Car Maintenance Checklist
Preventative maintenance checklist. Click on each item below to read up more on that particular item.
Check and replace brake pads - click to learn more ->
Change engine oil - click to learn more ->
Check tire pressure and rotate tires/switch from summer to winter or winter to summer tires - click to learn more ->
Check/Add or flush power steering fluid - click to learn more ->
Check/Add or flush antifreeze - click to learn more ->
Check/Add or flush transmission fluid - click to learn more ->
Replace engine oil filter - click to learn more ->
Replace fuel filter - click to learn more ->
Replace engine air filter - click to learn more ->
Replace tires - click to learn more ->
Check and trickle charge battery - click to learn more ->
Replace drive belt - click to learn more ->
Replace spark plugs - click to learn more ->
Replace timing belt - click to learn more ->
Refill windshield wiper fluid - click to learn more ->
Check headlights and clean - click to learn more ->
Replace wiper blades - click to learn more ->
Replace Cabin Air Filter - click to learn more ->
Replace battery - click to learn more ->
Replace shocks - click to learn more ->
1. Change and replace brake pads
Having a major brake issue with your car is a serious danger hazard. If you can’t brake when on the highway you are putting yourself and others at great risk of injury or even death.
The good news is only 5% of car crashes in the US are due to brake failures. That being said about 22% of all collisions are due to brake-related problems. So even though the chance of a complete braking failure is low, issues related to brakes account for almost 1/4 of all car crashes.
Still, you don’t want to take any chances with your brakes, that is why you should check your brakes regularly having them inspected any time you change tires or take your car to the mechanic. This is something you can easily do and should do even between trips to the mechanic or tire changes. Here is a short video showing how you can check the brake pads on your car to see if you should ask a mechanic for a more detailed assessment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_zgq-G9aV8
Most brake pads should be changed every 10,000 to 25,000 km depending on the particular brake pad. What you should do is ask your mechanic for the break pads they have put on your car how many km they are rated for and then make sure you keep tabs on when you are approaching the full usage of the pad, checking them regularly and having your mechanic look at them.
2. Change engine oil
Changing the oil on your car is one of the most important preventative maintenance things you need to do one you car. If you don’t change your oil, it could completely destroy your car. If you don’t change your oil, what can happen is your car can over heat and blow a gasket or it can seize up and not be able to move due to the lack of lubrication. The average cost of an oil change is only $36.82 in the US and in canada it is around $66 or $92 for a synthetic oil change. It is a small price to pay to ensure you can still use your car. On older cars oil changes should often be done every 3,000 kms. On newer cars when using higher quality oils it is often needed to be changed every 5,000 to 7,000 kms. Check in the owners manual of your car and talk about it with your mechanic to find out how often it needs to be for your particular car and the type of motor oil you are using in your car.
The only exception to this is if you have an electric car. As of writing no pure electric cars on the market require any kind of engine oil.
3. Check tire pressure and rotate tires/switch from summer to winter or winter to summer tires
A great way to increase the longevity of your vehicle is to make sure it does not get in any accidents. One of the most important things to do, to increase your chances of not having your vehicle get in an accident, is to take good car of your tires. That includes changing summer tires for winter tires if you live in a climate where there is snow and ice in the winter, rotating tires so that the tread where evenly and replacing tires when the tread wheres below the wear mark and are unsafe to drive with.
Car crashes related to tires account for only 0.7% of accidents, but when a car crash happens as a result of a tire issue they are often very bad. Approximately 1.8% of accidents caused due to tire issues result in death and tire issues was the #1 cause of accidents for trucks that was not related to driver issues.
Tires on any vehicle should be rotated every 5,000 km and it is a good habit to check your tires for a flat and tread wear every time you drive your vehicle. This check can be done very quickly in under a few seconds and will help make sure you and your passengers are safe.
4. Check/Add or flush power steering fluid
Power steering fluid is important because allows you to easily turn your vehicle, if you have no power steering fluid or bad power steering fluid it can make it physically difficult to turn your steering wheel or even impossible to turn. If this happens it can be hard to turn quickly when needed and increase your risk of getting into an accident.
In general power steering fluid should be changed on a car every 2 years or 75,000 kms which ever comes first. Also if you notice that it is leaking between changes it is critical to get the leak fixed and the fluid filled or you will experience the issues listed above.
The only exception to this is if you have an electric car. As of writing no electric cars on the market have power steering fluid.
Again the best thing to do is to talk to your mechanic and put a plan in place to regularly check, top up and flush/replace your power steering fluid. This plan should be customised to the make and model of your car.
5. Check/Add or flush antifreeze
In general for most conventional cars should have their coolant/antifreeze changed every 45,000 kms or every 5 years which ever comes first. For electric cars their coolant/antifreeze should be changed every 175,000 kms or every 15 years which ever comes first.
