Car maintenance that prevents expensive repairs

Skipping simple routine work, such as an oil change or a coolant check, can lead to poor gas mileage and a costly breakdown. A car also shows early signs when something is wrong, such as a puddle, a smell or a change in how the brakes feel.

Start with the owner's manual

Follow the manufacturer's maintenance schedule in the owner's manual, in the column for your type of driving. Some repair shops write their own schedules with more frequent service. Compare a shop's schedule with the manual's, and ask the shop to explain any work the manual doesn't call for.

The jobs that matter most

Oil

Change the oil on the manual's schedule, with the grade the manual names. The right grade can improve gas mileage by 1 to 2 percent. Putting 10W-30 in an engine designed for 5W-30 can lower it by the same amount.

Coolant

Check the coolant level with the engine cold, as the manual describes. A low level can come from a leaking hose, water pump or radiator.

Tires

Check the pressure monthly against the placard on the driver's doorjamb, not the maximum printed on the sidewall. Proper pressure improves gas mileage by 0.6 percent on average, and up to 3 percent in some cases. A worn tire loses traction and stopping power, so check the tread at the same time.

Brakes and battery

Ask a mechanic to check the brakes as part of routine maintenance, and have the battery tested before winter. A battery puts out less current in the cold, so a failing one may not show it until then.

Signs to have looked at

Have the brakes checked soon if any of these happen:

• The car pulls to one side when you brake.
• The brake pedal sinks toward the floor when you hold it down.
• You hear or feel scraping or grinding while braking.
• The brake light on the dashboard stays lit.

Have the engine looked at if it is hard to start, idles roughly or stalls, or uses more than a quart of oil between changes. So does a lit check engine light. A puddle under the car is worth a look too. Green, blue or orange fluid points to a coolant leak. Dark brown or black fluid is oil, and red fluid is a transmission or power-steering leak. A puddle of clear water is usually no problem.

If you smell something hot and metallic and see steam from under the hood, the engine has overheated. Pull over right away, because driving on can cause severe engine damage, and have the car towed.

An annotated example

What to do next

Find the maintenance schedule in your owner's manual and add each job as a recurring reminder. Keep each repair order with the car's records, and ask the shop for the parts it replaced.