Your car is more than a luxury item in this current age. It is more of a necessity now. Everyone loves their car, especially when they’ve spent their hard earned money to buy it. Of course, you would want your car to stay new till eternity, but that’s not practically possible. With all the pollution, harsh weather conditions and traffic around, your car undergoes quite serious ‘wear and tear’ on a daily basis.

Regular Maintenance- a necessity

Just like your body, you car needs to be kept in shape as well. If you take good care of your car, you can really keep it in the best possible shape as long as possible. For that, regular maintenance of your car, especially the engine, is really important. A car’s engine is like its heart. If your heart stops working, you’re as good as dead. So, engine maintenance is one of the most important aspects in keeping your car up and running for long.

Changing your oil

Secret to a healthy lifestyle for an individual is balance between healthy eating and a good work out routine. If you don’t feed your car with clean and good oil, its performance will be affected. Similarly, if you neglect your car for too long and don’t take it out for a ride every now and then, you are asking for trouble.

For smooth running and better mileage, the engine of your car demands oil change after every 3000 or 5000 miles, depending on the oil you use. An even better option is to use Synthetic oil. This oil has fewer impurities than conventional oils. If you use synthetic oil, you are not even required to change oil for a year, or before 10,000 miles (whichever happens first).

Periodic check-ups

Be sure to make a habit of visiting your local service centers regularly. This will keep your car in good shape and will make sure there are no serious issues with your car. This activity becomes more and more important as your car ages.

Keeping a check

You need to get your oil filter and air filter changed regularly. Don’t forget to keep your oil levels in check as well. Your oil levels should be kept at the optimum levels, not more, nor less. A low-level of oil could be a result of leakage in your engine. If the engine seems pretty damp and not too wet, you’ve got your answer.

If you’ve forgotten when you last changed your oil, simply use the dipstick to find out the condition of your oil. Once you take the dipstick out of the oil filter, analyze the oil color. If it has a honey-golden glow to it, your own in new and it does not need to be changed. If the oil seems pretty dark black or brown in color, it is a sign of carbon deposits. In layman’s term, it means that you are in need of an oil change as soon as possible. In the worst case scenario, you haven’t changed your oil for a long time, you will see that the level of oil has dropped, as can be seen on the dipstick. A dangerously low level of oil means that your oil in burnt out and if you don’t change it immediately, it could result in your engine being seized.

Moral of the story, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Your car is always there to take you around when you need it. The least you can do is make sure it gets the regular maintenance it deserves.