Car care tips

May 30, 2023 Yura

Key takeaways

Keeping up with your car’s maintenance can help you stop extensive — and expensive — damage in its tracks.
It’s a good idea to take your vehicle to a mechanic for a basic inspection once per year.
Cars often lose around 60 percent of their purchase price within the first five years of ownership, but staying on top of routine maintenance may help you maintain your car’s value.

There is more to owning a car than filling it up with gas and driving to your destination. If you want your vehicle to last, you have to take care of it, which means routine maintenance. These car maintenance tips will help you keep your car running smoothly in between trips to the mechanic. After all, the more you know about your vehicle, the quicker you can spot an issue and have it looked at by a professional before a minor problem becomes a major issue. And maintaining your vehicle can help your car retain more value.

How auto insurance helps with car care

Having car insurance will not prevent your car from breaking down or ensure that you will never get into an accident, but it can offer you financial protection in both of those instances. If your vehicle is damaged because of a covered claim, the insurance company can help pay to fix the damage or replace the car, depending on your level of coverage and the amount of damage.

That said, a standard car insurance policy will generally only cover the cost of repairs if they were the direct result of an accident. For regular wear and tear, some providers offer mechanical breakdown insurance, or MBI, to help cover the cost of non-accident or -incident related repairs. MBI functions similarly to a warranty and generally covers brake, drivetrain, engine, exhaust, steering and transmission repairs (to name a few).

Taking care of your car

Although regularly taking your car to a mechanic is the best way to stay ahead of any significant repairs, there is quite a bit you can do in your own garage to help keep it in good condition.

A graphic displaying a car and all the areas a car owner might need to consider checking and maintaining.

Check all your lightbulbs: Once a week, turn your car’s lights on to make sure no lights are burnt out. Walk around your vehicle, and do not forget about the tag lights in the back. If you spot a burnt-out bulb, you may be able to replace it yourself for just a couple of dollars.
Wash and wax your car: A car wash does more than just make your car look good: regularly washing and waxing removes dirt, pollen, oils, road salt and other grimy buildup from your car that can cause paint damage and rust if left untreated.
Check fluids monthly: Each month, you should check your oil, coolant, windshield washer fluid, brake fluid, power steering fluid and differential fluid. If you

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Car Care Tips | Bankrate

May 28, 2023 Yura

Kiyoshi Hijiki/Getty Images

Key takeaways

Keeping up with your car’s maintenance can help you stop extensive — and expensive — damage in its tracks.
It’s a good idea to take your vehicle to a mechanic for a basic inspection once per year.
Cars often lose around 60 percent of their purchase price within the first five years of ownership, but staying on top of routine maintenance may help you maintain your car’s value.

How auto insurance helps with car care

Taking care of your car

Although regularly taking your car to a mechanic is the best way to stay ahead of any significant repairs, there is quite a bit you can do in your own garage to help keep it in good condition.

Check all your lightbulbs: Once a week, turn your car’s lights on to make sure no lights are burnt out. Walk around your vehicle, and do not forget about the tag lights in the back. If you spot a burnt-out bulb, you may be able to replace it yourself for just a couple of dollars.
Wash and wax your car: A car wash does more than just make your car look good: regularly washing and waxing removes dirt, pollen, oils, road salt and other grimy buildup from your car that can cause paint damage and rust if left untreated.
Check fluids monthly: Each month, you should check your oil, coolant, windshield washer fluid, brake fluid, power steering fluid and differential fluid. If you check each of these monthly, you are more likely to spot fluid leaks before they do too much damage.

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10 essential car or truck maintenance tips that can save you income

May 21, 2023 Yura

(iSeeCars) – New and made use of automobile charges are at report highs. A single way to conserve funds on shopping for a new (or new-to-you) car or truck is to lengthen the lifestyle of your current motor vehicle. Or, if you program to sell your vehicle, suitable car or truck upkeep will raise its resale worth. Schedule oil improvements are a no-brainer, but there are extra program routine maintenance measures that can effortlessly be forgotten. That is why we compiled this helpful record of basic automobile servicing ideas that can increase the top quality and dependability of your automobile and help you save you income in the extended operate.

In this article are 10 very simple things that can have extended-time period outcomes on your car’s reliability. Whilst this is not a detailed checklist, it highlights some of the most disregarded car or truck upkeep objects that can aid slice down on unneeded auto maintenance expenses and continue to keep your car or truck running efficiently.

1. Clean Your Car Consistently

Whilst it is tempting to just count on nature’s auto wash, common rain showers shouldn’t be your most popular system of washing your car or truck. Unwashed dirt can lead to scratches or chips and can even fade your car’s coloration. Normal exposure to the features, in particular salt in winter, can also damage a vehicle’s paint and lead to detrimental rust on your car’s undercarriage.

