It is almost time to begin Prepping Your Car For The School Year.
With busy mornings and chaotic evenings, you don’t want to have to worry about getting your car off the side of the road.
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Here are 7 tips for prepping your car for the school year:
Fill up your fluids
Summer can take a lot out of your vehicle and it is quite common for the heat of summer to deplete your fluids.
Slow moving traffic during your commute can create extra stain on a car.
From anti-freeze to oil, the beginning of the school year is the perfect opportunity to fill up those fluids.
Make sure you check each compartment to ensure you don’t overfill your fluids.
Get an oil change
Along with filling up your fluids, getting an oil change every 3,000 miles or every 3-months is important.
Dirty oil can cause your engine to be sluggish, your gas mileage to be poor, and other problems in your vehicle.
Get an oil change at the beginning of every school year to prep your car.
Get your tires rotated
Getting your tires rotated twice a year increases the longevity of your tires.
As you put those summer miles on your car, it is important to get your tires rotated.
This will help you have just the right traction as winter months take root.
Get a car wash
I used to think getting a car wash was pointless, but not washing your car frequently can increase the chances of rust building up on your vehicle.
Dirt, water, and rocks can all break down the barrier causing rust.
Give your car a good wash before the school year gets started.
Replace your brake pads
If you haven’t had your brakes checked in a while, back to school time is the perfect time to do that.
Take your car to the shop to get your brakes checked to ensure you won’t run into any problems in the near future taking your kids to school.
Get a tune-up on your vehicle
Changing your spark plugs, keeping up on simple maintenance, and changing wires keeps your vehicle in tip top shape.
Try to get a tune-up at least once a year to increase the longevity of your vehicles life.
Check your battery life
You can easily take your battery into a place like Auto Zone and get a free check and charge for your battery.
Keeping up on your battery health helps prevent you from having to be jump started on the side of the road.
Remember that newer cars are not recommended to be jump started as it is too easy to damage on board computers.
It is less expensive to keep up on the maintenance of your car than it is to buy a new car.
Make sure you have a First Aid Kit
No one should leave home without a simple first aid kit.
A first aid kit should include at a minimum:
- Band Aides in various sizes,
- Gauze and medical or bandage tape,
- Scissors and tweezers,
- Alcohol free cleansing wipes,
- Cream or Spray for insect bites,
- Painkillers with child-proof lid,
- Sunscreen,
- Nausea medicine.
Depending on where you live it may be important to carry a blanket in case your car becomes disabled and you get stuck in a winter storm.
So what other tips for prepping your car for the school year do you have? Let us know in the comments below!
