Your car is like a child. It needs to be loved and taken care of if you want it to go places. Here are some car care tips.
CONNECT THE DOTS
I'M THIRSTY
These are reservoirs. A reservoir is your car's water bottle. Each reservoir carries a different type of fluid (coolant, washer fluid, power steering fluid, transmission fluid). A reservoir is a clear white container that you can see through with a cap on it.
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Each reservoir has a minimum line and a max line. If fluids are close or below the min line, your car will need more fluids. Never over fill fluids past the max line. Fluids often tend to expand. You don't want your fluids to expand and overflow in your car. Always check the caps to ensure you are putting in the right fluids in the right reservoir.
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FEED ME
IF I'M HUNGRY, PLEASE FEED ME
YOU NEVER WANT METAL RUBBING EACH OTHER WITHOUT LUBRICATION. Your car has metal parts moving and rubbing each other. Having no engine oil in your car is called "bone dry", this will cause metal parts in your car to grind. Here are easy steps to follow to check your engine oil levels.
STEP 3: Wipe the dipstick clean with a napkin or rag.
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STEP 4: Put back the dipstick from where you took it out of.
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STEP 5: Cars may vary to what the engine oil level indication marks look like. There will either be dots or lines. The bottom line or dot means your car needs more engine oil. The top line or dot means your car doesn't need engine oil.
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GET A GRIP
Ever heard the phrase "your tires are bald", but you never knew what that meant? It simply means you need new tires. Tires are just like running shoes. If you look under your running shoes, they will look similar to your tire. After a while, shoes get worn out and can't grip the street you run on. When tires are worn out, they can no longer grip the road you drive on.
Each tire has "wear indicators or wear bars". These bars will be in the middle of the grooves in your tires. If the bars are not flushed with your tire, your tire is in good condition. When your tire starts to become closer to the wear bars or flushed with the wear bars, it's time to get new tires.
These tires are in good condition because the wear bar isn't flushed with the tire tread.
FILL ME UP BUTTERCUP
If you need to put air into your tires, there will be a sticker on the driver’s side of the door. The sticker will say “TIRE AND LOADING INFORMATION”. On that sticker you will find the proper amount of air to put into your tire.
Never use the PSI on your tire. The air pressure stamp on your tire is the maximum amount of air your tire can hold when your car is cold.
BOILING WATER
If your car overheats, NEVER OPEN THE RADIATOR CAP WHEN YOUR CAR IS HOT! That would be like lifting up the cover to a pot of boiling water. Hot coolant flows through your car. When you open the cap while the car is hot, you are releasing pressure. Hot coolant will shoot up and can cause burns. Not all caps look the same, but they will all say “DO NOT OPEN WHEN HOT”. If you need to open up the cap, let your car cool off for a few minutes before you do.