The engine is considered to be the heart of the vehicle and is the most expensive part to replace. And, just like most parts of the car, it needs a routine check-up and some regular maintenance so it can continue to operate at its optimum performance for as long as possible. You’ve probably seen a couple of high-mileage vehicles with an engine that’s still humming like new, which leaves you wondering what the secret to engine longevity could be. So, how do you maintain a car engine?
To help you take good care of your car engine and maintain its health and functionality, we’ve prepared a comprehensive list of car maintenance tips to proactively protect your engine and keep your vehicle in tip-top shape.
A regular oil change is one of the best things you can do to keep your engine in good shape. Even if this is all you take away from the whole article your engine will thank you for it – but really, we hope you implement other tips on this list.
The engine converts chemical energy from the fuel you fill in your tank into mechanical energy to get the vehicle moving. It contains lots of metallic moving parts that cause friction and generates heat as they rub over each.
Friction and heat are two things that go hand-in-hand and influence the performance of the engine.
Without engine oil to lubricate these moving parts, your engine will produce loud rattling, knocking, or clanging noise when the engine is running, as well as use up more fuel than it would if the parts of the engine were properly lubricated.
Thus you need to make engine oil level checks an integral part of basic car maintenance.
Make sure your vehicle is resting on plain ground.
Locate the oil dipstick, pull it out and wipe off the oil with a rag or disposable paper. This helps get rid of oil splashes coming from the moving parts of the engine.
Now, reinsert the dipstick all the way in to ensure you get an accurate reading of the oil level, pull it out and evaluate the dipstick.
The first thing to check is the color of the oil. If it is dark/brown, then you need to change it as soon as you can since this indicates the presence of contaminants.
You can tell the level of the engine oil by reading the indicator or markings on the dipstick. Some dipsticks are patterned for easy reading, others are lettered H (high) and L (low) or with dots and notches.
If you need help reading the dipstick you can refer to the car manual or this YouTube video.
The frequency of oil change depends on the vehicle, driving style, and how often the car is used.
For modern cars, the accepted standard is to change the oil every 5,000 miles (8,047 kilometers).
There are engines that can go longer between oil changes, but older vehicles usually need an oil change sooner than that. You might as well consult your car manual for suggestions specific to your engine.
The job of engine oil is to keep the moving parts of the engine well-lubricated, doesn’t matter what the weather outside is, you need oil in your engine.
Oil degrades as you drive. It breaks down as the temperature of the engine increases and loses its lubricating properties.
Normally, engine oil and fuel do not mix – they aren’t supposed to – but as the piston moves up and down, tiny particles of carbon find a way past the piston rings into the oil. This causes increased friction and accelerated wear.
If you keep to your oil change schedule and maintain a stable oil level, your engine will remain clean on the inside and well-lubricated
You can check the oil level as often as you like, every weekend, or every time you refuel. The goal is to maintain the oil level at the recommended high.
If the oil level is close to the ‘low’ mark after 1,000 miles, top it up and check more often. The oil level on some cars barely drops between oil changes.
If it is still close to full after 3,000 miles, top up the oil and prepare to change it the next time you run a check.
We’ve already seen how the moving parts of the engine generate heat and wear down without proper lubrication.
But, the engine still needs a system to help it get rid of the excess heat it generates from burning fuel.
And that’s where the radiator, thermostat, water pump, and coolant come in, together they make up the cooling system.
To prevent your engine from overheating, ensure that you check all of these components regularly to ensure they are working as they should.
Check the coolant and radiator fluid level before you drive off. You should be able to inspect this without opening anything since most cars now come with a translucent reservoir.
While at it make sure that the aluminum or plastic fins on the radiator aren’t blocked by road debris since this could reduce the efficiency of the radiator.
As the name implies, an air filter serves as a barrier between your engine and the air outside.
Its job is simply to prevent debris and other contaminants from getting into the engine to block or cause havoc in some parts of the engine.
