Routine Vehicle Maintenance

In order to ensure that your car is safe to be on the road, you must perform routine maintenance. While most people know about oil changes and brake pad replacements, there are several other things you should consider regularly. A properly maintained car can reduce your risk for automobile accidents and injury.

Monthly

How To Replace Brake Pads

When you raise the hood of your car, if what you see looks as foreign as Arabic, you may want to have a friend familiarize you with your vehicle. If this isn't an option, don't panic. It's not as complex as it may seem.

Routine Vehicle Maintenance

Each month you should inspect your vehicle's lights to make sure they are functioning. To do this, just turn on your car and get out. Walk around, inspecting headlights, tail lights, side lights, and brake lights. In order to check your brake lights, you may need someone else to press the brakes while you look. If no one is around, you can use a heavy rock or brick to apply pressure to the brakes while you investigate. If a light is not working, take your car to the mechanic.

Additionally, each month you should check your tires. Tires with too little air can increase your chances of having a blow-out, as well as reducing your gas mileage. Each tire is printed with a recommended psi. Use a hand tool to determine what level psi your tires are at. If they are too low, go to a gas station and add air until they reach the desired psi.

Another easy monthly check-up you can perform at home is making certain that you have enough windshield wiper fluid. This is a clearly marked container, typically located on the left side of your engine. If the liquid is below the recommended "fill line," add water.

Quarterly

Oil changes vary depending on how frequently and how far you drive your vehicle, but the average person should get their oil changed every three months, or between 3,000 and 5,000 miles. While you are getting your oil changed, ask your mechanic to:

• Rotate your tires

• Check your fluids (power steering and transmission, especially)

• Inspect your belts and hoses

Yearly

While most maintenance needs to be done more than once a year, there are a few things that only require your attention annually, such as:

• Checking your brake pads and fluids. If worn down, replace brake pads

• Steering and suspension

• Spark plugs

• Antifreeze levels. Do this before the first freeze, as this will prevent your liquids from freezing up the engine.

While properly maintaining your vehicle will guarantee its longevity, it can also prevent accidents from occurring.

Routine Vehicle Maintenance
Brake Replacement 2005 Mercury Montego AWD Ford Five Hundred AWD Video Clips. Duration : 9.70 Mins.

A step-by-step instructional video. How to replace brakes (and rotors) on your Ford Five Hundred or Mercury Montego.

Keywords: ford, mercury, five, 500, hundred, montego, brake, rotor, replace, caliper

Do Your Vehicle Brakes Squeal?

Does your vehicle squeal when you apply the brakes? This could be the sound of your "chirper", a signaling device built into the system to warn you of worn brake pads. A squealing or grinding noise also is characteristic of the new, semi-metallic friction material used on brake pads and linings. This material replaces the hazardous asbestos previously used.

Brake performance on vehicles of recent years is significantly improved, as is the service life of braking system parts. Unfortunately consumer attitude toward preventive maintenance has not kept pace with technology. A national consumer survey showed vehicle neglect is on the rise even though nearly half of motorists ranked brake failure as their number one fear among driving emergencies.

The USGAO reports that states without vehicle safety inspection programs had accident rates 16% higher than those with some inspection program.

Whether or not your vehicle's brakes are inspected periodically, be aware of the signs of brake trouble and take corrective measures at once.

Listen for unusual noises when brakes are applied. To hear properly, try applying brakes at slow speeds with windows down.

Brake work performed on time saves money as well as lives. Some owners, to squeeze more miles out of their worn brake pads, have been known to disable the "chirper". This is a terrible case of false economy. In addition to affecting your safety driving, metal-to-metal wear of rotors or drums adds hundreds of dollars to a brake system overhaul.

If brake fluid needs filling frequently, correct the leak.

If vehicle pulls to one side, if the brakes shudder or if the pedal pulsates, have a repair shop check out the trouble.

If the pedal fades, feels spongey or falls to the floor under steady foot pressure, take the vehicle in for service.

Invest in the best quality brake work you can obtain. You do care about yourself and those you transport don't you?

'96 Jeep Cherokee - Brake Pad & Rotor Change TIME LAPSE (NOT A HOW TO)

Time lapse video of me and my dad changing the rotor and then brake pads of my '96 Jeep Cherokee. I made this with my new MacBook using a cool freeware app called Gawker. I wanted to see what this process looked like condensed into a few minutes. NOT a howto video, just a time-lapse video.