Top Commonly Overlooked Car Maintenance and Repairs

Maintaining a car is a huge responsibility. There’s a lot that goes into that given how complicated a machine it is. It’s great to find a mechanic or technician you trust who knows how to handle everything inside and around the vehicle, but it’s still on you to keep to the overall schedule. Knowing the top commonly overlooked car repairs helps you be proactive about your vehicle maintenance.

Fluid Changes

Oil isn’t the only thing you need to be changed out at regular intervals. The antifreeze can get corrosive after long enough and start eating up the metal in your hoses and radiator. But, if nothing else, it loses its efficacy in performing the tasks it was designed to do. Brake fluid will fill up with condensation over time and start degrading the performance of your vehicle’s ability to stop. Either replacing this yourself or taking it somewhere will be of great benefit. Make sure you have both changed out on a schedule as recommended by your car manufacturer. Don’t forget to have the transmission fluid changed either, as most vehicles need this done before 100,000 miles. Having your transmission fluid changed is something that is very commonly overlooked and can cause premature transmission failure. This is very costly and easily preventable for a small amount of cost to you and a couple of hours every couple of years, depending on how much you drive.

Fuel System

When your fuel system is clean, it lets your engine enjoy the free flow of gas. As a result, you get more power and better fuel efficiency. Regular cleaning of your fuel system, and in particular the injectors, means that gunk and residue are removed after having accumulated over time. Most vehicles can benefit from having this done every 30,000 miles if you want to aim for longevity and peak performance. There are many ways to have this done, from professional work to purchasing a fuel additive at your local auto parts store. Depending on the age of your vehicle and the amount of care that it has been given before you owned it, one option may be better.

Tires

Your tires need several kinds of maintenance and repairs from time to time. You always need to keep the tire pressure at the right levels, and you always need to make sure the tread is still deep enough. They should also be rotated and possibly even balanced regularly. When punctures, cracks, or holes develop, get them repaired immediately if it’s safe to salvage them. Replace them when they are too worn down.

Cabin Air Filter

Your cabin air filter is what keeps pollen and dust out of your ventilation system. This will keep your cabin more comfortable and reduce allergy symptoms. A good rule of thumb is to have this replaced every other year, but you might need to do it more often if you drive a lot daily. This filter is often tucked behind the glove box and is often forgotten. 

Use Waterless Car Wash

When your vehicle has been recently washed but has gone through a dirty puddle or light and dusty rainstorm, your vehicle’s exterior paint will be slightly dirty but enough to expose the paint to abrasive particles and make its paint look dingy. In this type of situation, you don’t have to run it through a full wash, but instead, use a waterless car wash product. 

A waterless car wash product is a spray that contains a lubricating cleaner that saturates the dirt and dust on your vehicle so you can wipe it clean without scratching the paint. You can also find a waterless car wash spray that contains car wax, which will leave your vehicle protected against raindrops and improve its paint shine. Because a waterless car wash can be sprayed, you can use it only in the areas of your vehicle that need cleaning instead of washing the entire vehicle in a car wash.

Complete Interior Detailing

Don’t neglect the inside of your vehicle after taking the care to keep its vehicle washed and waxed regularly. The upholstery or leather covering to your vehicle’s seating areas needs to be kept up to prevent dirt staining the fibers or scratches occurring to the smooth leather. But with a professional vehicle detailing service you can enjoy a clean interior without doing any of the work.

Look for a detailing service professional that will vacuum the carpets and upholstery, clean any fabric stains from the upholstery, wash the interior windows, and use a surface cleaner and polish to restore the shine to any trim inside your vehicle. They should also take care of the small but important details, such as dusting the blades of your vehicle’s vents and shining the glass that covers the vehicle dashboard gauges.

Neglecting Things Now Hurts Your Future

Neglecting certain aspects of car maintenance and repairs might make your days easier right not, but it risks your car’s performance in the future. At best, you’ll wind up paying more to fix things up you didn’t take care of earlier. At worst, you’ll be risking the actual safety of your vehicle.

Your vehicle works hard transporting you to and from all your appointments and responsibilities on a daily basis, even in some of the worst weather out there. Unfortunately, if you don’t take care of your vehicle while it is under all this wear and tear, its exterior and interior can begin to show signs of wear and deteriorate, lowering its value and affecting your ability to re-sell it if necessary when the time comes.