As fall gets into full swing, now is a great time to perform some vehicle maintenance in preparation for the weather ahead. If you love the head but don’t know where to start, this article can help. Most motorists love the idea of improving the performance of their car or extending its lifespan, however, the challenge is overcoming the perception that if they didn’t study mechanic at school then how can they possibly do anything worth benefit to their vehicle?

Easy Maintenance Jobs You Can Do at Home

Knowing that this misconception is just that, a misconception, Prosource has the following post to offer with tips to get you started on the road (pun intended) toward a healthy vehicle. On top of keeping your car looking nice and shiny, keeping your car clean can also help to prevent and identify rust along with many other common issues which can be caused by a buildup of dirt, grime, and debris. In addition to thoroughly cleaning the areas, you and your family likely pay attention to, give the following some extra attention:

• Any rubber seals, such as those around your doors and those which press against the windows in your car doors. These areas are particularly good at collecting copious amounts of dust and moisture, leading to cracks and further damage.
• If you or your passengers rest your feet there, then you can be sure it’s going to be dirty. Be sure to clean up, around, and behind any area where your feet rest, including your pedals and footrests.
• Take on the trunk challenge! Take out every single item from your trunk and then give it a good clean. Attack it with the vacuum cleaner, scrubber, and any cleaning necessities and bring it back to life. Once you have cleaned and sorted all of the items, put them back in.

Air Filter

While you might not be surprised to find out that your car’s engine has an air filter, you may be surprised to find out that its job is to supply your engine with air. Not you. However, just because you won’t be breathing the air doesn’t mean that the air shouldn’t be clean. In fact, the cleaner the air, the better your engine can perform. Here’s a basic idea of how it works. To ignite the fuel in your engine’s chamber, just the right amount of clean air needs to enter at the same time as a small amount of fuel. If the air which enters the chamber is dirty and contains trace amounts of debris then it can not only affect the quality of the spark but over time it will accumulate in the chamber and cause damage you really don’t want to have to repair and definitely don’t want to have to pay for. The easiest way to avoid this is to simply pop the hood of your car and give your air filter a clean (if you have one which allows). If you don’t, then it’s time to replace it entirely. A note for when you do replace your air filter - be sure to wipe the inside of the casing to get rid of any dust or dirt hiding in creases. It doesn’t matter what type of vehicle maintenance you are performing, be sure that you are using on only the best products for the job. Click here to buy AMSOIL Signature Series 0W-20 Synthetic Motor Oil which has been designed to keep your engine clean and performing at its best for longer. Alternatively, don’t hesitate to speak with an expert at Prosource Oil by calling (308) 870-0963.

Tire Condition

Just because your tires are sturdy doesn’t mean that they don’t need a little bit of TLC. In fact, the change of weather provides the perfect time. Take your car into a brightly lit space and give the tires a thorough check. Look out for any of the following:

• Bald spots (there are areas on your tire without tread)
• Any debris which is stuck, such as glass, nails, or rocks
• Any pieces missing from the tire

The existence of any one of the above is enough to cause a dangerous situation, such as not being able to brake or experiencing a tire blowout. If you see anything wrong with your tires, take them to the mechanic straight away for inspection. Also, don’t forget to check your spare!

Fluids

Just like your body loves water (or, maybe beer, or wine, or soda...but it prefers water!), so too does your car love fluids. In fact, without the right level of clean fluids running through your engine and its parts, you can see a significant reduction in the performance of your vehicle and an increase in a number of times you need to fill up the gas tank On level ground, pop the hood of your car and check the following fluid levels:

• Engine Lubricant/Engine Oil
• Brake Fluid
• Power Steering FLuid
• Wiper Fluid

The first three are important for the efficient operation of your engine, while the wiper fluid is an important safety item to keep your vision clear. If you can see that any of the levels are low, then it’s time to top them up. Of course, if it’s easy to see that either of these fluids has come to the end of its lifespan, then now is the time for a synthetic oil change.

Replace Your Oil Filter

Speaking of which, despite giving your car a synthetic oil change, the chances are that small contaminants will make their way in pretty quickly. After all, unless you flush out your engine completely and clean it all, you will always have particles in your oil. That’s just how engines work. However, before they go anywhere they have to first pass through your oil filter. If you were to imagine a soda can with a hole at the top and a hole at the bottom. Inside the can is a big sponge. Crude, but appropriate. Oil enters through the top at high pressure. The pressure is so high that it streams it through the sponge and then out of the hole at the bottom. While the oil was traveling through the sponge, any nasty items in the oil are captured by the sponge. Better known as oil filter fiber. This process continues until your oil filter becomes too clogged with contaminants that it can no longer perform its job. Instead, it simply turns off and allows the contaminants to circulate through your engine. Not a good scenario! However, a simple replacement alongside the above-mentioned synthetic oil change is a great match to give your car a breath of new life and a boost in its performance!

A Synthetic Oil Change in Axtell Can Boost the Performance of Your Vehicle

There you have it! Easy vehicle maintenance items which you can complete this fall that can have great benefits for your car and your engine performance. If one of the items you complete is a synthetic oil change, be sure that you are using the right product for the job. Prosource Oil’s online store has additional information about the range of products available, or alternatively feel free to call directly at (308) 870-0963.