Even Today’s Cars Need Maintenance

With the advancements in technology and the development of oils that break down less and filters that can last longer cars that are newer don’t require as much maintenance as ones that were built many years ago. Today cars can go many miles without a comprehensive tune-up, which was needed every 10,000 miles on much older models, but there are still items you should replace to make sure your car will drive smoothly and delivery you the best fuel mileage and most power the car has to offer. Here are six items that need your attention on a regular basis.

Engine Air Filter – The air filter inside your engine is made to clean the air that’s brought into the engine to be mixed with the gasoline in your engine. This air needs to be clean of contaminants that can eventually build up inside the cylinders and cause your engine to fail. When the filter becomes clogged with dirt and debris you need to change it because you’re chocking your engine. The air has to move into the engine through this filter and if it’s full of debris that makes the engine work harder than it should.

Spark Plugs – The spark plugs in your engine are needed to provide a spark that will ignite the fuel and air mixture to create the explosion that occurs every time your plugs fire. At highway speeds these items can be called upon up to fifteen times a second to fire properly and keep you moving down the road. In most modern ignition systems spark plugs last much longer than they did in the past, but they still need to be changed at regular intervals to ensure they can work properly for you. This is one of the most overlooked but easiest maintenance jobs you can perform to keep your vehicle running right.

Spark Plug Wires – Whenever you change your spark plugs you should also change out the spark plug wires. The plugs need to have a proper flow of electricity in order to do their job right and the wires will wear out from running electricity over a hot engine in all types of weather for a number of miles. These wires can end up with cracked or worn insulation and may even come loose which prevents them from doing their job. Change them when you change the plugs and the entire system will continue to operate properly.

Distributor Cap and Rotor – the distributor is a spinning mechanism that creates the jolt of electricity that’s delivered to the spark plug. Because this item is friction based to create the energy for the spark it can eventually wear out and become a reason your vehicle doesn’t start in the morning when you’re in a hurry to get to work. Thankfully not all vehicles use distributors anymore, but for those vehicles that still have them, changing the rotor and distributor cap when you change the spark plugs and wires is sound advice.

PCV Valve – This is an easy fix and an even easier test. This item is called the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve. The purpose of the item is to ventilate the oil mist that occurs naturally in your engine back into the engine to reduce the pollution that’s expelled into the atmosphere. Find your PCV valve and remove it from the engine. Give it a little shake and see if it needs to be replaced. if the valve rattles it’s in good working condition, if it doesn’t you need to replace it in order to have a good working PCV valve once again.

Cabin Air Filter – The cabin air filter will not help your vehicle run better, it will help you be able to breathe better and be more alert when driving. Modern vehicles have an air filter in the cabin for the air conditioning system and if this item is clogged the airflow is restricted for the entire system which makes the blower work harder. If you change this when you change your engine air filter you will be able to enjoy continuous smooth driving and easy driving because the air in your cabin will be filtered and move smoothly over the blower which doesn’t have to work as hard.