Maintain Your Car Engine for Higher Efficiency

Car engines are the vital and central operating units of any vehicle but sadly, none of us spend much time looking after the engines. Engines need to be looked after regularly and analyzed frequently and given general maintenance to keep them running. To avoid any vulnerabilities and serious problems, it's essential to regularly check your engine. However, there are some significant parts and mechanisms that need weekly, if not daily, inspection. If you regularly do these inspections and general maintenance, your engine is likely to last longer and perform more efficiently.

Steps

1. Check the engine’s cooling system. The cooling system in an engine helps it to maintain its internal temperatures and transfer excessive heat out of the engine. The cooling system must not be left unattended every time when you plan a long journey. The cooling system contains different parts, such as the radiator, thermostat, water pump and coolant.
   • A straightforward way to look after and safeguard your engine from overheating is by checking that it has the appropriate quantity of coolant flowing inside the engine’s cooling chambers.
   • Always keep the coolant level above the minimum level but below the maximum level to avoid any leakage.
   • Very deeply coloured coolant in orange or red must be replaced with the fresh coolant by flushing out the radiator.
   • Maintaining the cooling system costs far less than the damage done by overheating.
2. Clear the engine’s nose to facilitate the breathing. The engine utilizes the air to burn the fuel in the combustion chambers and it breathes in just the same manner that humans do. It is vital that you regularly check the vehicle's air filters. Cars need a continuous stream of air to run efficiently. With the exception of fuel, air is a fundamental component in charging the car engine with energy. The air needs to enter into the engine frequently, without any constraints.
   • Take a glance at your air filter and check that it is dirt-free and free of bugs, etc. Swap it with a clean filter if needed.
3. Feed the engine regularly with new engine oil. To keep your engine clean, you need good engine oil. Regular changes of engine oil are vital. Engine oil lubricates the essential engine parts, preventing them from overheating and reducing wear and tear. If you lengthen the oil changing intervals too much, it can seriously damage your engine and cause permanent harm.
   • Consult your vehicle’s manual for the oil changes intervals; most updated standards suggest changing the engine oil after every {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}. However, note that some old motors can’t go as long, so change oils more frequently for such cars.
4. Keep an eye on the fuel filters. The fuel filters play an important role in ensuring clean fuel injection into the engine. This guards the engine against the build-up of damaging deposits and prevents the emergence of specks in the fuel supply. Fuel filters stop any substances or undesirable particles from forming, which can be destructive to the engine.
   • The removed particles accumulate in a pan, just as with the oil filter. It is necessary to replace the fuel filter to make your engine’s run smoothly. Replace it with a new filter to keep the gas flowing into the engine efficiently.
5. Get frequent tune-ups. Frequent tunings of the engine’s carburetors is necessary. Also change the spark plugs and check the cables, ignition wires, cap and rotor. However, newer models need less regular tune-ups, as the majority of modern cars don't have the ignition wires or distributors found in older cars but instead use lifelong spark plugs. The fuel injection system can be tuned up by using the special injection cleaning solutions; this usually helps to improve the mileage of the vehicle.

Tips

• Always buy gas or fuel from a reputable place.
• Disengage the parking brake to prevent it from the brake corrosion.
• If you bought a new car, never exceed the speed of {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} during first {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} to prevent irregular displacement errors in the engine.
• For the first few half an hour of driving, try to keep the engine rpms below 3000 per minute.
• Wash and wax up the vehicle if you are thinking about resting it for a month or longer.
• Always watch out for the engine signs and warning lights and respond to them quickly. Problems must be attended today rather than tomorrow. If anything looks out of place, just check it out as early as possible.
• Your mechanic is very important for the prolonged life of engine so, select a reliable and qualified engine expert for general maintenance. Ask the mechanic questions on every issue frequently and visit the garage regularly.
• Your car’s owner’s manual contains a wealth of information regarding the car, so read it carefully.
• Always remember the rule of ‘BOWfit’. This stands for the maintenance scheduling and its sensitivity, where ‘B’ is for Brakes, ‘O’ for OIL changes and checking, ‘W’ for the windows cleaning every day and wheel balancing once every year, ‘F’ for the fluids, fuel and filters in the engine, ‘I’ for the ignition and interior cleaning of your car not more than every week and the ‘T’ stands for Tyre checking of your car vehicle.

Warnings

• Never race your car engine during the start-up and never push it hard for about 20 minutes after starting.
• Never fully turn the steering wheel left or right, then hold it for a long time; doing this can seriously damage your steering pump.
• Never fill up with fuel if you see that the tanker is filling up the station. The turbulence can steer up the particles in the tanks, which can clog your car's fuel system.

References

See also

• Check a Used Car's Engine
• Put a Turbo in a Car
• Start a Flooded Engine
• Find Out What Engine Is in Your BMW
• Fix an Engine Misfire
• Check Engine Pressure Leakage on Mazda Speed 6
• Keep Any Engine Running Its Best
• Test a Fuel Pump Relay with a Multimeter
• Make an Engine Stand
• Reduce Engine Noise in a Car

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