You should not neglect regular maintenance of a car, because this is what allows it to avoid breakdowns. You yourself must carry out routine maintenance based on small monthly checks, but it is also necessary to have your car serviced every year. Maintenance represents a significant part of a motorist’s budget, with an expense of around €1000 each year.
Maintaining a car helps keep it in good condition, which helps reduce the cost of repairs and avoid costly breakdowns. Several types of maintenance can be distinguished:
Routine maintenance : these are checks that any motorist can carry out themselves.
Periodic maintenance : it is carried out by a professional when the car reaches a certain mileage or a certain age according to the recommendations of the vehicle manufacturer .
Technical inspection : compulsory and to be carried out every 2 years, it allows you to check the good condition of the vehicle and to ensure that it does not endanger road safety when it is in circulation.
Do-it-yourself checks
Maintaining your car doesn’t just happen in the garage. Many checks need to be done much more often than once a year. You can do them yourself, for free, and thus prevent or spot any problems.
Once a month , you should check the levels of your car: engine oil, coolant, etc. Insufficient levels of any of these fluids can cause serious malfunctions and put you in danger on the road.
Additionally, check the condition of your windshield wiper blades from time to time. If their rubber is damaged, you can easily change your windshield wipers yourself without going to a garage.
Every month , it is also necessary to check your tire pressure . Contrary to what many motorists believe, tire pressure is not only done when going on vacation! Visit the inflation station once a month and take the opportunity to monitor the state of wear of your tires.
Finally, clean your car at least once a year . Cleaning a vehicle helps prevent rust and corrosion from forming, as well as removing salt or oil residue that could damage your bodywork or exposed parts of your car.
The revision
Periodically servicing your car allows you to entrust the vehicle to a professional mechanic for more in – depth maintenance. It is during the service that the mechanic will, for example, examine the condition of the brakes and the battery.
We recommend that you carry out your service once a year , or every 15,000 to 20,000 kilometers. For an electric car, you can go up to 30,000 kilometers.
Technical control
In France, technical inspection is compulsory. It must be done for the first time in the six months preceding the fourth anniversary of the car’s entry into circulation, then every 2 years before the deadline which appears on your technical inspection sticker.
During the technical inspection, 133 control points are checked by the controller in order to detect any possible failure. These checkpoints concern many vehicle functions: steering, suspension, identification, braking, etc.
In the event of a failure, a severity level is assigned: minor, major or critical failure. The information appears on your technical inspection report, allowing you to check that your car is in good working order.
In the event of a major or critical failure, you have 2 months to repair the problem and undergo a second technical inspection .
Periodically, we must add to this what is sometimes called major maintenance, which includes changing worn parts. On average, this should be done every 2 years . To the classic overhaul will be added the changing of the air filter and the cabin filter, the replacement of the spark plugs, etc.
Some parts have a longer lifespan. This is particularly the case for the accessory belt and the timing belt . Changing them, however, is part of good maintenance of your car, because driving with a worn belt impacts the proper functioning of your engine and can damage it.
Did you know ? The manufacturer’s warranty is a guarantee often offered by car manufacturers to repair the car free of charge in the event of a breakdown or malfunction, if it has been used as expected. In general, the manufacturer’s warranty lasts 2 to 7 years .
This is no longer the case since the law of July 31, 2002 . Maintenance of your car can therefore be carried out at any garage as long as it respects the manufacturer’s recommendations which appear in the vehicle’s maintenance booklet.
You can therefore freely choose your garage to maintain your car: dealership, independent garage, auto center, etc. This also allows you to compare them to reduce the price of your car maintenance! So, don’t hesitate to compare garages on the Vroomly platform in order to maintain your car without breaking the bank.
The cost of maintaining a car also varies depending on the professional chosen. Thus, the service costs another 20 to 40% more at a dealership than in an auto center or an independent garage. The gap is, however, less significant for complex services. To save as much as possible, entrust your car maintenance to the Vroomly platform . In just a few clicks, you can order your spare parts and make an appointment at a garage with the best value for money.
That’s it, you know more about car maintenance! As you have understood, it is the regularity of maintenance and good compliance with your manufacturer’s recommendations that ensure you keep a car in good condition and that functions correctly. To do your maintenance at the best price and find a garage near you, go through Vroomly!
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