Monthly Checklist Tips - Big A Auto Sales & Service

Take 10 minutes and use our Monthly Checklist to do your own quick visual car inspection and fluid levels check. A few minutes each month could save you a lot of money on repairs down the road. Following a basic car maintenance checklist can help keep you on the road and out of the repair shop. A little vehicular pampering can also help extend your fuel economy and put less of a burden on the environment. Take care of your car, and it will take care of you.

Basic automobile maintenance and upkeep describes the action of examining and testing the state of your car’s engine and servicing or replacing parts and fluids. Regular maintenance is necessary to ensure the safety, reliability, drivability, comfort and longevity of your car. Completing a monthly preventive maintenance checklist, will alert you to fixable problems, before it’s too late.

The actual schedule for a monthly preventive maintenance checklist varies depending on the year, make, and model of your car, its driving conditions and driver behavior. Auto makers create their recommended service schedules based on boundary factors such as:

number of trips and distance traveled per trip per day
extreme hot or cold climate conditions
mountainous, dusty or de-iced roads
heavy stop-and-go vs. long-distance cruising
towing a trailer or other heavy load
Our monthly preventive maintenance checklist (created by experienced service technicians) recommends a maintenance schedule based on the driving conditions and behavior of the car owner or driver.

Common car maintenance tasks include:

Car wash
check/replace the engine oil and replace oil filters
check/replace fuel filters
inspect or replace windshield wipers
check or refill windshield washer fluid
inspect tires for pressure and wear
Tire balancing
Tire rotation
Wheel alignment
check, clean or replace battery terminals and top up battery fluid
inspect or replace brake pads
check or flush brake fluid
check or flush transmission fluid
check or flush power steering fluid
check and flush engine coolant
inspect or replace spark plugs
inspect or replace air filter
inspect or replace timing belt and other belts
lubricate locks, latches, hinges
check all lights
tighten chassis nuts and bolts
check if rubber boots are cracked and need replacement
test electronics, e.g., Anti-lock braking system or ABS
read fault codes from the Engine control unit
Following a basic car maintenance checklist can help keep you on the road and out of the repair shop. A little vehicular pampering can also help extend your fuel economy and put less of a burden on the environment. Take 10 minutes and use our Monthly Checklist to do your own quick visual car inspection and fluid levels check. A few minutes each month could save you a lot of money on repairs down the road. Remember … Take care of your car, and it will take care of you.