Interpreting Your Car’s Maintenance Manual
The number one reason we have a car is to travel safely from one place to another. We spend a lot of time on the road, and it’s important to keep up on your car’s maintenance. For that reason, familiarizing yourself with your cars manual is a key item for any car owner.
Here are a few things to keep in mind about your manual:
- Your owner’s manual contains information about the features your car has and its maintenance schedule. Typically, the manual covers three main areas: a description of the location and operation of all controls, a schedule and description of maintenance required, as well as specifications such as what oil and oil filters to use, what your tire pressure should be, fuel capacity, and part numbers.
- Routine maintenance often includes oil changes, tire rotations, fluid checks, belt replacement, new brake pads, and inspections. Maintenance schedules vary by vehicle make, model and year, the best place to find information about routine scheduled maintenance is your owner’s manual.
- It’s important to understand your dashboard warning lights and what they mean; often, it’s the first warning sign of trouble. Your dashboard is a communication device relaying key information to you. Your vehicle has a range of sensors and equipment that diagnose a wide range of problems. Familiarize yourself with the different warning lights and what they each mean. Here’s an image of common dashboard warning lights.
- Your manual should always be kept in the car in a place that you can easily grab for reference. If a light comes on to warn you of a maintenance issue you can refer to the manual to guide you in the problem.
- If you’ve lost your manual you should be able to find it online. You should be able to find one for free from your car manufacturer (for instance, here is Chevrolet’s directory). There are also other sites available where you can easily download or send for a new one.
- Many car manufacturers have a service and maintenance section on their website where you can keep track of all of your maintenance needs. You can receive emails for reminders of appointments, keep a schedule of when to change your oil or have your tires checked/rotated.
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