The Oil Change

Any car owner can tell you just how important oil changes are.  It is critical that you not only change your car’s oil, but that you do it regularly.  While you can change a vehicle’s oil yourself, going to a professional ensures that it is done right and fairly quickly, without any mess for you to clean up.  Why are oil changes so important?  Because they keep your engine in great shape and they keep your money in your pocket.

The Car Wash

You may think that people who spend every Saturday, like clockwork, washing their cars think too highly of their cars and are wasting their time.  While that may be true for some, most car owners know that regularly washing their vehicles not only keeps them shiny, but it also saves their vehicles from corrosion.  That’s right.  If your vehicle is not regularly washed, especially with our snow and ice filled winters, rust will develop.  Rust is like cancer for your car.  Once it is there, it will eat away at your vehicle.  The very best way to minimize this is to keep your vehicle away from snow, rain and road salt and in Wisconsin, that means keeping your car clean.

The Care of Your Tires

It is estimated that tire trouble results in over 600 deaths and 33,000 injuries every year.  While tire care is not difficult, many car owners neglect to routinely check their tires for signs of trouble.  In order to properly care for your tires, it is recommended that you spend five minutes each month doing the following:

Check the tire pressure.  A tire can lose half of its pressure and still not look like it is flat.  This is done by using a tire gauge which can be purchased at almost any auto parts store.  An incentive for keeping an eye on tire pressure is that the U.S. Department of Energy now estimates that properly inflates tires improve gas mileage by approximately 3.3 percent.

Have your tires rotated.  This will ensure that your tires are “wearing out” at around the same rate.  Every vehicle is different, but a good general schedule for tire rotation is every 6,000 to 8,000 miles.  While you are at it, make a point to regularly check the tread on your tires for uneven wear or smooth spots.

Check the Alignment.  This is better done by a professional, but should be done nonetheless every so often.

The Battery

Although many car batteries today last for many years and require little maintenance, it is possible for the battery to become damaged or too old to start your vehicle.  There are steps that you can take to prolong the life of your car’s battery.  For one, you should keep the cable connections free from dirt and secure.  If you can check the battery’s water level then you should always have it full to the full-mark.  Make sure that the battery cannot slide.  If your battery will not start, you can always try to jump-start it with jumper cables.  This usually works.  Please refer to your vehicles manual before attempting to jump-start it.  Some car owner’s run the risk of a power surge damaging the vehicle’s electronics.

Easton Motors wants you to be happy with your vehicle for a long time.  By following these simple steps for proper car maintenance, we are confident that you will be.