Looking after your car is essential but a lot of the costs involved in fixing and repairing things can be avoided by routine maintenance you can do and which will take only a few minutes a week to carry out. Keeping your vehicle maintained will reduce the running costs as well as saving on more costly repairs incurred as a result of leaving things until they become more serious issues and potentially costing you thousands in garage bills.



Simple things you can do include checking the tire pressure as a small 2 to 3 pound drop in air pressure will increase tire-road friction creating excessive wear and tear on the tires themselves, decreased fuel economy and impaired driving performance. Consult the driver manual or frequently, there is a sticker in the driver's door which gives the correct tire pressures front and rear and loaded and unloaded. This is important to get right especially if you are taking a lengthy road trip.

As part of your weekly maintenance schedule you need to check under the hood each week rather than placing reliance on the dials and gauges on the dashboard. By the time gauges react to a situation and the indicator lights come on you may already have a serious problem requiring more than you can do which again means mechanic bills.

Simple things you can check easily and with the help of the driver's manual include the water levels, the cooling system and the oil levels. Other things that should be checked include the transmission fluid levels for auto-shift vehicles and consult your manual for any other checks the manufacturer recommends you should make.

Check you cooling system when it is cold and the vehicle has not been run ? usually first thing in the morning is the best time to do this. The oil should also be checked regularly as if the level drops too low you will experience significant engine wear and loss of performance. Keep a note of how often you have to top up the water and oil levels as if you are doing this regularly it may mean you have a leak in the system and give you an opportunity to remedy the defect before it becomes a major issue.

Most modern vehicles have a range of cabin filters for dealing with air circulation within the car though many manufacturers neglect to mention these in their manuals. A quick physical check of your car interior will show you where cabin air circulation is being carried out and you should check the air filters included in these at least every 6 months to maintain air quality ? something which will have a direct bearing on the comfort for you and your passengers and especially on long journeys.

Also make regular physical checks on your paint and bodywork looking for scratches, chips and dings in the finish. You are particularly looking to make sure that the underlying body chassis is not exposed as this will result in the fast corrosion of the metal due to rusting with exposure to water from rain and the elements. It is usually very simple to remove superficial scratching and marks by the application of an automobile care product such as T-Cut but always follow the manufacturer's instructions when you apply them.