3 Of The Most Neglected Car Maintenance Tasks Most Owners Are Guilty Of Forgetting
ShareWith the right care and maintenance, a good car can take you thousands and thousands of miles, which is why most vehicle owners are pretty adamant about properly maintaining their vehicle. Unfortunately, there are a handful of maintenance tasks that tend to get neglected, even by the most attentive owners. Here's a look at the most neglected car maintenance tasks that most owners are guilty of forgetting about if they do DIY auto servicing.
1. Not having the tires rotated and balanced as they wear.
You may not feel it so much when your tires are off balance and need to be rotated, so it is easy to neglect this maintenance task until you have some other problem with your tires. If you don't have your tires rotated and balanced as the tread wears away, the tires will wear unevenly, but this isn't the only problem. Unbalanced tires are also hard on the suspension system of your car, especially the shocks and struts.
2. Not ensuring proper antifreeze levels in the winter.
You check your fluids, and it looks like you are good to go, but there's one sneaky little thing you missed: The winter season is in full swing, and you never replaced the water in the coolant tank with antifreeze. What's this mean? It means if the temperature dips below freezing, your engine will be left vulnerable to the cold, which can cause a cracked block and ultimately the need for a replacement engine.
3. Not paying attention to a "Check Engine" light.
The "Check Engine" is probably one of the most ignored panel lights on the instrument panel. It is a widely believed assumption that this light is rarely indicative of anything serious, but that is just not the case. The light can come on when triggered by something small, such as a bad spark plug, but the "Check Engine" light can also signify that you have fuel system issues, low oil pressure, and several other major things going on. Therefore, any time you see this light come on, it is best to have your vehicle checked out by a professional.
At the end of the day, there are a lot of maintenance tasks that you can handle on your own as a car owner. However, it is also a good idea to reach out to a professional at an auto servicing center to ensure all your bases are covered.