Having the right amount of coolant/antifreeze in your car is important because it is needed to take away heat from the engine allowing it to operate at the proper temperature. If the coolant does not do this, your car car over heat and cause the engine to seize or even have the piston weld itself to the cylinder.
Topping up your coolant regularly and getting it replaced at the intervals listed above will make sure you avoid the above destructive outcomes for your engine.
The last thing you want to have happen is to be stranded on the road with an over heated engine because you neglected to top up or change your coolant/antifreeze.
Even electric cars have coolant, so if you have an electric car, this section still applies to you.
6. Check/Add or flush transmission fluid
How often you should change your transmission fluid varies greatly by the make, model and year of your vehicle. It can be anywhere from every 30,000 km to over 100,000 km.
If you don't change your transmission fluid it will get dirty and won’t do its function of dispersing heat from the transmission. If the heat is not removed from the transmission it will cause wear and tear on your transmission and it will break much earlier than if it was cared for properly. Transmissions are meant to and should be able to outlast the lifetime of the vehicle in most instances if they are cared for properly.
If you neglect the transmission fluid in your vehicle it will wreck your transmission and while you drive you will experience vibrations, your engine reving but not accelerating or even experience not being able to put your car into drive from neutral.
Replacing a transmission is not cheap. Here is a tool you can use to find the cost to replace the transmission for the make, model and year of your vehicle. https://www.transmissionrepaircostguide.com/what-transmission-do-i-have/
The only exception to this is if you have an electric car. No electric cars on the market use transmission fluid.
If you have a conventional car make sure you set up a proper transmission fluid top up and flush schedule with your mechanic.
7. Replace engine oil filter
Your engine oil filter should be replaced every 5,000 to 10,000 km depending on the make, model and year of your car combined with the oil filter being used. Given it varies a lot we would recommend you check the maintenance schedule in the owners manual for your car and also discuss it with your mechanic. If you don’t have a mechanic we would be happy to help. Contact us.
It is important to replace your engine oil filter because it makes sure particles and unwanted items don’t travel into your engine. If debris or small particles a makes its way into your engine it can clog the engine stopping them from moving. If the engine parts can’t move, your engine won’t be able to run and your car won’t be able to move. The engine oil filter also makes sure you engine does not get too much oil (leading to bent engine rods and collapsed valve pipes) or too little oil to the engine (causing it to cease).
If you your engine oil filter breaks down you will experience poor engine performance, engine sputtering, dirty exhaust, an audible metallic noise and low oil pressure.
8. Replace fuel filter
Your engine fuel filter should be replaced every 30,000 to 40,000
It is important to replace your engine fuel filter because when the fuel filter is not working properly, it could lead to harmful items entering your fuel pump or/and the injectors and damaging them. The cost of replacing a fuel filter is often under $150 where as replacing or repairing a fuel pump is over $200 and up to $1,500, while repairing fuel injectors are often $800 to $1,5000.
If you your engine fuel filter breaks down or gets clogged you will experience a loss in power when your engine is under stress like when you are driving fast, going up a hill or are towing something.
The only exception to this is if you have an electric car. No electric cars have a fuel filter.
9. Replace engine air filter
Your engine air filter should be replaced every 20,000 or once a year.
It is important to replace your engine air filter because a bad or clogged engine air filter will reduce acceleration power and fuel efficiency. By contracts installing a new engine air filter can increase acceleration power and fuel efficiency. It can also gunk up and damage your spark plugs.
If you your engine air filter breaks down or gets clogged you will experience sluggish acceleration or could experience troubles starting your car.
10. Replace tires
Your tires should be replaced every 80,000 to 95,000 km, but each tire you buy will be rated for a certain km lifespan. Also on every tire their is wear mark so that you can see how much tire is left or if your tires need to be replaced. Here is a great video on how to check the tread left on your tires.
It is important to replace your tires because if the tread goes on your tires it can cause them to blow or just greatly reduce your traction, significantly increasing your risk of getting into an accident.
If you your tires break down and the tread wears past where it should you will experience a loss of grip and traction when driving, especially in wet, snow or icy conditions.
11. Check and trickle charge battery
Your battery should be checked and trickle charged any time you are not driving it for extended jperiods of time (longer than a week)
It is important to trickle charge your battery when it is not being used because it will ensure your battery does not degrade.
If you your battery starts to degrade you will experience challenges starting it or you experience other electrical challenges.
12. Replace drive belt
Your drive belt should be replaced every 30,000 km
It is important to replace your drive belt because if it breaks you will lose your pwoer steering, your batter will eventually die and not recharge and the engine might over heat.
If you your drive belt breaks down you will experience if the drive belt breaks while you are driving, system failures can lead to a loss of control on the road.
