How to Prevent Costly Car Repairs

If you neglect routine car maintenance, you will eventually have some costly car repairs on your hands. Proper maintenance will also help with your gas mileage. An engine that is not running at peak performance will decrease your gas mileage. Below I have outlined some basic checks and maintenance you should perform on your car at regular intervals.

Check the oil level in your car once a week. If the oil level is low, add the grade oil recommended in your owners manual. Also check your transmission fluid at the same time. These fluid checks can be done when you are at the gas station.

Have your oil changed at regular intervals as designated in your owner's manual. Typically it's every 3,000 miles or 3 months whichever comes first. With newer cars it may be a longer interval than every 3,000 miles.

Have a tune up every 50,000 miles. If you have a late model car, check with owner's manual to see if it may be longer than 50,000 miles.

Front brake pads should be changed every 50,000 miles if your driving is mainly highway. If most of your driving is city driving then it may be a lot less than 50,000 miles. Neglecting worn brake pads will damage your rotors and cost you additional money in repairs.

Check tire pressure once a week. Purchase a tire pressure gauge at an auto store that will properly measure tire pressure for you. Under inflated tires will cause your tire threads to wear quicker and reduce gas mileage.

Check anti-freeze level in your radiator once a week. Low levels will cause your engine to over heat and cause serious engine damage.

Check your brake fluid once a week. Check with your owner's manual for the location of the brake fluid reservoir if you can't locate it. Low brake fluid levels can lead to brake failure.