The Ultimate Vehicle Maintenance Checklist

You can maximize the lifespan of your car by following this helpful ultimate vehicle maintenance checklist and relying on some help from Idaho Title Loans, Inc. to get you started.

Your vehicle maintenance checklist must cover exterior cleaning, changing fluids, and replacing filters. On top of that, you must also align, rotate, and balance your tires. If you are working on a tight budget, this may mean that you should prepare a fund for urgent car repairs.

Alternatively, you could use a title loan to get the money you need quickly. Read through the rest of this guide to understand how to create a maintenance checklist to keep your car running better and for longer.

What Maintenance Should Be Done On A Vehicle?

There are so many different parts of a car that require attention, it’s easy to forget some of them! That’s why you need to put together a vehicle maintenance checklist that ensures you don’t miss anything.

If you want to build yourself your own checklist, here are 5 things you should include:

1. Exterior Cleaning

Believe it or not, one of the most neglected parts of any car is the exterior. That’s right! Getting a regular car wash must be part of your maintenance checklist, regardless of whether you do it yourself or take it to a professional. You see, cars gather plenty of road dirt and debris on their exterior panels.

Unfortunately, all that dirty stuff is corrosive and can cause the vehicle’s exterior to rust faster than normal. Worse yet, that rust could spread to the vehicle’s frame if neglected for long enough. But you can prevent all of that by just washing your car once a week!

2. Check And Change Fluids

Next on the ultimate vehicle maintenance checklist is the car’s fluids. Cars rely on plenty of different fluids, though most people only focus on changing the engine oil regularly. Don’t forget that there are also transmission fluids, washer fluids, coolant, brake fluids, and others.

All of these fluids are things your car needs to function correctly. You’ll want to get all of those fluids checked to ensure they are clean. Then, you must top-up or replace the fluid once they expire, according to your car’s maintenance schedule.

3. Clean Or Replace Filters

Aside from your vehicle’s fluids, remember to add filters to your vehicle maintenance checklist. More specifically, the air filters (one for your engine and one for the cabin), the oil filter, and the fuel filter must be inspected regularly to ensure they’re not clogged.

Those filters are the unsung heroes preventing clogs from occurring inside your car’s various systems. In doing so, they also help the engine and other components function optimally.

Those filters remove dirt, debris, and impurities from the air, fuel, or oil, so none of it gets stuck inside. Remember, cleaning those filters might only help in the short term, so it’s always best to replace them with new ones when the time comes.

4. Align, Rotate, Balance Tires

The tires are your car’s shoes, and they go through a lot of abuse over an extended period. After all, your tires experience plenty of friction as they transfer power from the vehicle to the ground underneath. For that reason, you need to align, rotate, and balance your tires to ensure they’re gripping the road as they should.

On top of that, doing these three tasks for your tires ensures that they wear out evenly and maximize their overall lifespan. Still, there will come a time when your tires will be worn out. That means the tread depths are too shallow to grip the road correctly.

When that happens, you’ll have to replace the affected tires. It’s always best to replace all of your tires simultaneously. That way, they’ll wear out at the same rate, making it easier for you to plan your next replacement.

5. Prepare A Repairs Fund

The final part of the ultimate vehicle maintenance checklist technically has nothing to do with the car itself. Instead, you should set aside some money into a repairs fund dedicated only to your car. The purpose of that fund is to pay for repairs quickly when they become necessary.

That way, you won’t have to delay the repairs and let the problem worsen as a result. Aside from setting money aside, you can also have a backup plan for where to borrow money quickly. For example, you can use a vehicle title loan to borrow money on short notice to fund emergency car repairs. 

That kind of loan is a helpful option because you only need to use your car title as collateral when applying for it. If your loan request is approved, you can have the money on the same day or by the next business day, enabling you to get the repairs you need fast!

Get Started Now!

When you need to get a vehicle title loan, you can turn to Idaho Title Loans, Inc. Just fill out and submit the short online form to get started. Soon after that, one of our loan representatives will call to guide you through the remainder of the title loan process.

You’ll need to prepare your driver’s license or state-issued ID, The lien-free title for your vehicle, and the vehicle itself for a quick inspection. It’s that easy! So begin today by filling out the online form.

Note: The content provided in this article is only for informational purposes, and you should contact your financial advisor about your specific financial situation.