Your engine depends on a mixture of air and fuel to operate. How efficient it does this depends a lot on the quantity of clean air it is getting, otherwise, you’re looking at low gas mileage, unusual sounds from your engine, reduce horsepower, and, in some cases, misfiring.
So you see why it’s important to check the integrity of your air filter and replace it according to the manufacturer’s recommendation.
While it is recommended to follow your car manufacturer’s guideline on air filter replacement, it’s far better to gain access to the air filter and evaluate it with your eyes.
If it looks too dirty yet you haven’t met the mileage for a filter change, it’s best to get a new air filter.
There are factors outside of the manufacturer’s control that could reduce the integrity of the air filter before it is due for a change, such as the time of the season, driving conditions, and car usage.
For instance, a car that goes off-road quite often will need an air filter replacement sooner than a car that drives on asphalt.
So, what are we saying? While the owner’s manual can provide an idea of when you should change the air filter, a visual inspection might tell you to change it sooner or later than that.
You should consider changing spark plugs if your car engine occasionally misfires at start-up, when accelerating, or has a rough idle. Spark plugs wear out slowly with each spark they produces.
Over time, the electrode gap increases, which means it’ll take a higher voltage to produce a spark.
Now the ignition coil and spark plug wire have to work extra hard, eventually causing the ignition coil to fail or misfire when a plug wire shorts out.
Ideally, spark plugs of the standard copper-tipped type need to be replaced every 30,000 miles.
However, platinum- or iridium-tipped spark plugs can last for about 100,000 miles or more. If unsure, check your owner’s manual.
Cleaning or replacing spark plugs is also quite easy, we even have a how-to guide.
Other than producing power to drive the wheels, the engine also powers the alternator that charges your battery and other electronic systems, the water pump, the air conditioner, air pump, power steering pump, and lots of other components that depend on mechanical energy to operate.
Most of these components draw power directly from the engine, while others are powered with the help of a belt known as the drive or serpentine belt.
Some cars possess more than one belt whereas others have more than that.
Though these belts are made to withstand rigorous use and pressure, over time, they too wear out and need replacing.
A bad serpentine or timing belt could affect the performance of your vehicle without you noticing on time. If this belt breaks, your engine could sustain severe damage and might need to be towed into the garage.
Regularly inspect your vehicle serpentine belt for signs of wear and tear, and if it is soaked in oil you need to replace it to prevent future damage.
The first sign of an aging belt is usually a squeaking noise when you rev the engine or put the car in motion.
We would recommend the number of miles after which you need to replace the belts, but that’ll be specific to your car and driving conditions.
You can refer to the owner’s manual for figures, but even these should be used as a rough figure.
Ensure you get a professional to inspect your serpentine and timing belt (or chain) before the number of miles recommended by the manufacturer. This will help prevent costly repairs in the future.
There are a lot of things that affect your engine’s performance. Though the factors that need some level of technical competence and experience to evaluate are many, one thing you can assess without hassle is the fuel economy of the car.
This is because a well-maintained and efficient engine will produce a constant and steadier fuel burn rate.
If the efficiency reduces, then it’ll burn more fuel which you will feel in your pocket. If there’s no change in your driving habits but you find yourself refueling more often than before, then this is an indication that something has changed within your engine.
Another subtle reason you might be experiencing changes in your gas mileage is your tire pressure. Misaligned or under-inflated tires will make your engine work harder to overcome the drag and increased friction caused by the bad wheels.
Plus, if you’ve added extra weight to the car, you might experience a drop in fuel economy.
After many years of driving, there’s a good chance that the fuel tank of your car will accumulate a good amount of sediment at the bottom.
This means that if you keep driving till you run out of fuel, then chances are that some of the sediments will block your fuel filter or, worse, find a way into the engine.
You should consider refueling as soon as you have a quarter of fuel left.
It’s relatively easy to maintain a car engine. All these basic engine maintenance activities centers around following the schedule in your owner’s manual.
You can improve the service life and performance of your engine by adhering to some, if not all, of these engine maintenance tips.
Finally, there are mobile applications that can help you track maintenance and repair history so you know when your next schedule is.
