Metro News

Whether you own a car or you have recently rented one, the fact of the matter is that the car depends on you as much as you depend on the car. If you maintain the car, it will start every morning and take you wherever you want to go. If you don’t take care of the car, you might be stuck with a car that doesn’t move. And this is especially the case when you have rented a car whether from a car rental Auckland Airport or anywhere else. Usually, you will face trouble exactly when you need the car the most. So keep your rented car maintained so that you can ensure that it runs smoothly and doesn’t give you any trouble along the way, especially because you are in a new place and you may not know where the mechanics are, who to call, or if you are in a hurry and getting late for an appointment.

Here are the things that matter the most when it comes to a car:

• Fluids

• Wipers

• Lights

• Battery

• Tires

• Filters

If you make sure that all these things are taken care of, you can ensure that your car, whether owned or rented, will never give you any trouble.

 

How to check engine oil

Engine oil is the most important fluid that the car has. Your car may or may not have a warning light to warn you that the oil level has decreased. If you drive your car on a decreased level of oil that may cause problems with the car engine. And this can especially happen if you had rented the car for a long time and didn’t check the oil level when you received the car. So make sure that you regularly check the engine oil level.

First, you have to warm up the engine. Then park your car at a place that is level and put on the parking brake. Once this is done, stop the engine and wait for a couple of minutes so that all the engine oil gets drained into the oil pan. Now look for the oil dipstick and carefully lift it. There will be oil on the dipstick, so you have to clean it with a cloth completely. Once clean, insert the dipstick back into the engine and pull it back out. There will be two markers on it to check for the level of oil. There will be a marker on the dipstick which will tell you the lowest level of oil that your car should have. If the level of oil is near the lowest marker, then you should have the oil changed or topped up.

 

Adding oil

To top up the oil, open the oil filler cap and add a small amount of oil. Wait for the oil to get to the oil pan and then check the level of oil again with a dipstick. Depending on how much you have added, you might have to add more oil to it until it reaches the max marker. Once it has, put the dipstick back into position.

Car Battery

The first thing that you have to do is to check the visual condition of the battery. There are two battery terminals at the top. If they are corroded, they may cause problems for you. Make sure that the terminals are not corroded or loose. If they are, this may cause the car not to start or the check engine light to come on. You might also have trouble with power steering assist, among other things.

If the car has a manual, it may show you how to clean the battery terminals. You can also check online, and you can find a lot of videos on YouTube about cleaning the battery terminals by yourself. If you go to a mechanic for small stuff like this, they may charge you for it.

One sign that your battery is getting weak is that the dash lights will dim when you are trying to start your car. Another sign is that the car will not turn over as quickly as it used to. And this means that you need to either charge your battery or get it changed. Since it is a rental, you don’t have to do it yourself, call the company, and they will take care of it for you.

Check your lights regularly

One of the things that you should always check when you are taking the car is the condition of the lights. Make sure that you have checked not only the front lights but also the brake lights. These are very important for safe driving. Even if you checked the lights when you rented the car, it is a good thing to check them again regularly.

Tire pressure

Another thing that you have to check for regularly is tire pressure. The proper tire pressure will be mentioned on the tire pressure sticker. You may or may not have the tire pressure gauge with you at all times, especially if it’s a rented car, so make sure that you stop at a gas station and get the pressure checked. Make sure that you check the tire pressure when the tires are cold. If you do it after you have travelled for a considerable time, the pressure won’t be accurate. When you check the pressure, pump or deflate the tire to maintain the recommended pressure.

Also, check the tires for signs of wear and tear. If you see that the tires are worn out, it is unsafe to drive. Call the rental company immediately and have them replace the tires. If you don’t know how to check the tire tread wear then go to a mechanic and get it checked.

CONCLUSION

No matter where you are, your safety should be paramount to you. So make sure that you check the car regularly so that you can experience a smooth and safe drive.