Keeping It Simple: Basic Car Care Tips for Women

Being a woman this day and age is hard work. Between juggling your full-time job and taking care of the kids, your car is the vessel that keeps your daily schedule running smooth. 

However, it is unfortunate that most people don’t invest time in making sure that their vehicles are constantly in tip-top condition.

As a woman, you’re faced with all kinds of stereotypes when it comes to car maintenance. I’ll tell you that none of it is true. Basic car care is for everyone, and doing regular checkups on your own can go a long way in preserving the health of your vehicle.

In this article, we’ll take a look at some basic car care tips you can do so that you keep your visits to the mechanic at a minimum (and avoid fines)!

Glance Over Your Number Plates

Your plates are important as it allows the authorities to identify vehicles for security reasons. If they’re too dirty and become obscured, especially during the winter,you may end up having to pay a hefty fine.

Over time, your number plates may wear off. According to Absolute Reg, you will need to have them replaced if they become difficult to read.

Pay Attention to the Tires

It’s difficult to tell if our tires are underinflated. But keep in mind that underinflated tires are the biggest reasons for tire blowouts.

Overinflated tires, too, are bad for your car. You lose traction easily, making it dangerous to drive under wet conditions.

You should check your tire pressure at least once a month. You’ll need to invest in a good tire gauge to do this since you can’t just “feel it”.

To determine the appropriate pressure for your tires, check out the tire placard at the driver side door jam. If that isn’t there, your vehicle manual should have the info.

Check the Oil 

Engine oil, or motor oil is used to make sure that the internal components of the engine components remain lubricated. Without oil, there will be a lot of friction in the engine and the heat generated will cause the engine to overheat.

Over time, the engine oil will burn off, and the volume will shrink and you will need to replace it.

Check for oil at least once a month. When you do so, you’ll want to make sure that the oil level reaches the “full” mark on the dipstick, or somewhere right below it. 

If it’s low, just top it up until it reaches a satisfactory level through the oil filler.

Replace the oil and oil filter every 3,000-5,000 miles. You should also replace it when it looks dirty.

Lights

Make sure all your lights are working accordingly. This includes your headlights, brakelights, and signal indicators. It’s very rare they go bust, and modern cars have indicators to warn you that they’re going dim.

For the brake lights, you’ll need to have someone stand behind the car while you step on the brakes to see if they’re working.