For most of us, owning a car is simply part of life.  Without it getting to work, school and the store becomes increasingly difficult.  And also for most of it, we need, or at least would like, that car to last as long as possible.  One of the ways that we can increase our cars lifespan is to do regular check-ups on it and also know when different fluids need to be changed or filled.  It isn’t a hard thing to learn and know, but can save you hundreds of dollars and pull several more years and thousands more miles out of your car. 

Checking that your car isn’t leaking any fluids is something that you will want to do on a daily basis.  Most of us do this without even realizing it.  What I mean is, if there was a large spot on your driveway or in your garage, you would see it.  The key is, when you see it, do something about it.  If you can’t identify it be sure that you take it in the shop to see what the problem is.  Also checking your tire pressure regularly will keep your tires in top shape and also has the added perk of increased gas mileage. 

Checking the oil, coolant and transmission fluids weekly is another way to keep your car it top shape.  While you don’t need to drain these fluids each time, you should be sure that they are topped off.  Often time, especially on older or more used cars, these fluids can either be leaking very slowly or used more rapidly.  Each of these fluids is vital to your cars performance and lifespan so be sure that you maintain each one.  Keeping spare fluids in your trunk may not be a bad idea either.  Sometimes having extra when you go on a long trip or get stuck somewhere is a great convenience. 

Some of the scheduled maintenance that you will want to make sure to do on your car are changing the oil, oil filter, fuel filter, spark plugs, radiator coolant and timing belt.  Each of these things can be accomplished by your local mechanic or car dealership, but if you know how to do them you could save yourself a couple hundred dollars per year.  The oil and oil filter will need to be replaced about every three months.  The fuel filter, if your car has one, needs replacing every six months and the spark plugs every year and a half.  Your radiator should be drained and refilled about every two years and the timing belt will probably need replacing every 100,000 miles. 

These few items can keep your car running in top shape and save you a lot of money in the long run.