Caring For Your Engine With Burnaby Car Repair Experts
An engine is considered the heart of a car. We must understand that an engine functions at its best when it’s serviced from time to time. A small slip up in fixing our car can cost us thousands of dollars’ worth of repairs.
You may want to know what we must do to keep our car engine functioning at its zenith.
1. Inspect your engine oil regularly
If we think of our car engine as the heart of the car, engine oil is like the food that keeps it up and running. The primary duty of the oil is to minimize the friction between various components of the engine. Oiling will eliminate the chances of your engine wearing out due to prolonged abrasion.
To find out how often you should replace your engine oil, consult your car’s official handbook for surety. However, you can always use your handy dipstick to ascertain the engine’s oil level.
If the engine’s oil looks a shade darker than its usual color, it’s time to change the oil with Burnaby car repair experts nearby.
2. Save your engine from heating up
When your coolant light is on, it’s a cry of help from your overheating engine. A coolant helps to keep the engine’s temperatures from exceeding their limit. Always keep an eye on the car engine’s coolant level. It would help if you also looked at any signs of coolant leakage.
3. Take out some time for your car’s servicing
Your car’s functioning is affected if you don’t tune up your car regularly. Usually, the service center replaces or cleans your car’s air filters, PCV valves, etc. The frequency of your car’s servicing depends hugely on the type of car you drive. A car servicing is usually pre-scheduled once your odometer exceeds 60K to 90K miles.
4. Check your timing belt regularly
A timing belt is very crucial to the healthy functioning of your car engine. It is responsible for coordinating the movement of valves and pistons in the car engine. A malfunctioning timing belt, if left unnoticed, can completely disrupt the functioning of your car engine. Once your timing belt is spoiled, the repair costs can rack up to hundreds of dollars.
You can avoid this whole ordeal by merely checking your timing belt now and then, which will take a few minutes at the most. Some of the symptoms of a defective timing belt can be a ticking engine, a misfiring engine, or even an oil leakage.
We advise changing your time belt every 60K-105K miles.
5. Replace your air filter regularly
The air filters are responsible for improving airflow in your engine. It keeps dust and debris out of the engine and improves its overall efficiency. You should always check out your air filters if you drive on dusty roads a lot. It is best to find out how often you should change your air filter from your car manufacturer or your car manual. On average, most air filters need to be changed every 25K miles.
6. Regularly replace chaffed drive belts
A worn-out drive belt can be just as lethal as a worn-out timing belt. If you hear a squeaky noise from your engine repeatedly, you should contact a technician and get your drive belt changed as soon as possible. However, don’t wait for these signs to appear, and check your drive belts every time you are self-servicing your car.
7. Replace the spark plugs and wires
The spark plugs improve the engine’s overall performance and prevent cold starts and misfiring problems. It would be best if you replace your spark plugs every 30K miles, as prescribed in most handbooks. They are quite affordable and don’t take a lot of time to replace them. Experts also suggest replacing both the wires and the spark plugs to match up the spark plugs’ electric currents in use.
8. Change your fuel filter occasionally
A fuel filter is responsible for filtering unwanted contaminants while the fuel feeds into the engine. The fuel filter can become ineffective if you do not replace it as per the recommended schedules. Make sure that you read the manual to find out the period, after which you should replace your fuel filter, as this may vary from car to car.
9. Sustain your car’s electrical system
People have an inexplicable habit of leaving the car battery to its fate. Then, on a cold Monday morning, the car won’t start up because of low maintenance. Does this scenario sound familiar? Here are some tips to avoid this from happening again in the future-
· Drive your automobile regularly
Many people don’t notice that driving the car once a week keeps its battery charged and in a healthy condition. If a vehicle is left static for weeks, it might result in the car not firing up. Hence, you should take your car out for a drive at least once a week. You can also leave the engine running for around 30 minutes to recharge the car battery. If you are going out on vacation for an extended period, you can disconnect the battery before leaving.
· Don’t leave the car’s electricals on without its engine up and running:
If your motor is not running, never leave your radio or car lights on for a prolonged period. This practice will ultimately lead to your battery being completely drained. Remember when Walter White and Jesse Pinkman were left stranded in a desert without any food or water? You wouldn’t want to repeat that case in real life anytime soon. Leave the car keys out of the ignition; otherwise, this will suck up all the battery in less than a few hours.
· Keep your battery case tidy
Studies have shown that excess dirt and moisture can damage your battery and lead to battery charge failure. It can also result in corrosion on the battery’s terminals. You can occasionally clean your car battery with water and apply some grease to protect it from any dirt or moisture.
Long Road Trips
Before taking any long road trips across BC have your car or truck checked over with a mechanic to see if the vehicle is in good condition for the current weather and highway conditions.
Remember to pack extra food and water for trips over the mountains.