Rich & Lori Pelletier

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Easy to Follow DIY Vehicle Maintenance Tasks

On top of saving you money, performing a DIY vehicle maintenance routine will help you keep your car in top shape for longer. Learn more in this post by Oilrich in New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

Your vehicle requires periodic adjustments and inspections to run as expected. That's why it's important to keep up with its service schedule and have it checked by a mechanic each year. Most maintenance tasks and repairs require a qualified technician's abilities and automotive tools. Yet, there are simple tasks that you can perform on your own for free.

As a car owner, you don't need to own advanced mechanical skills to get involved in your car's maintenance. Besides, what better person to entrust the care of your vehicle to than yourself? On top of saving you money, taking care of your car by yourself will help you keep it in mint shape for years to come. To learn which DIY vehicle maintenance tasks you can do at home, keep reading this post by Oil Rich.

Reach out to Oilrich in New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut at (203) 592-7113 and ask their oil specialists for recommendations on the top formulas for your engine. Don't forget to browse AMSOIL's online store to place an order for the ;best oils and products for your car.

Vehicle MaintenanceTasks You Can Do at Home

Check Oil Levels

Looking at your car's oil levels is one of the simplest and quickest checks you can make. It's also a vital maintenance task to keep your engine in top shape. After all, the oil protects moving parts from friction, flushes out contaminants, and dissipates heat. That's why it's known as the lifeblood of the machine.

So, ideally, you should check your vehicle's oil levels monthly. This is because oil evaporates as it circulates through the hottest parts of the engine. Hence, not checking your oil levels for too long can cause the reservoir to "run dry" and leave the engine prone to mechanical friction damage and overheating. To avoid such consequences, check your owner's manual to learn how to perform an oil level check. You may encounter a sequence of steps like the following:

Park your car on a flat surface.
Check that the engine is cold.
Locate the oil dipstick, remove it from the tube and wipe it clean with a rag.
Once clean, reinsert the dipstick into the tube for five seconds.
Pull the dipstick out again and note the marks on the tip. Ideally, the oil level should be between the two marks.
Add more oil to your engine if the oil level is near or below the lower mark. If the oil level is above the upper mark, contact your mechanic.

If you want to provide your engine with superior protection against premature wear, overheating, and horsepower loss, try AMSOIL's Signature Series 0W-40 Synthetic Motor Oil, the most effective synthetic oil in New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

Pay Attention to Your Tires

Your tires are the only points of contact between your vehicle and the surface. So, to work as expected, they must maintain correct inflation and proper tread depth. That said, start by checking the manufacturer's recommended pressure in your owner's manual. Then, take a tire gauge and check the pressure of each tire when they are cold. If necessary, fill underinflated tires with a tire inflator.

You can also check the tread depth of your tires with a penny or a tread depth gauge. Keep in mind that a worn-down tread can compromise the tire's traction and your driving safety. Thus, make sure to keep your tires' rubber within the millimeters of depth indicated in the manual.

Reach out to Oilrich in New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut at (203) 592-7113 or browse AMSOIL's online store to place an order for top-shelf lubricants and products for your vehicle.

Replace Your Wiper Blades

The next thing you can do is replace your windshield wipers once a year. Despite being essential to ensure good visibility on the road, wiper blades are one of the most overlooked devices by vehicle owners. Nonetheless, checking them is critical to prevent them from wearing out and scratching the windshield. Ideally, you should check your wiper blades every six months. Once you notice they are dry and cracked, replace them with a new wiper blade set. Doing so is very simple; to learn how, consult your owner's manual to determine the correct size wiper blades your car needs.

Check and Replace Your Air Filter

Finally, check and replace your car's air filter. This device keeps impurities from entering the engine. Yet, after months of filtering dust, animal hair, pollen, and even tiny insects, the air filter becomes clogged. Once that happens, the engine's airflow gets restricted. Yet, the machine ;needs oxygen to conduct its combustion process. That is why you need to check your air filter twice a year and replace or wash it (depending on the type of filter you have) once a year.