These 10 Car Maintenance Musts Can Help Avoid Accidents

1. Check Your Electrical System

A bad battery can leave you stranded, and a faulty electrical system could cause your car to stall or operate incorrectly when driving. Check your battery terminals for corrosion and look for cracks in the wiring. You can also take your car to one of our convenient McCarthy Collision Centers in Kansas City, and we’ll inspect your electrical system for you.

2. Inspect Your Car’s Wiper Blades

Clear visibility is a must for safe driving. Wiper blades wear out over time, so inspect your blades and look for cracks, frays, stiffness, or wear and replace if necessary. And keep your wiper fluid topped off with windshield washer fluid that’s designed to help remove bugs and eliminate streaking.

3. Check Your Tires

Rain, ice, snow, and other winter weather conditions make driving more dangerous. Tires are your first line of defense when it comes to avoiding accidents. It’s important, therefore, to carefully inspect your tires for any problems that could cause a blowout or make you lose control of your car. Inspect your tires for uneven wear, cracks in the sidewall, or other issues that may require rotation, alignment, or replacement. It’s common for tires to lose air pressure when the weather gets colder. So you need to keep your tires properly inflated to manufacturer’s recommendations.

4. Service Your All-Wheel Drive

If your car comes with all-wheel-drive (AWD), you must regularly maintain it, so it continues to work properly. You don’t want it failing on you when you need it the most. Our five McCarthy auto repair shops located throughout Kansas City can perform this important maintenance.

5. Check Your Antifreeze

Underperforming antifreeze could make your car’s engine have problems when the cold weather hits. This issue could also affect your heater and defroster. Avoid these possibilities by making sure that you are using the correct antifreeze for your car. Look at the plastic reservoir and never take the radiator cap off when the engine is hot to avoid possible injury.

6. Check Hoses And Belts For Wear

Rubber gets brittle over time. This fact is especially true in areas like Kansas City where freezing temperatures speed up this process. Look for any signs of wear, such as frayed belts, cracks, or soft spots in hoses. Not only are bad belts and hoses dangerous, but they can cause extensive engine damage if this fail.

7. Regularly Check All Fluids

Oil, transmission, power steering, and brake fluids are the lifeblood of your vehicle. Many newer cars have clear or opaque reservoirs for brake and power steering fluid. These make it fairly easy for you to check the fluid levels. If you fill these yourself, use a clean, unopened container to avoid contamination.

Dirty oil or low oil and transmission fluid levels can affect how your engine performs and lead to premature wear, resulting in costly repairs. Avoid this by checking your oil at least once a month and follow the recommended oil and transmission fluid change schedule that you’ll find in your car’s service manual. Take your car to a reputable Kansas City repair shop, such as one of our five McCarthy auto service centers conveniently located throughout the KC metro area, who can perform these key maintenance items.

8. Check Your Brakes

Along with your tires, brakes are vital to vehicle safety. This fact is especially true in wet, icy or snowy weather. Worn brake pads can damage rotors, leading to expensive repairs. Fluid leaks and other problems could lead to catastrophic brake failure and a potentially deadly accident.

9. Replace The Air Filter

A dirty air filter robs your engine of performance and leads to poor gas mileage. Make sure you have the power you need when you need it. Air filters are pretty easy to change yourself. However, if you would rather have the pros do it, please take your car to one of our five McCarthy Auto Group dealerships here in Kansas City.

10. Keep Your Lights In Good Working Order

Headlights, taillights, and turn signals are also critical to avoiding accidents. Burnt-out bulbs, misaligned headlights, and malfunctioning brake lights are a recipe for trouble; especially when bad weather obscures visibility. Do a “walk-around” of your vehicle and make sure your lights are in good working order.

McCarthy Collision Centers Care About You – And Your Car

We want you to stay safe and avoid accidents on our Kansas City roadways. So we hope you will take the time to follow these 10 important vehicle safety maintenance tips. When you maintain your car in good running condition, it will help you avoid a costly and possibly deadly accident.

If you, unfortunately, are involved in an accident, it’s good to know that you can take your car to one of our certified collision repair facilities in Blue Springs, Olathe, Overland Park, or Lee’s Summit. Let our skilled and highly trained technicians use the latest, state-of-the-art technology to return your car to “like new” condition and get you back on the road. We repair all makes and models of vehicles.

At all our McCarthy Collision Centers, we offer a limited lifetime warranty on all repairs. We also work with all insurance companies and are a direct repair facility for many insurance carriers. We offer free estimates, insurance claims assistance and make it easy to schedule an appointment online at any one of our locations.

For more information, please call 800 NEW AGAIN (800-639-2424).

Sources:

9 Ways to Winterize Your Car

http://www.carcare.org/2013/09/five-tips-for-fall-car-care-month/