Looking after your car can take a lot of time and effort, but not looking after your vehicle can cause even more stress and money. Here at Mechanic Man, we collared one of our expert car mechanics to ask them for some top car maintenance tips. Below you’ll find six tips for keeping your car in good working order so you can enjoy the open road for miles and years to come. Learn how to care for your car and schedule regular car maintenance and repairs at our car garage in Peterborough!
Tip #1: Look Under the Bonnet
When caring for your car, first lift the car bonnet to examine the area around your engine. You might spot something that doesn’t look right. This could be debris around the engine, a change in colour or a more serious leak. Once you check under the bonnet, we suggest also checking that your vehicle’s lights are in good working order too.
Tip #2: Check the Oil Levels
Our car mechanics often hear customers say that they haven’t checked their vehicle’s oil levels when bringing their car in for MOT testing. Although our Peterborough service centre checks your car’s oil levels during an MOT test, we don’t want you to rely on having your vehicle’s oil levels checked once a year. Our team is happy to top up your oil levels if needed, but we recommend regularly checking your oil levels with a dipstick at least once a month.
Tip #3: Top Up Fluids
Just as you need to top up your car’s oil levels, you need to top up your car’s fluid levels too. When checking your vehicle’s oil levels, take the extra time to refill any necessary fluids under the bonnet. Consider refilling things like radiator fluid, brake fluid and washer fluid. Once you’ve top up the washer fluid, check that your windscreen wipers are still in good condition. If not, they made need to be replaced.
Tip #4: Check Tyre Pressure
Whether you’re embarking on a long journey, travelling across poorly paved roads or have a spare minute at the petrol station, make sure you check your car’s tyre pressure. We encourage making checking your vehicle’s tyre pressure a habit, as it’s something that needs to be done on a regular basis. Under-inflated tyres can damage the car, affect your driving and potentially lead to a tyre blow out.
Tip #5: Schedule a Vehicle Health Check
We highly recommend scheduling a vehicle health check at our Peterborough auto shop, especially in between MOTs. A vehicle health check is your chance for an expert car mechanic to evaluate your vehicle with a professional eye. Our team can run quick auto diagnostics to ensure that everything is working as it should.
Tip #6: Wash Your Car
Whatever you need to do, wash your car! Pop it through the car wash when making your next petrol stop or take it to the local hand car wash down the street. You could even pay the local kids to do it or grab the bucket and sponge yourself to get your car to sparkle. The fact of the matter is that washing your car helps to protect your vehicle’s paint and overall longevity, so it’s important to take the time to have it cleaned.
Visit our car garage in Peterborough to have your car professionally maintained and cleaned. We can give your vehicle a once over to see if there are any potential problems with its engine, clutch or electrics. Plus, we’ll give you an honest quote should work be needed. Our team services all makes and models, so visit our MOT test centre and car garage today!