Even though most women are involved in deciding when to take their car in for maintenance and where it should be taken, a Jiffy Lube survey shows that these decisions may not be based on the most accurate information. For example, only 22% of women knew that the correct tire pressure for their car was located somewhere other than the tire or wheel and nearly half of those surveyed thought that switching to synthetic oil meant you could drive more miles between oil changes. Even minor misunderstandings like these can cause real trouble on the road. Here are the most important things women need to know in order to properly maintain their car.
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Look Before You Leave
Before you back out of your driveway, there are a few things you need to check on every single day. According to Matt Allen, you should visually inspect your tires to ensure that none of them look low or flat before you leave. Matt also recommends glancing at your dashboard lights to make sure there aren’t any warning lights like the check engine, low oil, or tire pressure problem, illuminated.
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Pay Attention to Your Senses
When it comes to taking care of your car, you need to pay attention to the messages coming from all your senses. There are many problems that you can catch early on because you can see that something isn’t working or that a light is on or you can smell something unusual or you hear a new noise or you feel the car pulling to one side or riding differently. Don’t assume that if you don’t know cars, you can’t tell when something isn’t working properly. Just listen to what your senses are telling you.
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Know Your Car
For the most part, when your car is having a problem, it will let you know. The differences may be small or subtle at first but as the problem gets worse, the difference will be more pronounced. If you pay attention to things like how your car handles, what it sounds like, and what kind of gas mileage it gets when it is working properly, it will be easier to see the small signs that something might be wrong.
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Check Your Spot
One of the most obvious signs that something is wrong is also one of the most signs most of us miss because we aren’t watching for it. On a regular basis, you need to check the spot where you park your car to see if it has any leaks. Cars that drip oil, anti-freeze, and even water need to be checked out at a repair shop as soon as possible.
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Change the Oil
Even though everyone knows how important it is to change your oil, it is still the maintenance task that is most frequently delayed. The problem is that not changing the oil as soon as it is needed has no immediate consequences. While you could not continue to drive a car with a flat tire or with faulty brakes, a car in need of an oil change can keep going and going. However, eventually, it will stop going and when it does, it is very likely that you will need a new engine rather than just an oil change.
Related articles
- What Repairs You Can Put Off and What Repairs Never to Ignore(Virginiaautoservice.com)
- Vehicle Safety: What Consumers Need to Know (virginiaautoservice.com)