1. Engine Oil – Check once a month, and if it’s low fill it up with your manufacturer’s recommended grade. Change approximately every 3000 miles (about three months). Go to MYNRMA to learn how to check your oil.

2. Fluids – Check the levels for radiator coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid, hydraulic clutch level fluid, and automatic transmission fluid. If the level is low, replace with the same brand. If your car is over seven years old, check your fluids and oil more frequently – about every 500 miles. Older cars tend to leak fluid, and a little attention can prevent a problem like overheating or even mechanic failure.

3. Lights – All your lights should be working – dash lights, headlights, brake lights, back-up lights, and turn signals. For detailed instructions on lights troubleshooting, go to autorepair.com

4. Hoses, Belts – Check for stains, which mean leakage. Also, if two hoses are rubbing together a leak could develop. Belts and hoses should be replaced every two years.

5. Battery – The fluid inside the battery should be about 1/4 of an inch above the plates. If the level is low, top up with distilled water. Remember to check the battery away from flames and cigarettes. Avoid contact with the fluid inside the battery – it’s corrosive. For an easy way to clean your battery, go to doityourself.com

6. Wipers – Windshield wipers ought to be changed with regularity. We’re often surprised at the difference new blades can make, they’re quite cheap and you can do it yourself Also remember to refill your washer fluid often, and never use a household detergent.

7. Tires – For safety and durability reasons, it’s a good idea to regularly check your tire pressure. Make sure your spare tire is inflated as well. Worn tires will mean bad gas mileage. A good tip is to rotate your tires every 6000 miles, and have the wheel alignment and balance checked.

8. Spark Plugs – If these are worn out or dirty, your car will be wasting gas and emitting more exhaust. Your engine won’t be too happy either. Clean them or replace them when needed.

9. Air Filter – Replace your car air filter if it’s clogged or damaged (If clogged, it can cut gas mileage by up to 20%).

10. Wash Your Car – Make it a regular practice to keep your car clean. Washing your car about once a week will keep it looking as good on the outside as it is on the inside. Regular washing and waxing keeps your paint healthy.

[Source: Buying Guide]

Before hitting the road this summer, you can take several simple precautions to keep your family safe and save money at the pump. Extreme heat and long drives can be tough on cars. Cracked hoses, leaky radiators, underinflated tires and dirty filters can significantly lower your fuel efficiency, or worse, lead to a total breakdown.­

1. Maintain Your Air Conditioning
2. Clean Your Battery
3. Check Your Coolant and Radiator
4. Check Your Breaks
5. Replace Your Windshield Wipers
6. Change the Air Filter
7. Check Hoses and Belts
8. De-Winterize Your Car
9. Change Oil and Oil Filter
10. Check your Tires

[Source: How Stuff Works]

Let the Manual Guide You
Oil change information is in the maintenance chapter of your owner’s manual. If for some reason you’ve misplaced your owner’s manual, many automakers have put their manuals online. You can also search our Edmunds Maintenance Schedules. We have an extensive maintenance database on vehicles dating back to l980.

In many instances, you’ll find that the owner’s manual lists two service schedules. These are based on “normal” and “severe” or “special” driving conditions. Read the descriptions carefully to see which schedule reflects how you drive. In our experience, the vast majority of people fall into the normal schedule.

Trust Your Oil Life Monitor
In recent years, a number of automakers have installed oil life monitors of varying complexity in their vehicles. The more basic versions are more maintenance minders than actual systems. They’re based on mileage, and switch on a maintenance light when the vehicle hits a predetermined mileage range.

The more advanced oil life monitors, on the other hand, constantly take information from numerous sensors throughout the vehicle and then use a complex algorithm to predict the life of your oil. Based on your driving conditions and habits, the frequency of your oil changes can vary.

These systems take the guesswork out of knowing when your next service is due. Just drive as you normally would and wait until the maintenance light comes on. You’ll be surprised to see how far a vehicle can go between oil changes. The hardest part is not letting your preconceived notions of oil change intervals second-guess the monitor.

It’s also important to note that these systems are calibrated to work with the factory-recommended oil. They aren’t sophisticated enough to recognize that you’ve upgraded to another blend, so save your money and stick to the factory fill.

Use the Time Estimate
If you have a weekend car or put very low miles on your vehicle, you’ll have to change your maintenance strategy a bit. Robert Sutherland, principal scientist at Pennzoil Passenger Car Engine Lubricants, says that over time, oil becomes contaminated by gases that blow by the pistons, and the longer the oil sits with that contamination, the more it degrades.

Whether an automaker uses an oil life monitor or set mileage intervals, all of them also prescribe a maximum time frame for an oil change. For example, the 2010 Toyota Prius has a recommended oil interval of one year or 10,000 miles — whichever comes first. Since some oil life monitors are more sophisticated than others, the vehicles that employ them will have different time recommendations. You’ll also find this information in your owner’s manual.

Get an Oil Analysis
The issue of what constitutes “normal” versus “severe” driving has long been a point of contention among vehicle owners, mechanics and dealership service departments. All have their own motivations for their recommendations. But the best way to determine how you drive your vehicle is to get your oil analyzed.

An oil analysis will tell you the condition of your oil, and it also can reveal any problems that your engine may be experiencing. Some sample tests can show traces of fuel and coolant in the engine oil, which are early signs of engine problems. When you get your results back from the lab, you’ll also get a recommendation on how much further you can go between oil changes.

