I must admit, I’m a fairly typical girl when it comes to anything remotely mechanical.  Being the Daddy’s Girl that I am, I’ve always depended on my skilled and knowledgeable father when it comes to matters of car maintenance and repair.  However, in the interest of becoming just a tad more self-sufficient, I thought it prudent to familiarize myself with the suggestions of the experts when it comes to maintaining my baby.

This schedule is applicable to a city driver who makes many short trips as opposed to longer trips on the highway.

Oil Change

Oil needs to be changed every 5,000 km or 3 months, whichever comes first.  It is important to have clean oil to properly lubricate and cool the moving parts of the engine, as well as to prevent corrosion and rust.  You should also change the filter the oil runs through at the same time.  A new oil filter will help strain out debris and small particles from the oil.

Chassis Lubrication

Every 10,000 km or 3 months, lubricate the chassis components including the suspension and steering system.  Your car’s chassis is responsible for supporting the weight of your car, allowing it to ride smoothly and turn corners.  Lubricating the chassis involves injecting grease between moving joints and into ‘zerks’ (grease fittings).  Some models have a sealed chassis with Teflon coatings on the joints that do not require grease and therefore need less maintenance.  Keep your car in peak shape by lubricating the chassis during every second oil change.

Tire Rotation

At the same time as you get the chassis lubricated, you should also rotate your tires.  Regularly changing the location of each tire will help them all wear at the same rate.  Each tire will be exposed to different situations and wear factors.  For instance, in North America, right side tires are more likely to be exposed to road hazards and hitting curbs.  Check your manual or consult your dealership’s website for the pattern of rotation you should follow.

Air Filter

If you are driving in particularly dusty conditions, you may need to change your air filter every 25,000 km, but under normal circumstances it can be done every 50,000 km.  In order to prevent damage to engine cylinders, walls, pistons and piston rings, the air filter prevent particles from entering.  A clogged and dirty air filter can affect your car’s fuel economy and performance.  For every gallon of fuel burned, your car can use more than 10,000 gallons of air, so it’s important to keep a close eye on the state of your air filter.

Automatic Transaxle Fluid and Filter

In an effort to demonstrate how simple to maintain their cars are, many companies claim that if you drive your car under “normal” conditions, you never have to change your automatic transaxle fluid.  However, if you tend to drive in heavy city traffic where the temperature outside regularly reaches 32 degrees Celsius or higher, in hilly or mountainous terrain, while frequently towing a trailer or in salty air you should check your transaxle fluid approximately every 83,000 km.  Some other sources suggest, even under “normal” conditions, drivers should change their fluid as often as every 30,000 km.

Belts and Hoses

Broken belts or hoses can cause a variety of problems for your car including an overheated engine, loss of power steering and loss of the electrical charging system.  The cooling system could stop working if a hose is leaking or the belt operating the water pump snaps.  Some experts recommend checking your belts and hoses every time you change your oil, but others say that frequency is not necessary.

Spark Plugs

Electricity jumps across the electrodes contained in a spark plug in order to fire the fuel charge.   Some say you should change your spark plugs every 30,000 km, but others say you can wait as long as every 166,000 km.

Cooling System

Every 240,000 km or 60 months, whichever comes first, you should drain, flush and refill the cooling system.  Inspect all hoses.  Clean the radiator, condenser, pressure cap and neck.  Finally, pressure test the cooling system and pressure cap.

Just the basics

Before all you car experts start bombarding me with emails pointing out everything I missed, I’m going to state again that this is a very basic schedule of maintenance, and there are many more important actions you must take to ensure top performance from your vehicle.  Find a mechanic that you trust and he or she will be able to advise you on when and how to take care of your car.

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