**Disclaimer – I am not a mechanic, consult your mechanic before performing maintenance on your vehicle. I am sharing my experience and the knowledge from my mechanic husband.
Owning a vehicle comes with some responsibility. There are also things that you should know about your car to keep it running smoothly and out of the shop. Basic vehicle maintenance knowledge can be a game changer! If you just got your first car or if you’re on your 10th car, this information is important to know.
Owning a vehicle does not require you to be a certified mechanic, but you should know some basic things to keep your car running as smoothly as possible. This information is easy to learn and simple to implement. Hint: your owner’s manual is a wealth of information!
Check out the video below
Also, go check out my video where I cover these vehicle maintenance basics!
Gas for your vehicle
I’m sure at the pump you’ve seen numbers like 87, 89, and 91, this is because not all gasoline is created equal. There is a reason you are given different gasoline grade options at the gas pump. Not all cars can perform at peak efficiency on the same grade of gas. These different options are related to the level of octane the gas has. It is important to know which octane is the best option for your car, and the best way to figure out what fuel type you need is by referencing your owner’s manual. Generally, a car will perform best on a specific grade of gasoline, due to various things including engine type and the way the vehicle’s system was designed.
Premium gas generally has more additives that can aid in cleaning your engine, cleaning deposits inside your engine. Premium gas is normally needed in higher performance engines (turbos or superchargers). Altitude can change how your engine runs and using a lower octane fuel at higher altitudes may be alright, but generally using the recommended octane rating for your vehicle is the best idea. (This video gives great insight into why you should avoid 85 octane fuel it it’s available at your local gas station).
Know your tires
You need to know how to check your tire pressure. Newer vehicles nowadays have a pressure sensor that will alert you if you have low tire pressure. However, older vehicles lack this tire pressure sensor and I believe everyone should know how to check their tire pressure manually. Tire pressure sensors can possibly go bad as well and when they go bad they can give inaccurate readings. I recommended always having a digital or a dial pressure gauge in your car, this way you always have one when you need one.
Why is tire pressure important?
- gas mileage
- traction
- tire wear – tires are expensive, overinflating may give you better gas mileage, but will cost you more money in tires in the long run
First you need to know what the recommended tire pressure is for your specific vehicle. This information can be found in two places: on the inside door frame of the driver’s side door and in your owner’s manual. You can likely perform an online search to acquire this information too, just make sure the source is reliable!
Fill your tires to the correct pressure
Once you know your vehicle’s tire pressure requirements you can proceed with filling them with air. Locate and remove the valve cap located near the rim of the tire. Put the valve cap somewhere you’ll remember it, so you don’t lose it, they are very easy to lose! Firmly press the opening of your pressure gauge over the valve of the tire to get your pressure reading. If the tire pressure is low you will need to add more air into the tire.
Most gas stations have an air station to put air in your tires, however, many of them like to charge you to use that air. The pressure gauges at gas stations are notoriously inaccurate. Use your own gauge In Colorado, at the time of this article, I know that Kum & Go gas stations do not charge for the air they offer. So I encourage you to check around to find somewhere that doesn’t charge for air. Though in the event of a severely low tire, you may not have a choice. If your pressure is too high, you will need to let some air out of the tire by carefully pressing on the pin in the middle of the air valve. Your pressure gauge will likely have a feature that will allow you to let air out of your tires.
Temperature affects tire pressure- if you have been driving for more than 10 minutes or in the middle of the day, set pressures to 4 over the door – aka 4 psi higher than what the door says.
Your spare tire
You need to know if your car has a spare tire and where it is located. You need to know if your spare tire is a full size tire or a temporary tire (aka donut). A full size tire you can use like a normal tire and has no speed restrictions. A temporary tire has a restricted speed limit and is meant to get you to a tire service station to get a full size tire put back on your car.
In tandem with knowing if you have a spare tire you should know where your car jack and lug nut wrench is located as well. You won’t be able to change out your tires without these items. Oftentimes the spare tire, lug nut wrench and jack are located in the same spot.
I also have a video on how to change a tire here!
You can check your own oil levels
This piece of information has the potential to save you a costly engine service bill! It is recommended that you check your oil levels on a regular basis between oil changes. Some vehicles leak or burn oil, resulting in your oil levels dropping over time. If your oil levels get too low you run the risk of ruining your engine. Part of owning a vehicle means it is your responsibility to keep track of your oil levels.
To check your oil levels you will need to turn off your car and let the oil settle for about five minutes or so. Doing this when you are filling your gas tank is a good option. Make sure to be on a level surface as inclines can affect how the oil level reads. Then you need to open the hood of your vehicle to gain access to the engine bay. Generally, the dipstick (what you use to check oil levels) is located somewhere on the engine itself. Mine is located on the top side of my engine, it has a yellow handle and says “Engine Oil” on it.
How to check oil levels
With a clean cloth or paper towel handy, pull the dipstick out and clean it off. Then reinsert the dipstick back into your engine, keep it there for a 5 second count and pull the dipstick out again, this ensures you get an accurate oil level reading. The dipstick has an “F” for full mark and an “L” for low mark. Some cars have dots, others have different types of marks. You should see an oil line somewhere in between these two marks. If you are at the “L” mark this indicates you are low about one quart of oil and you should top off your engine oil. Most often the difference between the “F” mark and the “L” mark is 1 quart of oil. If it is halfway between the low and full mark, you would add 1⁄2 a quart.
Also located on the top of your engine should be a cap that has an oil type and a little oil pot on it. This may not always be the case so check the owner’s manual for your vehicle to confirm this information. This is where you will fill up your engine oil using the engine specific to your vehicle! This is very important, your engine requires an oil with a specific viscosity, do not put just any type of engine oil in your vehicle!
Windshield wiper fluid and wipers
Topping off your windshield wiper fluid reservoir is easy. The reservoir is located in your engine bay near one of the sides and oftentimes (but not always) has a blue cap and the windshield wiper symbol on it. You can find windshield wiper fluid at home improvement stores, gas stations and in any store that sells car accessories. If you live in a climate where temperatures drop below zero I would recommend getting a fluid that can withstand those low temps so fluid doesn’t freeze in your lines. There is a full line on the reservoir so you know where to fill the windshield wiper fluid to.
You can also change your own windshield wipers. This tip can save you some money because dealerships and mechanics will charge for their time to change these out. Most auto part stores will help you determine what kind of windshield wipers you need and sometimes will assist you in changing them out. Make sure you are not using old windshield wipers. Old windshield wipers may not be as effective in cleaning your windshield and this could be a hazard.
If you are ever in doubt about vehicle maintenance, find yourself a trusted mechanic and don’t be afraid to ask for a second opinion. Owning a vehicle comes with new responsibility and financial cost. How you take care of your vehicle will impact how it takes care of you.
More life skills:
I’d love to hear from you! Let me know down in the comments below if you were taught any of these or if you were taught something else!
Leave a Reply