Whoever it was that said “variety is the spice of life” clearly had not had to take their car to the mechanic for three separate faults in consecutive weeks. That is the kind of variety we can all do without, no doubt. As simple as it may seem, though, keeping on top of regular vehicle maintenance is something on which most of us fall down from time to time. We have all been there – it is easy to forget to do something or to leave it for tomorrow, or the next day, and before too long we are in the routine of leaving things to be done some other time. Meanwhile it all goes horribly wrong and we get another variety-filled trip to the body shop. 

If you can implement a realistic but effective vehicle maintenance schedule, you will find that all but the most extreme of car problems are just about eliminated. By implementing such a schedule, you can cut down on trips to the garage, and also vastly simplify the maintenance that you yourself have to run on the car. It is not rocket science – unless of course you have a rocket car, in which case that is exactly what it is – it is simply a matter of sticking to a routine and observing the correct procedures. This is all the more necessary if you are naturally forgetful, because implementing a schedule will put in place certain red lines that will remind you if they are stepped over.

Your owner’s manual will contain a maintenance schedule, covering matters such as oil changes, fluid checks, tune ups and other essential maintenance. You should have a calendar, of some sort, somewhere in your house. In fact, most cell phones have a ready-installed calendar with a reminder system as standard. This is as good a method of keeping track as any – you can set a reminder listing what maintenance needs done, when, and set an alarm to remind you both in advance of the appointment and at the time of it. The volume of reminders is important. Before too long you will anticipate them, and this is a sign that the information is embedded. Do not stop the reminders right away, though, because old and forgetful habits die hard. 

Certain things need checked at certain intervals, but there are also the intervals that create themselves. These are such things as road trips and important journeys where you simply cannot afford for things to go wrong. Before setting off on any of these, a simple procedure of checking and bringing up to date is sufficient. You should check your oil and bring it up to the “Full” line on the reservoir, and do the same with the power steering, brake and coolant fluids to avoid the trip being thrown off schedule by a depletion of any of these. Check your tires too, both their pressure and their wear patterns, as these are hugely important for handling. Additionally, check any belts and hoses for signs of wear. If these need replaced, then replace them.