Auto maintenance,

All cars have maintenance schedules recommended by their manufacturers, but those schedules only apply if there are no irregularities with the operation of your vehicle. 

To qualify for normal maintenance, the car can’t be used to tow a trailer, driven in a dusty environment or used off-road. The car also must be driven until it is fully warmed under highway conditions. Unfortunately, these conditions don’t apply to most cars.

Auto maintenance describes the act of inspecting or testing the condition of car subsystems (e.g., engine) and servicing or replacing parts and fluids. Regular maintenance is critical to ensure the safety, reliability, drivability, comfort and longevity of a car. During preventive maintenance, a number of parts are replaced to avoid major damage or for safety reasons, e.g. timing belt replacement.

The actual schedule of car maintenance varies depending on the year, make, and model of a car, its driving conditions and driver behavior. Car makers recommend the so-called extreme or the ideal service schedule based on impact parameters such as

Since very few cars qualify for the normal maintenance schedule, they must be maintained using the severe-use maintenance schedule. This maintenance schedule should be used if any of the following are true about the car’s use:

Most trips with the car are less than 5 – 10 miles

The car is often driven in stop and go traffic

The car is used to pull a trailer or has a roof carrier

The car is used for commercial purposes

• number of trips and distance traveled per trip per day
• extreme hot or cold climate conditions
• mountainous, dusty or de-iced roads
• heavy stop-and-go vs. long-distance cruising
• towing a trailer or other heavy load
• Experienced service advisors in dealerships and independent shops recommend schedule intervals, which are often in between the ideal or extreme service schedule. They base it on the driving conditions and behavior of the car owner or driver.

Common car maintenance

• Car wash
• check/replace the engine oil and replace oil filters
• check/replace fuel filters
• inspect or replace windshield wipers
• check or refill windshield washer fluid
• inspect tires for pressure and wear
• Tire balancing
• Tire rotation
• Wheel alignment
• check, clean or replace battery terminals and top up battery fluid
• inspect or replace brake pads
• check or flush brake fluid
• check or flush transmission fluid
• check or flush power steering fluid
• check and flush engine coolant
• inspect or replace spark plugs
• inspect or replace air filter
• inspect or replace timing belt and other belts
• lubricate locks, latches, hinges
• check all lights
• tighten chassis nuts and bolts
• check if rubber boots are cracked and need replacement
• test electronics, e.g., Anti-lock braking system or ABS
• read fault codes from the Engine control unit