Preventive Maintenance Schedule Summary

ONCE A WEEK:

Turn on your air conditioner all year round for fifteen minutes a week. Pick a specific time, such as on the way home from church each Sunday or on the way to work each Monday morning, so you will not forget.

EVERY TWO WEEKS OR 500 MILES AND BEFORE TRIPS:

Perform the four regular checks:

1. Engine oil level

2. Liquid level in the battery

3. Air pressure in the tires (observe front tires for wear patterns at the same time)

4. Liquid level in the radiator (water-cooled engines only)

Plan to make these checks at a regular time. Also check for fuel, water, oil, or other fluid leaks by observing the ground beneath the vehicle after it has been parked for a while. Water dripping from the air conditioner after use is normal, but any other leaks may indicate a problem and the source should be located and corrected at once. If you smell gasoline fumes at any time, locate and correct the cause at once because of the danger of fire.

ONCE A MONTH:

Check the liquid level in the windshield washer reservoir. EVERY 5,000 TO 8,000 MILES:

Rotate tires.

APPROXIMATELY EVERY THREE OR FOUR MONTHS OR 6,000 MILES (follow your Owner’s Manual):

Change oil, change oil filer, and lubricate. Check the brake fluid level, the power steering fluid level, and the automatic transmission fluid. Check the PCV valve and the differential.

APPROXIMATELY EVERY TWELVE MONTHS OR 10,000 MILES:

Have a tune-up. Repack the front wheel bearings. Inspect the air cleaner filter element. Have the emergency brake and the brake linings checked.

EVERY FALL IN NORTHERN STATES:

Follow the suggestions given in Chapter 19, Hints for Cold Climates.

EVERY TWO YEARS:

Flush the cooling system and add new antifreeze. Change the two radiator hoses.

EVERY TWO YEARS OR 24,000 MILES:

Have the automatic transmission serviced. Change the drive belts and replace the PCV valve. As the use of the metric system is gradually increasing in the United States, the appearance of kilometers and other metric measures on both automobile gauges and road signs is cropping up more and more frequently. To help you during this transitional period, here is a brief table that compares miles and kilometers.

I hope you found this car maintenance article useful, but if you have some tips or tricks please leave a comment bellow.

MILES PER HOUR COMPARED TO KILOMETERS PER HOUR*

Miles Kilometers
10     16 

20     32

30     48

40     64 

50     80

60     97

70    113
 

* One kilometer equals approximately 1.6 miles.