Maintenance is something most of us ignore, until our vehicle stops functioning, that is. And then we wonder what went wrong, where. Maintenance is one of the most serious aspects of ownership. It determines the longevity, performance and reliability of whichever vehicle you drive. Looking after your vehicle involves more than taking care of its external coat of paint and keeping it clean and shiny.

Maintenance means taking care of all the parts, even those that are inside the bonnet. These are the ones that directly concern the performance of your vehicle. Besides taking it to the service station at regular periods, it is a good idea to go through the owner's manual that will give a fair idea about its routine maintenance.

Checking the battery, keeping a check on the oils, changing the oils, checking the electrical system, are some of the absolutely unavoidable things to keep your vehicle in good shape. Keeping a log book in which you keep all the details regarding repair, maintenance, routine check-ups etc. will not only give you an accurate idea of what needs to be done when.

General Maintenance

Maintenance Tips
A well maintained vehicle speaks volumes about you as an owner. More importantly, it will not desert you when you need it most. Read on for tips on specifics.

Engine Oil :

To prevent engine deterioration, it is imperative that the engine maintains the amount of oil it is programmed to receive. Negligence in this aspect will lead to a deteriorating engine performance, resulting in falling mileage.

Fuses :

Most Indian cars are made with an integrated circuitry system that use fuses. Knowledge of the system would help when you are stranded due to a blown fuse.

Lights :

It is important for the lights to be properly focused, for your own and for the oncoming vehicle's safety. Travel on low beam so that it does not obstruct your view instead of helping you along.

Tyre Pressure :

The required amount of air pressure needs to be strictly maintained if your car is to get the right mileage and pick-up.

Water :

If your engine uses water for cooling, take care to ensure that it is regularly changed. Water can also be used for cleaning the windshield.

Preventive Maintenance

Airfilter

Preventive MaintenanceCheck it every month. Replace it when it becomes dirty or as part of a tune -up. It is easy to reach, right under the big metal 'lid', in a carbureted engine; or in a rectangular box at the forward end of the air in a duct hose assembly.

Battery

Extreme caution should be taken while handling a battery since it can produce explosive gases. It is advisable not to smoke, create a spark or light a match near a battery. Always wear protective glasses and gloves.

Belts

Inspect belts and hoses smoothly. Replace glazed, worn or frayed belts. Replace bulging, rotten or brittle hoses and tighten clamps. If a hose looks bad, or feels too soft or too hard, it should be replaced.

Brake Fluid

Check the brake fluid monthly. First wipe dirt from the brake master cylinder reservoir lid. Pry off the retainer clip and remove the lid or unscrew the plastic lid, depending on which type your vehicle has. If you need fluid, add the improved type and check for possible leaks throughout the system. Do not overfill.

Engine Oil

Check the oil after every fill up. Remove the dipstick, wipe it clean. Insert it fully and remove it again. If it is low, add oil. To maintain peak performance, the oil should be changed every 3,000 miles or 3 months, whichever comes first. Replace the oil filter with every oil change.

Exhaust

Look underneath for loose or broken exhaust clamps and supports. Check for holes in muffler or pipes. Replace the rusted or damaged parts. Have the emission checked at once per year for compliance with local laws.

Hoses

Inspect the hoses and belts monthly. If a hose looks bad, or feels too soft or too hard, it should be replaced.

Lights

Make sure that all your lights are clean and working, including the brake lights, turn signals and emergency flashers. Keep spare bulbs and fuses in your vehicle.

Oil Filter

To maintain peak performance, change oil every 3 months or 3,000 kms whichever comes first. Replace oil filter with every oil change.

Power Steering Fluid

Check the power steering fluid level once per month. Check it by removing the reservoir dipstick. If the level is down, add fluid and inspect the pump and hoses for leaks.

Shock Absorbers

Look for signs of oil seepage on shock absorbers, test shock action by bouncing the car up and down. The car should stop bouncing when you step back. Worn or leaking shocks should be replaced. Always replace shock absorbers in pairs.

Tyres

Keep tyres inflated to recommended pressure. Check for cuts, bulges and excessive tread wear. Uneven wear indicates tyres are misaligned or out of balance.

Transmission Fluid

Check transmission fluid monthly with engine warm and running, and the parking brake on. Shift to drive, then to park. Remove dipstick, wipe dry, insert it and remove it again. Add the approved type fluid, if needed. Never overfill.

Washer Fluid

Keep the windshield washer fluid reservoir full. Use some of it to clean off the wiper blades.

Wiper Blades

Inspect the windscreen wiper blades whenever you clean your windshield. Do not wait until the rubber is worn or brittle to replace them. They should be replaced at least once per year, and more often if smearing occurs.

Car Maintenance

Acquiring a vehicle is a fairly easy task... the tough bit comes later.
You are already late, but never mind. With the car at your disposal, long bus queues are passe. Click Here To Purchase Books on AutoYou'll be there, not exactly on time, but yeah, almost. Then, calamity strikes...the vehicle refuses to move...grunts, groans, fumes, and stops. Why, oh why... Maybe because you forgot that it too needs to be looked after, maintained, 'regular servicing...'were those the words?

