Car Maintenance Guides
Daily Inspection
- No matter how short your trip you should always do the following:
- Unless your car is in your garage check the back seat to make sure no one is hiding there.
- Then walk 360 degrees around your car and verify that your tires have adequate tread and no visible damage.
- Bend down and look for fluid on the ground that could indicate a leak.
- Once inside, check you visibility. Are the windows free of cracks? Are the mirrors set correctly?
- Upon starting your car, check your gages. Secure anything that might shift during transit.
- Before shifting into gear, has everyone put their seat belts on?
Monthly (or Pre-Trip) Inspection
- In addition to the above pre-drive habit, before a trip:
- Check your fluids, wiper fluids, radiator coolant, brake & transmission. A complete list should be in your owner’s manual.
- Check the sticker in your window to verify that you don’t need an oil change.
- Consider having your battery tested, especially in winter.
- Check your air filter. Often you can simply bang debris out by hitting it on the palm of your hand. Then check how dark a gray it is. Remember it was bright white when installed and it’s cheap to replace.
- Have someone stand behind your car and verify that your brake and tail lights are working.
- Inspect your windshield wiper blades for cracks or tares.
- Make sure there aren’t any safety recalls on your vehicle
- Finally, locate your spare tire and make sure it’s inflated and that the jack works.
Yearly – Professional Safety Inspection
As with dental visits, an annual safety inspection can reduce hassle and expense by finding problems before they develop. Also like a dental visit, it’s best to call in a trained professional.
A Tire Kickers Safety Inspection includes a visual inspection of all items on your vehicle to insure it is road worthy and safe to drive, and then goes in depth working from a list of what would strand you fastest.
Areas of in-depth inspection include:
Tires (pressure, tread depth, manufacturer recalls, proper type and size, manufacture date)
Engine (belts, hoses and fluid levels)
Electrical: battery condition, headlights, taillights, turn signals, emergency flashers, brake lights, all dash warning lights and more.
Other Resources
Helpful Videos Link – coming soon!