Taking care of your car is always a top priority. Why? Well, because your vehicle is a functional asset, which means that it provides you with the value that you invest in its maintenance. It is also a valuable asset and the resale value depends on the state that it is in. Overall, you need to learn how to take better care of your car. Here are the top five signs that you should increase your car maintenance efforts.
You’re leaving your car in the open
Leaving your car out in the open too frequently is always a bad idea. Sure, not everyone has a garage but you could look for some car covers as a suitable alternative. The dust particles landing on your vehicle may contain various harmful materials and if left there long enough, this could become a serious problem. Not to mention bird droppings, acidic rain, strong winds carrying tiny, sharp debris and more. Overall, a car cover is an inexpensive, portable alternative to a garage.
You don’t keep track of your maintenance
Keeping a record of your maintenance is incredibly important. You see, replacing tires or even rotating them is something that you have to do every several months or past a certain mileage. The same goes for replacing your car’s oil. Still, what happens when you haven’t got a clue when the last time was. You will either waste money on a premature replacement (not very likely) or skip a much-needed procedure (much more likely). So, you should definitely start keeping a better record of all your maintenance instances.
You don’t take much care of its hygiene
There are two types of car owners. The first group are the ones that see their car as a sanctuary and would get offended at the very prospect of one smoking or eating in their vehicle. The second group consists of those who use their car as a dumpster. You would be surprised to learn that the moderates represent a minority, yet, this might be the healthiest relationship towards your vehicle. So, assess your own use and treatment of your vehicle and try to avoid falling under either of these two extremes.
You ignore strange noises
There are a lot of problems that you can feel and hear during your commute. Weird noises coming from your engine, brakes, exhaust system or during the acceleration are an indicator that something is not right. Fortunately, the first sign of these problems is seldom as dangerous. Nonetheless, if you decide to ignore these problems for long enough, you might find yourself in a scenario where you are faced with a major malfunction of the vehicle and an expensive repair. The sooner you react, the better.
Everything is sticky
Now, we’ve already talked about the wrappers and dust in your vehicle, however, this is not all the residue that you need to worry about. If you constantly drink in your car, you might find yourself in a scenario where the interior of the vehicle becomes sticky or greasy. Most commonly, this will happen around the cupholder. While this is not possible to completely avoid, you should clean the insides of your car more regularly. At the very least, you could rub the area around the cupholder and vacuum underneath your seat. This alone would make a world of difference.
Conclusion
In the end, it’s pivotal that you understand the significance of proper maintenance. The health, safety and reliability of your personal vehicle are of the utmost importance for you and your family. The most important thing to understand is that proper car maintenance isn’t expensive or difficult when done properly and in a timely manner. Provided that you’re not taking good care of your car, you need to become aware of it as soon as possible and do your best to turn these things around.