The best and most efficient method of knowing about your car and keeping track of it is through the owner's manual which provides complete information on how to go about it. You can inspect your car every time you enter it, or on a daily or weekly basis or at intervals specified in the manual.

In this section, we deal with those facts that are not mentioned in the manual.
A few while driving tips.
At times, strange smells may emanate from inside your car. The possible causes may be:

• Musty odours indicate the existence of some trapped water, usually under the carpet. This will ruin the carpet and also speed up corrosion. The proper solution would be to remove the carpets and dry up both the carpet and the floor.
• Smoky smells are of various kinds. Electrical smoky smells are the most dangerous and it is advisable to shut down, open the bonnet, disconnect the batteries and seek professional help. Other smoky smells may occur when the sound or heat proof lining inside the engine space burns. Trace the cause.
• Fuel smells occurs either when the fuel tank venting gets choked or if there has been an overflow.
• Sometimes, oil or exhaust smells from the engine occur. This maybe caused either due to too much engine oil, or if the engine oil has grown old and is burning, or if it has been overheated.
• A typical sweatish smell emanates when varnish is being burnt which occurs when your dynamo or alternator is about to pack up and would, usually be accompanied by flickering lights.
• Burning rubber smells tend to come when you drive with your brakes on. Overheated tyres may also be the cause.
  

Strange smells are an early warning signal that need to be heeded if much more time and money are to be saved later on.

Strange sounds tend to be sidelined in the bustle and din of our roads, and by the car stereo playing in the background. However, if the problem persists, the car will make its condition known every time you take a corner or ride over a bump. Some easily recognizable sounds are

• Strange clicking while taking a turn from the front wheels means that the front shaft is about to fall apart. Get it fixed before it actually does.
• A fan-belt squeal means that another one is needed.
• Rhythmic clicks from the wheel indicate faulty bearings at worst or just large pebbles stuck in the tread pattern at the best.
• A change in engine tone usually indicates engine overheating, especially if you have been driving at constant speeds for a long time. Stopping or varying the engine speed should be enough if there is no severe problem. Otherwise, let the car cool down and then check radiator and water levels.
• Backfiring while normal driving means serious problems and should be properly investigated. Promptly.
• Engine knocks means that it is time to get into a lower gear. If it persists, however, it is time to get your engine and engine oil checked.
  

At times, your car give personal signals which can be deciphered by only the user. Strange 'hiccups' while driving indicate faulty fuel which would in turn cause faulty carb or fuel injector. If there is unequal or wrong air pressure in tyres, it is evident on braking. Unexplained shudders in braking indicate problems in suspension or linkages.

Finally, you can avoid strange repair bills if you have been going in for regular check ups!

In this section, we deal with car parts that need regular care.


Engine | Tyres | Brakes | Battery | Interior
Exteriors | Cooling System

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ncrease displacement - More displacement means more power because you can burn more gas during each revolution of the engine. You can increase displacement by making the cylinders bigger or by adding more cylinders. 12 cylinders seems to be the practical limit.

Increase the compression ratio - Higher compression ratios produce more power, up to a point. The more you compress the air/fuel mixture, however, the more likely it is to spontaneously burst into flame (prior to the spark plug igniting it). Higher octane gasolines prevent this sort of early combustion. That is why high-performance cars generally need high octane gasoline - their engines are using higher compression ratios to get more power.

Stuff more into each cylinder - If you can cram more air (and therefore fuel) into a cylinder of a given size, you can get more power from the cylinder (in the same way that you would by increasing the size of the cylinder). Turbo chargers and super chargers pressurize the incoming air to effectively cram more air into a cylinder.

Cool the incoming air - Compressing air raises its temperature. You would like to have the coolest air possible in the cylinder because the hotter the air is the less it will expand when combustion takes place. Therefore many turbo charged and super charged cars have an intercooler. An intercooler is a special radiator through which the compressed air passes to cool it off before it enters the cylinder.

Let air come in more easily - As a piston moves down in the intake stroke, air resistance can rob power from the engine. Air resistance can be lessened dramatically by putting two intake valves in each cylinder. Some newer cars are also using polished intake manifolds to eliminate air resistance there. Bigger air filters can also improve air flow.

Let exhaust exit more easily - If air resistance makes it hard for exhaust to exit a cylinder, it robs the engine of power. Air resistance can be lessened by adding a second exhaust valve to each cylinder (a car with 2 intake and 2 exhaust values has 4 valves per cylinder, which improves performance - when you hear a car ad tell you the car has 4 cylinders and 16 valves, what the ad is saying is that the engine has four valves per cylinder). If the exhaust pipe is too small or the muffler has a lot of air resistance then this can cause back-pressure which has the same effect. High-performance exhaust systems use headers, big tail pipes and free-flowing mufflers to eliminate back-pressure in the exhaust system. When you hear that a car has "Dual Exhaust", the goal is to improve the flow of exhaust by having two exhaust pipes instead of one.

Make everything lighter - Lightweight parts help the engine perform better. Each time a piston changes direction it uses up energy to stop the travel in one direction and start it in another. The lighter the piston, the less energy it takes.

Inject the fuel - Fuel injection allows very precise metering of fuel to each cylinder. This improves performance and fuel economy.

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