6 Essential Car Maintenance Checks and How Often You Should Perform Them

Power - by Bryan Veldboom - updated on 11/11/2021

Gearheads pride themselves on maintaining every aspect of their vehicles to keep them working in tip-top condition. That's great for them, but what about for the rest of us? What is a typical maintenance schedule for a car? The truth is, you don't need to be a mechanic to take care of your car. Here are six basic maintenance checks anyone can do that will help keep your vehicle healthy.

1. Check Your Vehicle's Battery

How often should you do this?

Every six months

Why It's Important:

Your vehicle's battery is particularly vulnerable to extreme temperatures. Making sure that your battery is still viable will help you avoid being stranded once the weather gets cold.

Tips:

• Try to drive for 30 uninterrupted minutes at highway speeds at least once a week. Short driving trips don't give your alternator enough time to recharge your battery.
• Learn how to test a car battery using a multimeter
• Batteries Plus tests vehicle batteries for free.
• If you have a vehicle that you don't drive very often, a battery maintainer will help keep it charged up and ready to go.
• If you find yourself with a dead battery, follow these 6 Easy Steps To Jump Start Your Car.

2. Check Your Headlights, Turn Signals, Brake & Parking Lights

How often should you do this?

At least once a month.

Why It's Important:

The lights in your car play a vital role in allowing you to see at night and in communicating your intentions to other drivers.

Tips:

• Testing your lights is as simple as turning them on, then taking a walk around your vehicle to make sure everything is lighting up properly.
• In addition to burned out bulbs, you'll also want to replace any lights that are dimmer than they should be.
• Batteries Plus carries vehicle bulbs for turns signals, glove boxes, running lights, instrument panels, brake and headlights.
• Learn How to Find the Right Headlight Bulb for Your Car or Truck.
• Always change headlight bulbs in pairs.

3. Check Your Windshield Wiper Blades

How often should you do this?

Every six months to a year, or whenever you notice that your blades' performance starts to suffer.

Why It's Important:

Old windshield wiper blades are less effective at clearing your windshield, which can hurt visibility while driving.

Tips:

• Wiper blades can become damaged by exposure to sunlight, moisture, debris, oil or car wax.
• Be sure to regularly clean the rubber squeegee part of your wiper blades with a damp paper towel. This will help to remove any dirt or oil that has built up.
• Check to be sure that the wiper blade frame isn't broken or rusted.
• Look for metal corrosion along the wiper blade's joints and claws.
• Cracks, tears and missing pieces of rubber are all signs that your wiper blades are deteriorating
• Flex the rubber squeegee to make sure it is still flexible. If not, the blade will not conform to the shape of your windshield and will leave streaks.
• Rounded edges on the squeegee will prevent the blade from making solid contact with your windshield.
• Batteries Plus offers replacement windshield wiper blades in a number of different sizes and styles.

4. Check Your Oil & Coolant Levels

How often should you do this?

At least once a month.

Why It's Important:

Oil lubricates the components in your engine, helping to cut down on friction and helping to reduce heat. Engine coolant, more commonly known as antifreeze, also helps to keep your engine from overheating by transferring heat and preventing damage caused by freezing or boiling.

Tips:

• Let your engine cool down for several minutes before attempting to check your oil or coolant.
• Don't overfill your engine. Too much oil or coolant can be as harmful as too little
• Only use fluids that meet the manufacturer's specifications. Your owner's manual will provide you with the type of fluid you need.
• Clean around the oil dipstick and coolant reservoir cap prior to removing them. This will help keep contaminants out of your engine.
• If you notice that your vehicle regularly needs its fluids topped off, have your car or truck checked out at an auto repair shop.
• Don't forget to have your oil changed every 3,000 miles or six months.

5. Check Your Transmission Fluid

How often should you do this?

At least once a month.

Why It's Important:

Transmission fluid helps to lubricate and cool the mechanical parts in your transmission system and is also used by your vehicle's steering system to keep its parts moving properly.

Tips:

• Keep the engine running when checking transmission fluid, then test its levels the same way you do your oil.
• You should also check the color of your transmission fluid.
• A pinkish color indicates that the fluid is still fine.
• If the fluid is colored brown, you'll want to have it changed.
• If the fluid is black, gives off a burnt smell or has visible particles in it, it means that there's something wrong with your transmission and you'll want to have it looked at by a mechanic.

6. Check Your Tire Pressure & Tread Depth

How often should you do this?

At least once a month.

Why It's Important:

Underinflated tires are less responsive to steering and braking, which can be dangerous while driving. Tires that aren't inflated to the proper pressure are more prone to damage and will wear down more quickly. Your tire's treads play a vital role in how they grip the road. A tire with thinning treads won't brake as quickly, which can lead to accidents, particularly in rain or snow.

Tips:

• Always fill your tires to the pressure recommended in your owner's manual. This will usually fall between 30 and 35 PSI.
• Check your tire pressure when your vehicle has been at rest for some time.
• Hot & Cold temperatures can affect your tire pressure, with tires losing or gaining 1-2 PSA for every ten-degree change in temperature.
• Digital or dial tire gauges are more accurate and easier to read than stick gauges.
• Having a compact air compressor on hand allows you to fill your tires without having to locate one at a gas station.
• To test your tread depth, place a penny headfirst into several grooves across the tire. If you can see the top of Lincoln's head, your treads are worn and the tire should be replaced.
• Don't forget to rotate your tires every six months.

Shop Batteries Plus for All Your Auto Essentials

Visit our Auto Center for a large selection of chargers, jumper cables, auto fuses, cleaning supplies and more. We also offer a number of additional vehicles services, including car battery installation (at most locations on most makes and models), key cutting, key fob battery replacement and new key fob programming.

Looking for additional car maintenance tips? You'll find plenty of useful articles in our blog. Read about "Everything You Need to Know About the Battery in Your Car or Truck" or "How Do You Keep a Car Battery from Dying When Not In Use?"