Proper car care will not only preserve its value, but will also ensure the safety and reliability of the vehicle. To do this, the car must be subjected to regular technical procedures, not all of which will be easy to perform at home. However, with the knowledge of what needs to be done to your car, it will be easier for you to explain all this to the service center employee who will service your car.
Timely replacement of technical fluids and filters
Check your vehicle's owner's manual for specific care requirements. While many aspects of car maintenance are universal, your car may have additional features related to its make, model, or year of manufacture. Check your owner's manual for technical procedures to make sure you don't miss anything important.
Some cars require replacement of drive belts after a certain number of kilometers. Otherwise there is a risk of damage to the engine cylinder head.
If you don't have your owner's manual, check the car manufacturer's website for all the information you need.
Check the levels of all fluids in the engine compartment and add them if necessary. The engine compartment contains plastic reservoirs for brake fluid, engine coolant, windshield washer fluid, and power steering fluid. The lowest notch on the container shows the minimum permissible liquid level. If you see that the liquid has dropped below this level, add it to the highest notch, which indicates that the container is completely filled.
Some vehicles have special requirements for the type of engine coolant or brake fluid. Consult your owner's manual or vehicle repair manual to find out what type of fluid is appropriate for your car.
To fill any container, unscrew the lid and add liquid to the top notch on the side of the container. Then screw the lid on.
Change the engine oil every 5,000 km. As soon as you pass the 5,000 km mark, jack up the car and place a container under the oil pan. Unscrew the drain bolt (the only bolt in the pan) and allow the old oil to drain into a nearby container. Then locate the oil filter and remove it. Apply some oil to your finger and run it around the perimeter of the new filter's O-ring, then screw it into place. Reinstall the bolt into the oil pan when all the oil has drained out.
Once the drain bolt and new oil filter are in place, fill the engine with the required amount of engine oil of the appropriate type.
Different engines have different requirements for the amount and type of oil. Consult your owner's manual or vehicle repair manual to find out what kind of oil you should use and how much oil you should use.
Change the air filter annually. The air filter prevents sand and other debris from entering the engine from the outside. In most cases, these filters need to be replaced annually, although there are also filters that need to be cleaned rather than replaced. Locate the air filter housing at the end of the air intake pipe leading to the top of the engine.Unfasten the 2-4 latches holding it in place and open the top cover to directly access the air filter.
The filter is located directly inside the housing. Remove it by hand and install a new one in the same place.
Close the filter housing and fasten the latches.
Clean the radiator with a special cleaner as it gets dirty. Spray the cleaner directly onto the radiator and let it sit for a few minutes. Do not touch or rub the radiator. Because of your touch, the plates may bend, or you yourself may injure yourself from them, since they are quite sharp. Instead, just give the cleaner a couple of minutes to work and then hose it off.
Read the instructions for the cleaner you use carefully to ensure you apply it properly
Replace worn or damaged drive belts promptly. Check the drive belts for cracks or excessive wear such as obvious abrasions. Then check the tension of the belts to make sure they are not stretched. If there are any signs of damage or stretching of the drive belt, replace it. Insert a pry bar into the hole in the auto tensioner pulley, if equipped, and rotate it counterclockwise, or lightly unscrew the two bolts securing the alternator to the bracket to release the tension on the belt. Remove the old belt from all pulleys and then install the new one in its place.
Be sure to refer to the diagram on the sticker in the engine compartment (or your vehicle's repair manual) when running the new belt through all the pulleys.
Use a pry bar or adjust the alternator into the correct position to give the new belt the proper tension. Then release the automatic tensioner or tighten the alternator bolts to keep the belt tensioned