If you are planning for a road trip or simply want to maintain your car in good condition this is a guide of ultimate DIY car maintenance checklist will help you. Proper servicing will enable you avoid a lot of problems such as break downs, time wastage and expensive repair services making your travel a enjoyable one.

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 1. Oil Inspection and Replacement

 Oil is the blood of your engine in one way or the other. This minimizes wear and tear and keeps away heat. Here’s how to check your oil:

• Find a flight, leveled ground to park your car, then switch off the engine.
•  Go inside the car, in the engine compartment and find the dipstick.
•  Pull out the dipstick, wipe it and then replace it; pull it out again to check the oil levels.
•  If the oil level is low add the right type of oil as indicated by the manufacturer in the owner’s manual.

 For an oil change:

•  Switch on the engine for sometime with intervals in between and then turn it off.
•  Put on an oil drain pan where you will be pouring the oil to drain from the oil drain plug, open the plug and allow the oil to drain.
•  Change the old one with the new oil filter, tighten the plug and add new oil into the car’s engine.

 2. Replacing the Four Filters

•  Oil Filter: It is useful to replace the oil filter when changing the oil to retain its cleanliness.
•  Air Filter: Replace the air filter at an interval of 15,000 miles under normal driving conditions but it is advisable to check it at least after every 12000 miles on the road. If it has a dirt, grime or grimy appearance, then it is time to replace it.
•  Cabin Filter: This filter removes the air from inside the car. And depending on how frequently it is used, it may need to be changed every 15,000 to 25,000 miles.
•  Fuel Filter: It helps the automobile by filtering out damaging particles hence protecting the fuel system. Change it as per the manufactures recommended regime for the car model in question.

 3. Topping Up Essential Fluids

•  Transmission Fluid: Use a level with the engine on but the vehicle stationary in a legal parking lot. Refill if needed.
•  Power Steering Fluid: If the level is low, the car should be taken to a mechanic so that the liquid is added so that the car can be steered easily.
•  Brake Fluid: This is very essential for the brake system of the car that you intend to use most of the time. If the level is low, then consider to refill.
•  Windshield Washer Fluid: It is always better that they have it in large numbers to ensure adequate visibility at night.

4. Booting, Testing, Charging or Replacing the Battery

A bad battery is a scary thing especially if the battery is dead then you will be forced to sit and look. Here’s how to check yours:

•  Plug-in a battery tester in order to measure the amount of voltage. If batteries are fully charged they should be having a voltage of almost 12 volt or 6 volts depending on batteries.
•  If voltage is low, then the battery power has to be recharged.
•  In other words, if the battery is unable to hold a charge, then it will be expected that it should be replaced.

 5. Flushing and Refilling the Radiator

 It is extremely important to know that radiator fluid breaks down and cools your engine less after certain period of time. To maintain your cooling system:

 Some basic precautions you may wish to note include the following, ensure that the engine is off when you begin, or even better ensure it is cold as you begin the operations.

•  When doing the change, be sure to put on a drain pan under the radiator and then open the drain plug so that the old coolant can drain.
•  Many use a cleaner by running the engine after which you drain it and refill the system.
•  Replace the old coolant with a fresh one by following every instruction that comes with the new coolant.

 Conclusion

 This is a checklist that you can personally do on your own as a car owner because with the help of this Ultimate DIY Car Maintenance Checklist, your car can be always road ready. Pick all these from your local auto parts store though you will realize that not all of the items have to be replaced at the moment. So that it can be wise to always have them around.