Vehicle maintenance is not optional if you want to be safe and keep others safe on the road. As our new vehicles get safer with new technology, we still need to do the basics to protect our loved ones, which is our second-largest investment for most people. Simple things that should be looked at are: daily checks, weekly checks, monthly checks, and yearly checks on vehicles.
Daily vehicle check: Do a walk around and look at the tires. Are they low on air pressure? Make sure all exterior lights are working. Most new vehicles will tell you if you have an issue with that on your instrument cluster, but not all the time, so it’s a good idea to check manually.
Weekly checks Look for leaking fluids; look under your vehicle for loose or hanging trim pieces.
If your vehicle is older, it is a good idea to open the hood to check your fluid levels. Check your oil, anti-freeze windshield washer fluid, and other fluids.
Monthly checks If you're not doing a weekly check on your newer vehicle, this should be done at least monthly or every 3,000 miles on a newer vehicles. Also, monthly, you should be looking at when the next oil change is due and/or scheduled maintenance; see your local auto repair shop for scheduled maintenance, as some work should be done more often than what the factory recommends. (Trust me, there has been a big push for low cost of maintenance, and factory scheduled maintenance is not the best resource anymore if you're keeping your vehicle past 100k miles or passing it down to a loved one.) I also do recommend car washes to help keep your vehicle clean to see out your windows. Dirty windows can be a safety issue.
Yearly checks are for people that don’t drive so much, less than 5,000 miles per year. Monthly checks may be too much; all mentioned needs to be looked at more often than not. The more this stuff is looked at and fixed as needed, the safer you and your loved ones will be driving. Once per year or every oil change, a safety checklist should be done at your local independent auto repair shop or dealership if your vehicle is newer or less than 3 years old.
Also, yearly, to protect the investment in your vehicle, along with cleaning your vehicle, waxing the paint, and rust proofing, are often overlooked but, in my opinion, very important to keep the resale value high and prevent rust. In the long run, rust-proofing with a proven product like Fluid Film will save the rocker panels, frame, brake and fuel lines, and other metal components from rusting. This will save you money and add value to your vehicle if you have been thinking of keeping it for more than 5 years and live in the salt belt area of North America.
Thanks for reading and have a great day !
Aaron Strand, owner of Minnesota Automotive