Here at Chicago Towing, we’re big advocates of providing regular maintenance to vehicles in order to prevent automotive breakdowns before they occur. If, of course, your car does experience a breakdown, our team of expert roadside assistance experts can assist you. In the meantime, however, here’s a list of some excellent preventative maintenance tactics you can implement on your vehicle to help prevent car issues from arising.

Battery Checks

Make sure to check your car’s battery. First off, check the battery terminals for signs of possible corrosion or build-up. Build-up can be cleaned with baking soda and a soft toothbrush – the baking soda will neutralize any battery acid. By regularly cleaning battery terminals, you can ensure that they stay working properly . Coca-cola can also be used to clean car battery terminals by pouring it over the battery to remove corrosion.

Tire Checks

Make sure that your tire tread and tire pressure are at proper levels. Thinning and worn out tires can be more easily punctured. Use a penny to check that your treads are one eighth of an inch thick – at least. Make sure your tires have no cracks or uneven wear, or cuts – any underinflated tire can rapidly incur stress. Make sure to use a tire gauge to check that your tire pressure is meeting the proper level in your vehicle owner manual.

Coolant Checks

Check under the hood of your vehicle to make sure that your coolant levels aren’t super low. If there’s fluid on the ground, coolant may be leaking. You don’t want to see any of the hoses that transport coolant to the car’s engine – so check them when the car is fully off and cooled down. If coolant is low, fill it to proper levels.

Oil Checks

Use your dipstick to check your oil levels. If your motor oil is low, have it properly changed by a mechanic or automotive service. If you can’t get to an oil check soon, just try to add more of the proper matching motor oil in the meantime. If you think you have an oil link, rush to get to a mechanic as soon as possible.