was the last time you took the thing out of the glove box and flipped through it?  If the answer is “Never,” now’s the time.  Considering the sophistication of today’s automobiles, you’d think that more people would be interested in learning all about one of the most expensive investments they’ll likely make in the next few years.  Yet most car owners have yet to crack their owner’s manual open.  Go figure.

3.      Ignore warning lights at your peril. – One of the things you’ll learn about in the manual is what the vehicle’s warning lights mean.  Some of the lights are simply trying to tell you that something is amiss, while others signal impending doom.  Keep driving merrily along with a low oil or coolant warning light, or a check engine light and you could quickly wind up severely damaging the engine.  More’s the pity, since the simple act of pulling over and retrieving the manual from the glove box could make all the difference between a $50 repair bill and a $5,000 one. 

4.      Don’t forget to check and replace filters. – Other than oil filters, your car comes equipped with air filters that need to be checked and replaced from time to time.  Should the engine air filter be ignored for too long, it can cause the engine to run rough or stop completely, since air is vital to combustion.  In-cabin air filters that are part of your vehicle’s air-conditioning system also need to be replaced every year or so as well, unless you want to wind up sweltering in your hot box of a car when the thermometer is 90 degrees outside.  A clogged cabin air filter can cause your AC system to malfunction or freeze solid.

Image courtesy flickr

5.      Batteries take a beating down south.  – Due to the summer heat, batteries usually only last 3-4 years in Florida.  After that, it’s time to replace them.  That being said, while a new battery should perform like a champ, it can’t if the battery cables become corroded.  If you suddenly find your headlights dimming, or get a battery warning light, before you spring for a new battery, check the cables.  If you see a green halo around them, that’s a sure sign of corrosion.  In that case, all you need to do is mix up a solution of warm water and baking soda to clean the cables.  Below is a link to AxleAddict.com that shows you what to do.

https://axleaddict.com/auto-repair/How-to-Clean-Corroded-Battery-Terminals

6.      Signs, signs, everywhere are signs! – Here’s another death knell to avoid; ignoring the warning signs.  More motorists needlessly spend more money in car repair simply because they ignore obvious warning signs.  If you see anything leaking out from under your car other than water from the air conditioning system, schedule a trip to your car mechanic right away. (Note: black spots are leaking oil, red spots indicate leaking power steering or transmission fluid, yellow fluid is coolant.) Oil or coolant leaks are one of the quickest ways to do catastrophic damage to your vehicle’s engine.  If you hear any squeaks, squalls or thumps coming from under the hood, pull over and inspect the engine immediately.  Keep driving with a loose or fractured serpentine belt and you risk getting stuck on the side of the road.  Plus, you could do serious damage to the engine.

Image courtesy Pixabay

7.      How tired are your tires? – Another way to wind up stuck on the side of the road or caught in a traffic accident is to ignore your tires.  Especially if you live in what I refer to as the Sun Shower State where frequent thunderstorms are the norm, driving on bald or improperly inflated tires is the Fastlane to a wreck.  So is failing to inspect and replace your windshield wipers every year or so.  It’s hard enough to see and steer in a blinding white squall.  Try it with worn out tires and/or wiper blades and you’re cruising for a bruising.

8.      Smoking is bad for you. – Here’s another one of those tips that at first seems like common sense, yet far too many drivers ignore: Smoke.  Whether the smoke is coming from the radiator or engine compartment, from under the vehicle or from a wheel, it’s serious.  So serious that you need to pull over and shut down the vehicle as quickly as you can safely do so.  Smoke can be caused by something as simple as oil dripping onto the exhaust pipe.  Or it can be a more serious problem that’s harder to localize.  Just bear in mind that any sign of smoke either visually or smelled inside the cabin is a bad thing that needs to be addressed immediately, even if it means having to get your vehicle towed.

Catherine Powell is the owner of A Plus All Florida, Insurance in Orange Park, Florida.  To find out more about saving money on your auto insurance, check out her website at http://autoinsuranceorangeparkfl.com/