Car Care Basics

By: Levena Lindahl

Much as I hate to admit it, the summer is winding down quickly, and that means a lot of students are gearing up to head back to school.  For some students, that means cramming a lot of things into their car and heading back to dorms or into new apartments near their college.  Before heading out, here are some really easy car care things you can do yourself before you hit the road.

Windshield Wipers

Ah, windshield wipers, the unsung heroes of letting you see out of your car safely during inclement weather.  Did you know they should be replaced once a year?  Most wipers cost around $10-$20 dollars, and it’s a process of about 15 minutes to change them.  You lift them up and the blades snap off and on.  That’s it.  Pretty easy, yeah?

Tires

Do you have a spare tire in your car?  You should. You should also check to make sure that it is usable, and properly inflated. Keeping an air pump in your car, like the handy compressor that comes with a can of Fix-a-Flat, is a great way to keep your tires in tip top condition.  The Fix-a-Flat is also useful for when you run over a nail or other debris.

Headlights

If you have an older car, I bet you have noticed that your headlights have gotten cloudy.  This affects how well you can see, and that is both not good and easy to fix.  Go to any car care store of your choice, and buy some headlight cleaner.  It’s not too expensive, and in ten minutes your headlights can look like new, giving you full use of your headlights again.

Air filters

These cost around $10, and in 10 minutes you can replace your filter with no tools.  It’s important to change your filters once or twice a year to keep your fuel efficiency at its best.  When your air filter is dirty, it makes your engine work harder and burn more gas.  This fix saves you money and lets your engine have a break.

Those are some really easy things you can do to keep your car roadworthy, and safe.  So before you head out to go back to class, spend an afternoon with your car, do some easy maintenance, and your car will thank you.