At some point, you're going to have to get your hands dirty with that sweet ride in your garage. These are just some of the basic car care tips ever car owner needs.
Congrats! You got a new car or certified pre-owned car. You're a car owner. Thing is you might not even know what a check engine light is or when to change your oil. Shoot, if it weren't for that sticker on the inside of your windshield, you would literally never get your oil changed.
Whether you're 16 and this is your first ride or a millennial and, well, this is also your first ride, sooner or later you're going to have learn a few basic things to take care of your car and keep it running. Here are some things to get under your belt from the start as a car owner.
A car owner should know what these guys mean.
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Insurance
Think you can ride through the city and possibly get in a wreck and not have insurance? You thought wrong, sir. Car insurance for a car owner is a necessity everywhere from San Diego to Boston to Branson. Getting the right liability coverage in-line for your ride should be taken care of the day you get in the driver's seat for the first time.
DIY Care
What's that smell coming off your seats? How come your A/C is all messed up? Why is your car pumping out black smoke? These things could be avoided if you stayed on top of general day-to-day care for your car. Yes, there are professionals out there who can take care of things for you (i.e. mechanics), but it's good to make their job a little easier.
Start by washing your car yourself and learn how to look for issues in everything from your air filter to your transmission. Simple knowledge of these things will help to alleviate stress and confusion at the garage.
Oil Change
As mentioned above, if the mechanic didn't slap that sticker on your windshield pointing to the next time you need to come in for an oil change, you probably wouldn't get one. Head to your owner's manual and see what your car manufacturer suggests as far as distance between oil changes. older cars probably need one every 3,000 miles, and newer cars can probably go 6,000, but consult your manual and even query your mechanic.
Tires
Ready for that first long road trip? Awesome! How are those tires? Balder than your dad's head? Then you need to get those babies replaced. Tread on tires is super important to keep you safe on the road as bald tires can make you vulnerable to blowouts and popped tires. Keep an eye on them and make sure the integrity is top notch.
Learn the Lights
Yes, you need to learn that green means go and red is stop, but that's not the lights we mean. Every once in a while those dashboard lights will pop up and scare the crap out of you, so be sure to be prepared for them. Your owner's manual will explain what they mean, but you can always brush up ahead of time and be ready for that check engine light to pop up and know what to do.
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