Regardless of the quality of the vehicle, regular maintenance is obligatory. Not only will it prolong your car life, it will also contribute to the overall safety of the driver, passenger, as well as everyone else the vehicle encounters on the road. The truth is – modern cars are quite complex machines, and some of the parts they consist of will wear out or break over time. Thus, a car owner is advised to conduct a regular check-up, possibly repair or replace certain parts, ultimately preventing road accidents. Especially if the car owner is installing an engine or another part to their car themselves, they need to make sure they know exactly what they are doing so they are not creating more hassle than it is worth.
For the following article we have listed some of the car parts that are more prone to wears and tears, as well as some that should be replaced after a few months or years of driving.
Air filter
Many drivers are not aware of the fact that an air filter can run for up to 4 years, that is, between 50.000 and 80.000 kilometres. Once you are pass that limit you are advised to change it, since that way you will help prolong the engine life. Namely, air filter traps dirt and debris that would otherwise damage internal parts of the engine, but there is only so much it can take.
Oil filter
This is by far the most often replaced car part – every time you change the oil, replace the filter as well. In this case, it is not really about the time, but rather the distance you have passed – you can go between 50.000 and 80.000 kilometres before replacing it. So, it does not matter if the last time was several months or years ago, but how much motoring you did in the meantime.
Car battery
On the other hand, distance is not as important when questioning whether you should change the car battery or not. Car batteries have a 4 to 5-year lifespan after which you need to get new ones. However, remember that if you are living in a warmer climate, you will need to replace one much earlier than expected, since hot weather can run the battery life faster. Furthermore, poor motoring practices can also have a negative effect, so make sure your lights are off when the motor is off.
Tyre
Depending on the roads you are taking, sooner or later the tyres will damage and will require replacement. This is something that is often at the very bottom of your to-do list, and does not come up until you are in the middle of the road with a flat tyre. To know whether it is time to replace one of them or not, check for tread wear (that is, whether the tread depth is below 1.6mm), see if there are any uneven wear patterns, punctures, or bulges and blisters. When looking to replace tyres, it is highly recommended to replace all four for optimum control and handling. Putting just one new tyre with different load-carrying capacity or speed rating can affect the driving performance. Finally, you are advised to get only top-quality ones and you can find a reliable set here.
Headlights
In the end, when it comes to headlights, they have on average five to seven years of operational life. They should be checked periodically and if replaced – always in pairs, since not all headlight bulbs are equal. Halogen lights produce whiter light which improves visibility of objects on the road, especially street signs. They have also proved to boost a driver’s reaction time, ultimately avoiding potential hazards on the road, or even accidents. Many claim they cannot see the difference in brightness until they replace only one headlight – and trust us, it can get pretty distracting.
Make sure you perform regular check-up and replace the above-mentioned components before they break and maybe even cause damage to other car parts.
