Engine Maintenance: How To Keep Your Car’s Engine In Top Condition

Your car’s engine is like the heart of the car; if the engine fails, you aren’t going anywhere in that vehicle. Because this car component is so important, it requires care and attention to ensure your car runs smoothly. However, caring for your engine can be a challenge since most people don’t even know the difference between an engine block and a piston. 

Well, don’t worry, this article is especially for those who don’t know the ins and outs of their car’s engine.  

How To Maintain Your Engine’s Health

1. Feed The Engine

Think of your engine as a human. They eat and breathe just like us. And proper nutrition is the key to a healthy body. Similarly, your engine needs its food which is engine oil.

Good engine oil will lubricate the engine’s parts and help reduce wear and tear. It will help keep the engine running smoothly. Engine oil will also ensure that the engine doesn’t overheat. To ensure the engine doesn’t experience a lot of wear and tear, changing the oil regularly is important.

You can read your car’s manual to know how often you need to change your engine oil, though as a rule of thumb, it is understood that after every 3000 miles, you should change your engine oil. Waiting too long between oil changes can cause severe damage to the engine.

2. Change The Oil Filter

When getting your oil changed, make sure you also get the oil filter changed. Oil filters work to catch impurities like dust and debris circulating in the engine. Your engine will need clean oil to circulate in engine so that the components run smoothly. Dust and debris will add stress to the engine, which will lead to further deterioration.

3. Engine Needs To Breathe

Like we’ve said before, your engine needs to eat and breathe. And to make sure the engine breathes easily, you have to replace air filters. 

Engines need air for combustion, which is the process of burning fuel in the combustion chambers; this process is what produces the power to move your vehicle. 

Your vehicle needs a continuous unhindered flow of air to run smoothly, which is why a choked air filter will cause engine stress and increase fuel consumption.

Check your air filter regularly and see if it looks dirty. Change it immediately if you think it’s filled with dust.

4. Keep The Engine Cool

The cooling system for the engine is critical in preventing overheating. This is why taking care of the cooling system is critical.

The cooling system includes the radiator, water pump, thermostat, and coolant. The thermostat determines that the engine is overheating; this will signal the water pump to pull coolant from the radiator and send the coolant to the engine block to cool it. Once the engine is cooled, the coolant will circulate back to the radiator. 

You need to ensure that your coolant levels are at the right mark. When you lift the hood of your car, you’ll see the coolant tank, and there is a mark on it that indicates whether the coolant is at the right level. Always ensure the coolant tank is full, and you won’t run into any overheating problems.

5. Check Fuel Filters

Fuel filters are important; they ensure the fuel being injected into the engine is clean and free of dust and debris. Regularly check the fuel filter to ensure the engine is being supplied with clean fuel. 

Changing the fuel filter may be tricky and should be done by a mechanic. Fuel filter locations vary from vehicle to vehicle. 

One of the most common signs that your fuel filter needs to be replaced is that the car doesn’t immediately pick up speed when you press on the throttle. 

Another thing that can be done to ensure optimum engine performance is adding fuel additives like Marvel Mystery oil or Seafoam. Fuel additives will clean the engine from years of carbon deposition and add another layer of lubrication to the engine components. This enhances engine performance and mileage.

6. Engine Belts

Engine belts are present to run the alternator, fan, water pump, and air conditioner. These belts usually last a long time, but they can succumb to wear and tear over the years. Regularly checking your belts will prevent major damage to your engine.

You can check your belts by turning them slightly and observing for any cracks on the belt. If your belt breaks while the car is running, it will cause your engine major damage.

7. Warning Lights

The warning lights in your car will tell you when something is wrong, and ignoring them is not wise at all. If any of your warning lights turn on, especially if the check engine light is on, you need to see a mechanic and get the car checked out.

8. Tune-Ups

Lastly, regular tune-ups are the best preventive measure for ensuring the engine doesn’t experience any problems. During the tuning session, regular tuning of the carburetor, checking the spark plugs, ignition wires, cap, rotor, and cables will all be done. Always get your tuning done from a reputable service station.

Tips On Increasing Your Car’s Lifespan

• Try to keep the rpm below 3000/minute for the first half an hour of driving
• Buy your fuel from a reputable gas station
• Don’t fill up your fuel when a tanker is filling up the station; the turbulence would have stirred up the fuel, and you may get some dust and debris in your fuel tank from the fuel
• Don’t race your car for at least 20 minutes after starting
• For a longer-lasting engine, you should run your car at a continuous speed, rather than increasing the speed immediately and then stopping abruptly. This kind of driving puts stress on the engine and reduces overall engine health

Conclusion

Your engine is the heart of your car and ensuring it runs smoothly is essential for a great driving experience. This is why maintaining engine health is important. We hope this list of engine maintenance tips has helped you understand how to take care of your engine, and now you will do it proactively.