I have developed a deep affection for BMWs and have fallen in love with vehicles over the past few years.
I am now in the process of purchasing a 2011 335, however aside from my rudimentary understanding of automobiles, I have no idea how to properly maintain a vehicle. Thus, I’m genuinely curious in what steps I would have to do to ensure proper car maintenance. I would only ever use premium gas in my car and I am familiar with basic car maintenance like oil changes, but I’m searching for more in-depth information. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Hi, Regular oil changes are crucial for keeping your engine lubricated and running smoothly. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for oil change intervals, typically every 5,000 to 7,500 miles or as specified in your owner’s manual.
here is enough basic maintenance to keep your car around for a while assuming you have annual state inspections.
First, read your car manual. If you’re bored waiting for someone you could learn some neat stuff. Did you know that with most new cars you can put the windows up or down without getting into the car at all? Seriously read the manual.
Oil) Oil is the number one factor in determining how long your car will last. You can check your oil using the often red dipstick. Change your oil and oil filter every 7-10 thousand miles. It is as simple as typing your car model and “oil change” into YouTube. If you still don’t know how then you probably shouldn’t be driving.
Fluids) Coolant is the biggest fluid here. Coolant is in the translucent container and should be kept in between the min and maximum lines. Make sure you get coolant meant for your engine type. Nowadays most coolant is safe for all cars but consult your owner’s manual. Brake fluid is the same way. It has to be kept in between the min and max line of its container and has to be of a certain type, for convenience labeled DOT 1-4. If you start losing brake fluid find a mechanic.
Tires) Once a month or so check your tire pressure. 10 bucks will Buy you a decent pressure gauge. Tire rotation is another good one, you simply rearrange the tires on your car. There is a diagram in your car’s owner’s manual along with instructions.
Misc Lube) Stuff like door hinges trunk hinges hood latches and so on will require some lubrication. You should try to make sure everything is greased at least once a year. If it starts to squeak, then grease it. White lithium grease or a graphite lubricant can be bought from pretty much any auto store.
Filters) Air filters can be changed at your discretion just make sure you check it once every 6 months. Cabin air filters (if your car has them) should be changed if the air coming from your aircon smells a bit funky.
Plugs) Sparkplugs are easy to change and don’t even need to be changed often. Once roughly every 70k miles. It’s as simple as looking up “sparkplug change” on YouTube once again.
Mechanic) Since you’re reading a thread that has “zero knowledge of cars” in the title you are going to need a mechanic that you can trust to do work you can’t. Try to find an old family-owned shop, they have stuck around for a reason. A quick change place is 9/10 times going to half-ass the work. (stripping bolts over torquing lugs) A dealership will do the work right, but you’re gonna pay big