Your Back-to-School Car Maintenance Checklist
With parents and kids gearing up to go back
to school this month, it’s a perfect time to go over some basics of car
maintenance with teen drivers—especially those who will be taking cars with
them to college this year. Even if you don’t have a young driver in the house,
chances are the beginning of the school year means more driving around for you.
Take a look at these precautions and score an A+ in car maintenance—and a
longer, happier life for your car.
Basic maintenance checklist:
1.
Fluids: Check levels of engine oil, coolant and transmission,
and brake and power steering fluid. Your owner’s manual will let you know where
to look for these and what levels are best for your car. Also, make sure you’re
changing the oil—and using the right type of oil—based on the manufacturer’s
recommendation. Click here for a great deal on an oil change, tire rotation and
multi-point vehicle inspection at Borcherding.
2.
Battery: While you’re under the hood, check
your battery’s production date (located on top). Consumer Reports recommends that you get your battery checked once
a year if it’s more than two or three years old. Borcherding offers free
battery tests and inspections; get the details here.
3.
Tires: Take a good look at your tires:
Using an air pressure gauge, make sure they’re properly inflated (again, your owner’s
manual will let you know what measurement to shoot for) and check your tires
for wear. If you place a penny, with Lincoln’s head facing down, in your tires’
ribs (the grooves that go all the way around the circumference of your tires)
and part of Lincoln’s head is inside the groove, your tires are within the
legal requirement for wear—but consider replacing your tires sooner if you will
be dealing with snowy or very wet conditions. If you do end up needing new
tires, check out Borcherding’s 30-day tire price guarantee.
4.
Maintenance schedule: Check your owner’s manual and make
sure you’re keeping up with the recommended maintenance schedule. You can
prevent—or at least forestall—most major repairs by having a trusted mechanic
give it a good once-over on a regular basis.
5.
Safety equipment: Keep safety equipment organized and
easy to find in case of an emergency. Suggested items include: jumper cables,
an ice scraper, a first-aid kit, a flashlight with extra batteries, gloves, a
blanket, a small shovel, granola bars and bottled water. Make sure all drivers
know how to safely jumpstart a car battery.
6.
Rules of the road: If you’ve
got a teen or young-adult driver, now’s a good time to review your expectations
of how they’ll behave behind the wheel. Start by reminding them not to text
and drive (a habit that can make them 23 times more
likely to get into an accident). Other topics to cover might include courtesy
on the road, drinking and driving, speeding, and any house rules about curfews
or driving with passengers.
