Posts Tagged ‘car-maintenance’
Earlier this week I found myself in the extreme cold weather with a car that just wouldn't start. It's frustrating when you need your vehicle and it won't start. I had to resort to using my 24 hour towing company to get a boost and get back on the road. That prompted me to want to do a blog post about keeping your car running in the cold weather that seems to be gripping everyone right now.
1. If you aren't planning on using your car for an extended period of time take a few minutes and start it. I left mine for a week over the holidays and that was the reason why it wouldn't turn over. It was just too cold. Take a minute and fire it up each day and just let it run for a few minutes.
2. Make sure your battery is in good condition and the posts are clean. Even a bit of crud on the post may stop it from starting.
3. Keep your gas tank full over the winter time to prevent water build up. You can also add a bottle of gasoline anti-freeze.
4. Make sure your anti-freeze is at the proper level.
5. If you have a block heater and it is going to get really cold, use it.
6. Keep your winshield wiper fluid topped up.
It never hurts to throw an emergency kit in the trunk that includes flares, candles, matches, blankets and booster cables
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I thought I would make a blog post based on a radio commercial I heard today. I would pay props to it but I can't recall what the station was or what the group was that was behind it.
The next time you are at the gas station or getting your oil changed make sure you check your tire pressure. You would not believe how much you can save by having properly inflated tires. The commercial stated that you can save hundreds of dollars a year in gas or fuel costs just by keeping your car tires inflated to the proper level. Of course this would be based on how much driving you did on a weekly basis but it stated something to the tune of $500 a year the average driver could save in gas costs. That number is just off the charts and an easy way to save money.
The other side to the story was that you save big money because your tires last longer. Trust me, tires are not cheap. We just had our Jeep done at Costco and while they had the best deal on tires it was still a pretty good hit to the pocket book. Doing anything you can to make your tires last longer will save you money.
Check your manual or check on the outside of the tire for the number that your tire should be inflated to. Most gas stations have a pump. When you press the pump into your tire the guage will tell you what number you are at, just fill it to the number it should be. Easy as that.
I would never be one to say that you should become a complete backyard mechanic and do all of your car fixing yourself. That would be crazy and probably end up costing your more money that it would save you. But on the other hand there are lots of things that you can do yourself to save a little money. I am talkng about more of the small things, maitenance type items that we all pay a lot for out of convenience.
Things like changing spark plugs, oil and air filters and oil changes for example are pretty easily done and don't take a lot of resources to do. If you have a small garage then all the better. There are so many how to guides on the internet that it's worth it to check them out and see if you are up to the task. Watch the person doing some of these jobs the next time you go in and see for yourself how easy it is. You can find the tools you need like automotive lifts or wrenches from any automotive store.
If you have the time, place and a little know how saving money of car maintenance could add up and put a little more money in your pocket each month.
