Car Tips

If you have an interest in cars, then you probably have an interest in driving. Heck, if you’ve ever turned on your TV and caught a NASCAR race, or the Indy 500, then you probably have some interest in driving. Driving can be an absolute joy, but it’s important to remember that driving always impacts your car.

Headlights are one of the most critical safety features on any vehicle. Not only do headlights light the road for you, so that you can see when it’s dark out, but they make your car visible to other drivers as well. Without headlights, you can’t drive at night; and with only partially functioning headlights, you can’t drive safely at night.

Batteries are an easy component of your vehicle to overlook. Most people take their car battery for granted: they unlock their car with their electronic key fob, listen to the radio and blast the air conditioner with the ignition turned off, and turn on the car whenever they’re ready to drive. All of these things require a healthy, charged, and functional battery, but you don’t really notice the battery until these things stop working.

It’s no secret that cars release a lot of harmful emissions and gases. And, unfortunately, most of us aren’t able to afford a Tesla or other fully-automatic vehicle, so we have to rely on a fair amount of gas to keep us going.

But just because you have to stop at the Chevron station from time to time doesn’t mean you have to settle for an environmentally horrible vehicle. There are always a lot of ways that you can make your vehicle a little bit greener, so that you can do your part. Here are some of them. 

Schedule Regular Maintenance and Inspections

Few parts of your vehicle get as much use as your gas tank. There is always gas sitting in your tank, whether you’re driving your vehicle or leaving it sitting in the back of the garage. When your car is running, the gas tank is the starting point for all action, as fuel is brought to the engine from the gas tank via the fuel pump. 

If your vehicle has a manual transmission, then you’re familiar with just how much use your clutch pedal gets. Whether you’re starting, stopping, or changing speeds, your clutch pedal is frequently deployed, which means your clutch is getting a lot of use, and a lot of potential wear and tear. 

Adding air to your tires is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to practice proper maintenance. It may not seem like a big deal, but keeping your tires prpoperly inflated is an integral part of having a healthy vehicle. If the air pressure is not correct on your tires, you’ll wear through them more quickly, and unevenly, which means you’ll need to spend a larger amount of money at the tire shop on tire replacements and rotations. Having the improper amount of air in your tires also puts unnecessary stress on other parts of your vehicle, such as the suspension, brakes, and steering.

Brake fluid doesn’t get the same attention that motor oil does, but it’s an incredibly important part of your car. The purpose of brake fluid is to provide the pressure necessary to help your brakes work. Without brake fluids, your brakes would not be able to do their job effectively. It follows that brake fluid is very important! 

Your parking brake is an overlooked part of your vehicle. There’s nothing glamorous about a parking brake, yet it’s a highly important part of your car. The parking brake (also known as an emergency brake) is one of the most crucial safety components in your car, and should always be used correctly. Here’s everything you need to know about your parking brake. 

Always Use It 

Buying a car can be incredibly fun, or incredibly stressful, depending on the situation. On the one hand, getting a vehicle that’s new to you is exciting; on the other hand, there’s a lot of shopping around that needs to be done, and factors that need to be taken into consideration. This is especially true when you’re purchasing a used vehicle.