5 things every car owner must know to do!

The sales of cars has increased drastically from just 342 million vehicles in 1976 to around 670 million vehicles in 1996 and now there almost 1.4 billion cars in the world. This means that the number of drivers is also increasing by the day and as of now there are almost 1.2 million drivers in the world. There are some essential things that you must need to know if you are a car owner. If you know these essential things then it will make you feel confident as an owner because you will understand and know your car better.

Here are 5 things that every car owner must know

Changing a flat tyre

You will inevitably have a flat tyre at some point in your driving life. And the petrol pump or a tyre repair shop can be way too far from your breakdown point. In such a scenario you would have to change the tyre yourself as driving the car on a flat tyre is not at all advisable as it hurts the machinery of the car and will damage your rim.

It is not so difficult to change a flat tyre if you have a tool kit with you. You would need to find the jack point underneath your car, have the car airborne and start taking the lug nuts off. Then, change the tyre and tighten the nuts back down in a star pattern. After this, you just need to lower your car, take the jack off and you should be good to go.

Jump start a car

The battery of a car can die if you leave an electric appliance turned on for a night or if your car is not being used for quite some time. In such a case you would need to have a pair of jumper cables to jump-start a car.

First, you would need another live car from which you will be drawing electricity. Attach the positive clamp on the positive terminal of the dead battery and the other positive clamp on the positive terminal of the live car. Then you need to attach the negative clamp on the live battery and the other negative clamp on the unpainted metal surface of the dead battery. Now, start the live car and a person would need to keep revs of the engine high. Start the car with the dead battery and then remove the clamps from the battery. And do remember to keep the engine running of the dead car for at least 30 minutes so that the battery can get charged a bit.

Checking engine oil and other fluids

Checking the engine oil is very simple, all you need to do is find the dipstick in the engine bay. Pull the dipstick out, wipe it with a clean cloth and push it back in. Now, pull the dipstick out again, you should be able to see an indication level on the dipstick and compare the indication level to how far the oil runs up the stick. If it falls short then the engine oil level is low.

The vehicle needs and runs on many types of fluids such as coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid and much more. Usually, you would be able to see their containers in the engine bay and all the containers are translucent so that you can see how much of the container is filled. Every container will have a marking with “Max” and “Min” and you need to ensure that fluid lies between that level.

Wiper Blades

People do not give enough attention to the wiper blades that they deserve. They are not used frequently but when you need them, they can make a big difference in a heavy rainstorm. You are supposed to replace the wiper blades every 6 months. Even if they are not used much, the blade rubber itself can get harden because of high temperature our country has to face.

Windshield Washer Fluid

Generally, the windshield washer fluid is located in the engine bay. It is marked with a symbol that looks like water coming on the windshield. If you are unable to locate the reservoir, please refer to the user manual. You would simply need to fill the reservoir with the washer fluid into the reservoir. Do not overfill the reservoir as fluid can expand because of the engine heat which can cause a crack in the reservoir.

Regularly checking these 5 things can help you save a heavy maintenance cost and enhance your driving experience. It will also help build up your confidence in driving alone and you will have a better connection with your car as you will get to know it better.