Extended-Life Oils: It’s Safe To Switch
Many oil companies are releasing extended-life oils that are guaranteed for the specific mileage listed on the bottle. Mobil’s most advanced fully synthetic product, Mobil 1 Extended Performance, for instance, is guaranteed for 15,000 miles. The company recommends it for vehicles that are beyond their warranty period. This is an important point because many automakers will void your warranty if you do not follow their recommended service intervals.

Owners who change their oil themselves and are looking to extend the time between oil changes can safely switch to a 15,000-mile oil and make a lot fewer trips to the mechanic. They also should switch to a high-mileage oil filter, since the factory filter wasn’t designed for extended intervals.

By going to an extended-life product, older vehicles, such as a 1998 Ford Mustang — which calls for oil changes every 5,000 miles — could cut back from three changes per year to just one.

[Via Edmunds]

1. Follow Your Service Schedule: Obviously this one’s a no-brainer, but there are still too many car owners out there who pay little or no attention to their vehicle maintenance schedule as laid out by the manufacturer. This is particularly inexcusable in late model cars that do everything but drive themselves to the dealership at the appropriate time. Between the service indicator lights located in the gauge cluster of many new cars to the lengthy intervals between required service (up to 100,000 miles in some models), there’s no reason for skimping on proper maintenance.
2. Check Fluids and Tire Pressure Regularly: Every car owner (myself included) has been guilty of going too long between vital fluid and tire pressure checks. Here’s a task that takes maybe 10 minutes. With a rag in hand and the engine cool you open the hood and pull the oil dipstick. Wipe it clean, re-insert it, and pull it out again for a quick check of the most important engine fluid. Check the radiator overflow reservoir level and the brake cylinder reservoir. Check the power steering fluid level and, while you’re at it, check the hoses and belts for any signs of wear or imminent failure. Go ahead and give the air cleaner a look, too. Start the car and after it warms up, check the transmission fluid level. Finally, with the tires cool, use a pressure gauge to make sure each tire has the proper psi according to the owner’s manual and/or tire manufacturer. Ideally, this procedure should be done once a week but in the real world once a month would be acceptable (except for tire pressure which really should be checked at least bi-weekly).
3. Go Easy During Startup: We’ve all heard the Slick 50 commercials, “Because starting your car is a terrible thing to do.” It’s actually not that terrible if you follow a few guidelines. First, a cold engine (one that’s sat for more than five hours) will have little or no oil left on the moving parts because it has all seeped down into the oil pan. It takes only a few seconds after start-up for the oil pump to adequately lubricate an engine. During those few seconds, however, is when you should keep engine RPMs down to a minimum. How often have you heard (or even been?!) the person who starts his or her car up and immediately floors it? “Helps warm it up,” is often the reason given for such behavior. “Helps blow it up,” should be your response. Give the engine at least 30 seconds (longer if it has sat for more than 24 hours) before popping it in gear and roaring off. Also, despite the controversy over such products as Slick 50 and synthetic oil, I’ve had good luck with them. They helped two of my high-strung turbo cars go 100,000+ miles with no major engine problems. For a one time $20 fee (Slick 50) and a slightly higher cost during oil changes (Mobile 1 Synthetic), I feel they’re a small investment with big potential returns.
4. Use A Single, High Grade Fuel: It’s tough to justify an extra 20 cents-per-gallon just to get that high octane rating and, if you drive a Cavalier or Neon, it’s probably not worth it. Alternatively, if you’re tooling around in a 911 Turbo or Viper GTS, using the highest quality fuel available is another small investment that will give big returns on both performance and long-term engine life. Late model, high compression engines have knock sensors and other high-tech devices to theoretically keep them from hurting themselves on today’s low-grade gasoline. Do they always work? Probably, but if you own a car like this do you really want to find out the hard way? Also, whether you drive a Viper or Neon, sticking to the same brand of gasoline can reduce the chance of deposits building up within your fuel system.
5. Drive Smart: No, I’m not talking D.U.I or B.A.C. (although driving drunk is quite stupid), I’m talking smart from a vehicle longevity standpoint. Look, if you’ve got a new Camaro Z28 or Mustang Cobra I know you aren’t going to ease it away from stoplights and upshift at 3,000 rpm every time you take a spin. Just try not to dump the clutch at seven grand and bounce it off the rev-limiter every time you’re out on the town. The same goes for braking and shifting. The occasional speed-shift and panic stop isn’t going to hurt anything but a constant “Ricky Roadracer” attitude will take away from potential drive time while greatly adding to vehicle down time. Relax, make a regular check of the gauges (that’s what they’re there for) and save the enthusiastic stuff for a sanctioned race event or, at the very least, that occasional deserted road. Your car will thank you for it.

[Via Edmunds]

Before you know it, you’re sliding over an ice patch. You test the brakes, but this only makes it worse. Then — slam! — you hit a snow bank, covering your car with snow and creating your own makeshift igloo. You try to start the engine again after it stalled, but it looks like the battery is dead. After several minutes of trying to force the door open, a quick look in your backseat lets you know you’re stuck in the worst way. No food, no gloves, no boots, no blankets.

1. Check Your Tire Pressure and Consider Snow Tires
2. Check Your Battery
3. Check Your Oil and Oil Viscosity
4. Put in the Right Amount of Antifreeze
5. Keep Your Fuel Tank Full
6. Check Your Defrosting and Heating Units
7. Replace Windshield Wipers and Wiper Fluid
8. Check Your Car’s Belts and Hoses
9. Make Sure Your4-Wheel Drive Works
10. Keep an Emergency Kit Inside Your Car

[Source: How Stuff Works]