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General
Suggested Vehicle Maintenance |
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Once a week or at each fill-up:
Check your oil, water, wiper fluid,
engine coolant/antifreeze level, and
tire condition and pressure
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Monthly:
check Inspect transmission fluid and
brake fluid, windshield wiper blades,
and power steering fluid. Review
condition of belts, hoses, and battery
cables. |
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Every 3 months or 3,000 miles:
Change oil, oil filter, and air filter.
Inspect engine drive belts, shock
absorbers, and all lights on car. Check
battery. |
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Every 6 months or 6,000 miles:
Check the brake system, and inspect
and/or rotate tires. Review condition of
clutch system (manual transmissions),
and chassis lubrication. |
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Once a year:
Have underbody flushing performed, and
service engine cooling system (which
should include inspecting the radiator,
water pump, fan belt, thermostat(s),
radiator cap, and anti-freeze). Check
accelerator control system, and
lubricate doors, locks, hinges, and
parking brake. |
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15,000 miles:
Inspect automatic transmission. Change
auto transmission fluid and filter.
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30,000 miles or 2 years:
Change spark plugs and fuel filter,
inspect spark plug wire, check engine
timing. |
| Note:
In some cases, automakers do not advise
tire rotation. Check your manual to find
out when wheel alignment and wheel
balancing are necessary. |
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Cleaning Tips
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Inside
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Dashboards
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Apply protectant with a rag and
avoid spraying directly on the dash.
Use a vinyl protectant regularly to
prevent fading and cracking.
Once vinyl protectant is applied, it
will need to be re-applied regularly
to prevent drying and cracking.
Vinyl dashes can also be cleaned using
Lemon Pledge, which leaves a pleasant smell, too. |
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Upholstery
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Vacuum regularly to remove dirt,
salt, leaves and other items that
can damage carpets and mats.
Clean Leather interiors with leather
products that are designed to
penetrate the pores.
For leather, avoid high-alkaline
content, which can bleach the color.
Use only upholstery cleaners designed
for cars, not household cleaners. |
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Outside
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Remove leaves and bird droppings
from your car as soon as possible to
prevent the release of acid that can
permanently stain your finish.
Avoid parking under trees that release
sap. If sap falls on vehicle, use finger nail polish remover
on a cotton ball to remove. Use a paste of water and baking
soda to wash off the remover, and then apply wax. |
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Car Washes
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Avoid brush-style car washes as they
cause dirt to scratch the car's
finish.
Use the lowest setting in
do-it-yourself car washes to avoid "blasting" grit into the
car's finish. |
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Hand Washing
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Avoid washing your car in the sun.
Avoid household detergents and soaps
as they strip your car's protective
surface causing the finish to dry
out and age prematurely.
Wash in straight lines with
overlapping strokes to reduce the
standing water you need to dry off.
Clean tires first, then the wheels
to prevent irreversible corrosion
caused by brake dust and road salt.
Be sure to wash the inside bottom
edge of doors, lift gate, hood and
trunk to eliminate the trapped dirt
and moisture that can cause
premature rusting.
Never wax your car in direct
sunlight to prevent the surface
temperature of your car from causing
the chemicals in the wax to damage
your finish.
Look for car wax, which contains
imported vegetable wax, which is
safe for your car's finish.
Avoid waxes that promise to remove
dirt, oxidized paint or scratches as
they are not pure wax and can
actually remove paint from your
vehicle.
Do not "polish" light scratches as new
car finishes have a clear coat finish that can be damaged. |
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Moldings & Bumpers
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Mask off all textured moldings and
bumper parts before rubbing on wax
to avoid discoloring or other
damage. |
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Rinsing
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Rinse off dirt prior to washing to
prevent scratching from rubbing it
into the surface.
Rinse dirt from moving parts, such as
suspension components. |