2. Look at Your Battery

A motor vehicle battery lasts an average of two to 5 several years. You can extend the life of your battery by subsequent some essential servicing tips. You must verify your battery each year and hold an eye out for warning signals that reveal your battery is nearing the close of its lifespan. These incorporate dim headlights and a car that is slow to commence or won’t begin at all. You can examination your car’s voltage with a voltage meter that can be located at automotive sections stores or on the net. A battery that registers at 12.39 volts or considerably less is considered discharged.

You can revive your motor vehicle by supplying it a bounce start off if you remaining your lights on, but possessing to on a regular basis jump your battery is a indicator it requires to be remaining on a battery charger for at minimum 24 hours. If just after that your battery even now won’t reliably get started your car or truck, you possible require a substitution, however a test of your car’s charging procedure need to also be carried out. This can be completed at virtually any automotive shop for a small value (much less than $40).

You must also check out your car or truck battery’s terminals to make absolutely sure the connections are clean up and cost-free of particles buildup. Also, make confident the wires from the connectors are tight and devoid of frays or breaks.

3. Exchange Your Air Filters

Air is drawn into your car

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Road Trip: Summer Driving Checklist and Safety Tips

May 19, 2023 Yura

If you take a Memorial Day road trip, expect a big jump in the number of car travelers compared to last year. Rising inflation and higher fuel costs will not stop Americans from hitting the road, and more drivers will get behind the wheel than fly in the upcoming travel season.

According to AAA, an estimated 37.1 million drivers will hit America’s roads this summer, traveling 50 miles or more from home. That’s a 6% increase or 2 million additional car travelers than in 2022.

“This is expected to be the third busiest Memorial Day weekend since 2000, when AAA started tracking holiday travel,” said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel. “More Americans are planning trips and booking them earlier, despite inflation. This summer travel season could be one for the record books, especially at airports.”

Before you pack your bags, some vehicle preparation is in order. Check out our tips for a safe and enjoyable road trip.

Road Trip Checklist for Your Vehicle

Before setting out, you’ll want to prepare the vehicle for the distance ahead.

1. Inspect and Maintain Your Vehicle

Routine maintenance is a must. Keeping up with your car’s maintenance schedule can help prevent costly breakdowns. Before you pack your bags, perform a basic safety check of your vehicle’s tire pressure, wiper blades, fluid levels, headlights, and heating and air conditioning system. You shouldn’t defer regularly scheduled services such as tune-ups, oil changes, battery checks, and tire rotations.

If you find anything is amiss, check our vehicle maintenance pricing and service schedules page to see if your car needs a check-up and get the estimated cost. It’s worth running it by a dealership or auto repair shop when you’re unsure whether any service is overdue.

RELATED: Car Maintenance Guide: Everything You Need to Know

2. Make Child Safety Your Top Concern

All children under 13 years old should ride in the back seat. And be aware of the added risks that arise in warm climates. Heatstroke can occur when a child gets left unattended in a parked vehicle.

To understand more about child seat safety, take some time to review the importance of car seat safety.

Hot Car Awareness

Being on vacation can interrupt your routine and distract you from checking the back seat when you exit the vehicle. It’s hard to believe but, on average, heatstroke deaths claim 38 children in the United States each year. Pets are also in grave danger when left in a car, even for a short period with the windows cracked.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reminds everyone to keep our tiny loved ones safe with these tips:

Lock your car when you aren’t using it to prevent small children from entering.
Never leave your child alone in a car, even if you think you’ll only be away for a moment.
Always “look before you lock” so no child or animal remains in the back seat.
Many newer vehicles alert you with a rear seat

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10 Greatest Servicing Tips For Electric Cars and Cars

April 30, 2023 Yura

If you personal an electric powered auto or car of any form, you will agree with me that regular vehicle servicing is the key to maintaining it functioning effortlessly and prolonging its lifespan. But with so lots of possibilities and advanced pieces, it can be tricky to know exactly what kind of servicing your vehicle needs. To aid, we have compiled a list of the 10 ideal car routine maintenance suggestions for electric automobiles and automobiles, so you can continue to keep your ride functioning in best shape. Go through on to come across out extra!

1) Verify Your Fluids Frequently

Protecting your car’s fluids is important for the two electric motor vehicles and cars alike. Examining the fluid levels in your motor vehicle can assist retain your engine jogging at peak general performance and can even enable avert highly-priced repairs down the line.

