WE ALL love our cars, and we’re willing to spend our hard-earned money to make sure they’re well-maintained. It’s easier – but costs more – for us to leave car maintenance in the capable hands of professionals but you have to admit, every centavo you save goes a long way given the rising fuel prices and maintenance cost. There are things we can do to take care of our cars, and they might not be as hard as you think.
- Repairing a busted tail light
The only thing worse than getting tailgated by an uber-aggressive driver and getting your tail lights broken is to have a traffic enforcer catch you on your way to the casa to have them fixed. Not only is having a broken tail light one of the most common reasons why you can get pulled over, but it’s also one of those seemingly small car problems that can result in bigger ones.
Changing your tail lights is as simple as locating the back of the light (commonly found underneath your car’s carpeting) and unscrewing a few bolts. Most lights nowadays tend to be very intuitive when it comes to installation since most of the parts tend to fit perfectly in place. Just don’t forget to unplug the light from the power source so you won’t risk getting an electric shock.
Money saved: P2,000.00-P4,000.00
Time spent: 20 minutes
- Clean your dirty engine
Engines aren’t known to attract much dirt, but if a rogue leaf or twig gets stuck in your engine, it could cause a lot of damage for something so small. Accumulated dirt can cause your engine to add wear and tear to your bearings and pulleys, and your engine won’t cool down properly.
Cleaning your engine, however, isn’t as simple as pouring soap on it and hosing it down. take safety precautions.
Let your car cool down before you start; you don’t want to accidentally burn yourself. Masking electrical components, such as the alternator and distributor, will help prevent safety issues from arising. It’s also important to let everything air-dry after to avoid rusting. Instead of wiping off water with a cloth (which can leave moisture behind), you can use a compact vacuum cleaner with an excellent blower function like the JML Blast Vac 2 to blow off the excess water, making sure your engine is completely dry.
Money saved: P1,000.00-P3,000.00
Time spent: 45 minutes to an hour
- Vacuum your car’s interior
While most people know that it’s important to keep your car’s engine maintained, not everyone recognizes that’s it’s equally as important to have a clean car. If you want to avoid health hazards that may come from breathing in and being in contact with various germs and bacteria your car is in contact with daily, clean it.
An easy and efficient way to keep your car’s interior free from all these harmful components is by using a portable and powerful vacuum cleaner and blower like the JML Blast Vac 2. The Blast Vac 2 is compact and lightweight and incredibly easy to use, but it packs 800w of power, meaning you can easily rid your car of debris and dust.
With 13 different attachments and a handy carry strap, no nook or cranny in your car is too hard to reach (meaning you’re sure to get those crumbs and loose hair in between your seats with no problem). The blower function means you’ll have a (literal) blast ridding your car’s hood and roof of leaves, too.
Money saved: P800.00-P1,000.00 (monthly)
Time spent: 30 minutes
It’s a commitment to DIY (“do-it-yourself) – and the cash you’ll be saving will be worth it. (Top Gear Philippines)
I would have to agree that car maintenance can save car owners a lot of money. Plenty of car owners think that regular car maintenance is just an additional cost and is not vital to the car’s performance. However, attending to your regular automotive servicing can prevent your car from any huge damage in the future that are expensive. Which is why it’s better to spend a minimal amount for your car’s maintenance rather than spending costly repairs in the future due to damages.