Including tips to look after your car

Owning and running a car is not always an easy thing to do. Many of us need a car to get us from one place to the next whether that is for work, shopping, or taking our children to different places. But, do we know exactly what is necessary to make sure our vehicles are roadworthy and safe each day? The chances are you don’t. 

Knowing what is involved when it comes to a car maintenance checklist is a great way to ensure that you keep your vehicle in good working order. Not only are there checks that you can do often, but you should also maintain the vehicle in other ways. So here is the essential car maintenance checklist to make sure that you are keeping your vehicle in good working order. 

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Car Maintenance Checklist

Use this list to make sure that you have remembered everything to keep your car up to scratch.

Keeping up with MOTs

One of the first things you need to consider is keeping up with MOTs. This is essential for any vehicle that is three years or older and is a legal requirement for driving one of those vehicles on the road. You can easily book an MOT in with a local garage or certified dealership. During the MOT they will like advise if anything needs changing or replacing. 

Regular servicing 

Another thing you must do is keep up with regular servicing. This is important on any age car, even if it is new as manufacturers will have stipulations in place for servicing that will keep any warranty on the vehicle valid. 

Documentation 

Along with the servicing and MOTs, you need to ensure that you have the necessary documentation to hand. Stamps in a service book as a record, invoices, receipts, and MOT certificates. This can all be found in your vehicle handbook.

Keeping the costs down with services 

While services and MOTs can cost a fair bit of money each year, there are a few things that you can do to keep the costs down. For starters, you could look at service plans that many dealerships will offer. This is a good one to consider if you have bought from a dealership or ordered a new vehicle. You can pay monthly into a service plan and then use that balance to pay for the servicing costs. If you prefer, you could adopt the same process with your own savings account dedicated to your car maintenance checklist so that you have a place to draw down for things you need for your vehicle. 

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Checking fluid levels 

Another essential thing to do regularly when working on your car maintenance checklist is to check the fluid levels in the engine. This is anything from oil levels, windscreen washer fluid, and coolant. You will easily be able to check these things and your car manual will have instructions on where to look.

Remember to check your engine oil, brake fluid, wiper blades, spark plugs, and screen wash. This is important to do before long journeys so that you are assured your vehicle is in good working order before embarking on your journey.

Maintaining the bodywork 

The one thing you may not think about too much is the bodywork. After all, we can all end up with minor scratches and dents that appear out of nowhere. Car care is important that you maintain the bodywork as leaving scratches and dents that have marked the paintwork could mean they turn rusty and cause even more damage. Small minor marks on the bodywork can easily be sorted, and any major dents and scratches can be handled by a body shop. 

Tyre pressure and treads 

The tyres can be one thing that we take for granted when owning a vehicle, but it is illegal to be on the road with tyres that have a tyre tread of less than 1.7mm. So checking your tyre tread depth is an essential element of the car maintenance checklist. Tyre pressures are also important and your car manual will have the ideal levels they need to be. Most modern cars will advise when tyre pressures need to be checked. 

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Does your car have a DPF?

Not all cars have a DPF (diesel particulate filter) but if it does then part of your car maintenance checklist should be to clear it. You will get a warning light on your car, and at this point, it means that your car needs a decent outing, such as driving at a consistent speed on the motorway for ten minutes to clear it. 

Air conditioning 

Air conditioning, if not used often, can be a breeding ground for dust, mould, and germs. So getting your air conditioning filters cleared either during services or every six months if not used at all is an important part of your car maintenance checklist. 

The lights 

Make sure you regularly check that all lights are working. This includes your brake lights, indicators, and headlamps. If any blubs need replacing now would be the time to do it, especially before any long journeys. The police will pull you over if they spot any lights not working as they should. 

Car breakdown cover

You may also want to think about having some form of breakdown cover for your vehicle. This will help you for those unforeseen circumstances where your car breaks down or you are involved in some form of road accident or incident. They can help you from home or out on the road and it gives you extra reassurance should the worst happen. 

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Car Maintenance Checklist Top tips 

So to summarise while all of the above are important there are a few essential things that are on the car maintenance checklist. These are as follows:

Ensuring you check the tyre pressure and treads. This is essential when it comes to long journeys. 
Checking all fluid levels in the engine. Especially before a long journey. 

Are your lights working? If the police spot your vehicle with lights that are not working then it is a fineable offense. 

Test the brakes regularly. This is important if you don’t drive the vehicle too often as brake dust can gather causing your brakes to not work as efficiently. 

Check your car battery if you have been doing small trips. The battery gets a good charge after longer trips so try and plan them in every few weeks.

Keep your car insurance details on you. You never know when you may need them.

Hopefully, this car maintenance checklist will have you feeling more confident with car ownership and taking your vehicle on long journeys. 

Laura x 

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This is the ultimate car maintenance checklist that can not only help your car stay safe but gives you tips on saving money by Laura at UKVoucherDeals.co.uk

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