Make certain to check your oil, coolant, transmission fluid, ability steering fluid, and brake fluid at the very least the moment a month. If any of these ranges surface to be very low or dirty, have them changed immediately.

In electric autos, it’s also essential to check the degree of electrolytes in your battery. This assists ensure that the battery has more than enough juice to electrical power your vehicle. On top of that, make confident to verify the concentrations of antifreeze and windshield washer fluid if you have a car with an internal combustion motor.

These fluids assist ensure your vehicle runs smoothly through colder weather conditions and help you stay risk-free on the street.

If you are not absolutely sure how to check the stages of these fluids, talk to your owner’s guide or get your vehicle to a specialist mechanic for help. They can support you recognize how to effectively test and sustain the fluid concentrations in your motor vehicle.

2) Inspect Your Brakes

It is significant to examine your brakes routinely as they are important for a safe and sound generate. The brake program is composed of brake pads, discs, and callipers. To verify if your brakes are in excellent ailment, commence by seeking for any indicators of have on and tear on the brake pads, discs, and callipers. Examine for any leaks or have on-and-tear on the brake traces also.

Additionally, make confident that the brakes have a enough stage of lubricant. If any of these components show indicators of have on or hurt, you should replace them appropriate absent.

It is also vital to verify the issue of your brakes’ rotors. Rotors are round parts of metal that help with stopping the motor vehicle. You should really make confident that there is no discolouration or cracks on the rotors, as this signifies that they are worn out and need to have changing.

If any portion of the brake process demands repairs, you must just take your motor vehicle to a certified mechanic. They will be equipped to diagnose the concern and recommend you on the most effective training course of

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CVSA, fleets share routine maintenance tips forward of Roadcheck

April 6, 2023 Yura

Around the a few day-very long Industrial Car or truck Protection Alliance’s Worldwide Roadcheck business motor motor vehicle inspection and enforcement initiative previous yr, CVSA-licensed inspectors performed 59,026 inspections and placed 12,456 commercial motor vehicles out of company nationwide. This year’s enforcement blitz will choose spot May well 16-18, and in this webinar on April 20 at 1:00 p.m. Central — sponsored by Mann+Hummel — we will explore the leading OOS violations (specifically brakes, lights and tires), and what motorists and the shop should be executing to catch these faults ahead of enforcement officers do.

Through Commercial Auto Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) International Roadcheck commercial motor motor vehicle inspection and enforcement initiative previous May possibly, licensed inspectors conducted 59,026 inspections and put 12,456 (21.1%) industrial motor cars and 3,714 motorists (6.2%) out of support: each superior-watermarks considering the fact that the world re-emerged from the pandemic.

The selection of over-all inspections was a lot reduced in 2021 (23,135), but inspectors continue to removed 21.8% vehicles from the road and 5.2% of motorists.

This year’s marketing campaign is set for Could 16-18, with unique emphasis on on anti-lock braking units (Abdominal muscles) and cargo securement.

Brakes, lights, tires and cargo securement routinely make up the Top 5 automobile out of service brings about although hours of services/logs and issues with licensure are the best results in for driver violations.

CCJ, in partnership with Mann+Hummel, will carry alongside one another professionals from some of trucking’s safest fleets to discuss upkeep recommendations and tactics that make roadside inspections a lot easier, and we’ll listen to directly from CVSA on the traits it sees during inspections and where fleets most usually go improper.

This complimentary hour-long webinar, which will consist of a dwell Q&A with the panelists, will be held Thursday, April 20 at 1PM Central Time. Carriers can sign up in this article.

A recorded on-demand version will be created accessible to all registrants so people intrigued in the topic but unavailable the working day and time of the stay webinar are however encouraged to sign-up.

Registrants will listen to from:

Jeremy Disbrow, CVSA roadside inspection specialist

Jeremy joined CVSA in January with 25 decades of expertise as a law enforcement officer and paramedic. Prior to joining CVSA, he served as an Arizona state trooper for 20 yrs, with an extensive concentration on industrial motor car or truck safety, enforcement, outreach and education. Jeremy was Arizona’s MCSAP coaching coordinator for seven years, where by he created statewide coaching curriculum and instructed far more than 5,000 hrs of programs throughout the U.S. He served as the CVSA chairman for CVSA North American Cargo Securement Harmonization Discussion board, as perfectly as vice president of CVSA’s Region IV membership. Jeremy was a accredited grasp instructor where he instructed NAS Portion A, NAS Aspect B, passenger-provider motor vehicle, teacher growth, learn instructor growth, electronic logging equipment and digital monitoring and mapping technologies courses.

Mike Jeffress, Maverick Transportation

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