13. Replace spark plugs
Your spark plugs should be replaced every 30,000 to 50,000 km. If you are using high end iridium- or platinum-tipped spark plugs they should be replaced every 60,000 to 150,000 km. In order to know for sure ask your mechanic as it varies greatly based on the vehicle and spark plugs used.
It is important to replace your spark plugs because doing so can help save you from costly repairs. Driving with bad spark plugs and put undue stress on your car's catalytic converter, causing it to need to be replaced. This repair is not cheap and often ranges from $945 to $2,475. The average cost to replace spark plugs is usually under $100.
If you your spark plugs breaks down and you drive with bad spark plugs you will experience a decrease in gas mileage, lack of acceleration, engine misfires, trouble starting you car and rough idling.
The only exception to this is if you have an electric car. No electric cars have spark plugs.
14. Replace timing belt
Your timing belt should be replaced every 100,000 to 160,000 km depending on the year, make and model of your car.
It is important to replace your timing belt was because if it breaks before you replace it the engine will stop running or the components will be out of sync, damaging the engine.
If you your timing belt is wearing down and not in good shape you will experience odd noises and like a ticking sound inside your engine. If you your timing belt breaks you will experience loud noises and your engine will stop working.
15. Refill windshield wiper fluid
Your windshield wiper fluid should be refilled every
It is important to refill your windshield wiper fluid because if you don’t it may cause dirty and grime to stay on your windshield impairing your vision while you are driving, greatly increasing your risk getting into an accident.
If you your windshield wiper fluid runs out you will experience that when you go to use it and spray your windshield very little or no windshield wiper fluid will come out.
16. Check headlights and clean
Your headlights should be checked and cleaned anytime you see any reduction in your visibility when driving at night.
It is important to clean and check your headlights because if you don’t it may impair your vision while you are driving, greatly increasing your risk getting into an accident.
If you your headlights get dirty you will experience significantly reduced lighting when driving at night and be able to see much less of the road and less detail on objects when driving at night.
If your headlight goes out, you will experience significantly less lighting on the side of the car where the light is out. You can also see it simply by looking at the headlights when the headlights are on.
17. Replace Wiper Blades
Your wiper blades should be replaced anytime you see any decline in their ability to keep your windshield clear.
It is important to replace your wiper blades because if you don’t it may impair your vision while you are driving, greatly increasing your risk getting into an accident.
If you your wiper blades breaks down you will experience streaks on your windshield when using your windshield wipers or have wipers that are unable to remove snow and rain from your windshield to the degree you are used to.
18. Replace Cabin Air Filter
Your cabin air filter should be replaced every 20,000 to 30,000 km.
It is important to replace your cabin air filter because it stops contaminants such as dirt, dust, smoke, smog, pollen, mold spores, and exhaust gases from entering the cabin of a vehicle through the heating and cooling vents in your car.
If you your cabin air filter breaks down you may experience bad odours, odd smells or dust/debree blowing into the cabin of your car.
19. Replace Battery
Your battery should be replaced when you experience the quality of it declining in terms of how well it holds a charge and how many cold cracking amps it produces. The average battery should produce at least 650 cold cranking amps. This greatly depends on your vehicle though and should be checked with your mechanic. The cold cranking amps of your battery can be checked by using a car battery tester. They are relatively inexpensive from $15 to $75.
It is important to replace your battery if it has low cold cranking amps because you will most likely not be able to start your car.
If you have a poor battery you will experience that your car has challenges starting it or you experience other electrical challenges.
20. Replace Shocks
Your shocks should be replaced every 80,000 km to 160,000 km, depending on the quality of the shocks on your vehicle.
If you your shocks breaks down you will experience your car bouncing excessively or your vehicle will just never feel completely stable when driving on a highway. What will happen is it will constantly bounce up and down when you go over a bump your car will continue to jostle and bump as you drive.
It is important to replace your shocks because if you don’t faulty shocks will make it hard to maintain proper control of your vehicle as you drive. Driving with fault or poor shocks will put you at much higher risk of getting in an accident.
Sources:
https://ohiotiger.com/blog/how-common-is-brake-failure/
https://www.automotive-fleet.com/10149888/over-20-of-collisions-linked-to-bad-brakes
https://brandongaille.com/25-quick-lube-industry-statistics-trends-analysis/
https://www.firestonecompleteautocare.com/blog/oil-change/what-happens-if-you-dont-change-your-oil/
https://www.santamarialaw.net/defective-tires-can-cause-devastating-accidents.html
https://www.utires.com/articles/tire-blowout-statistics/
https://policyadvice.net/insurance/insights/truck-accident-statistics/
https://www.bridgestonetire.com/learn/maintenance/ultimate-car-maintenance-checklist/
https://blog.nationwide.com/car-maintenance-schedule-infographic/
https://www.canadadrives.ca/blog/maintenance/car-maintenance-checklist-essentials