Tips on how to maintain your car’s engine

Car engines need to be properly maintained. They require a check-up every now and then, and they also require regular maintenance to keep them in optimum running condition. To assist you in taking good care of your engine and to prevent serious issues, we’ve put together a short list of ways to proactively protect your engine.

Change the oil regularly

Changing the oil regularly is one of the most crucial things you can do for your engine. Oil has a central role of keeping vital engine parts well lubricated so that they don’t overheat. Your engine can hardly function without it and if you go too long between oil changes it can cause permanent damage to your engine over time. So it’s imperative to confirm what your car’s manufacturer suggests for your specific vehicle’s oil change interval. You can also search online.

We can’t mention changing the oil without also stressing that the oil filter must be replaced at the same time. Oil filters catch all the dirt and debris floating around inside of your engine and keeps the junk from circulating back into the engine. A new filter and new oil will allow your engine to run smoothly, and most importantly, it will keep all the internal parts of the engine cool and well lubricated.

Keep the cooling system working

The cooling system includes the radiator, thermostat, water pump and coolant. The simplest way of protecting your engine from overheating is by ensuring you have the proper amount of coolant (radiator fluid) circulating throughout your engine. The coolant circulates through your engine when the thermostat determines that the engine is getting hot and needs to be cooled down. The water pump then pulls coolant from the radiator, sends it into the engine block and then back out to the radiator to be cooled back down. The cost to find and replace a problem with the cooling system ahead of time will far outweigh the damage done to your engine, should it overheat.

Change air filter

Air filters keep all the outside debris like bugs, leaves and dirt from getting inside your engine. Over time, filters can become clogged with dirt and need to be replaced. Depending on your driving habits and road conditions, an air filter can usually last a long time. But if the filter is allowed to get too dirty and not doing its job efficiently, it can starve your engine of oxygen, let in too much debris- or both.