7 New Year's Resolutions For Every Car Owner

If you want to keep your car running in top condition, you need to be proactive about maintenance. In the new year, sit down and create a maintenance schedule for your car. This will help you keep track of when necessary tasks need to be done and ensure that you don’t forget anything important. Some short-term checkups that are easy to perform by yourself are checking oil and coolant levels, rotating your tires, replacing your air filters, checking your tire pressures and tire tread depth, checking your headlights turn signals, and brakes, replacing your engine oil and oil filter, rotating tires, etc.

A schedule with these basic car repairs and maintenance will not only help you save money but also prevent breakdowns.

Winter and a new year always come along. With winter around, an important new year's resolution should be to drive safely and slowly. In winter, visibility decreases due to intense fog and bad weather. Always ensure your car fog lights are in good condition, working properly, and you are driving with low beam lights in such conditions. Moreover, your vehicle can skid in winter if you haven't changed to winter tires. It is mandated by law in Canada to change to winter tires to avoid accidents.

Another important habit to develop safe driving is to follow proper lane discipline. While driving, don't cruise in the fast lane at the speed limit. You should switch lanes, move to the right and allow other drivers to pass who wish to go fast. There will always be someone who is driving faster than you. You should change lanes and allow other drivers to use the fast lane to avoid improper passes that can lead to accidents. In simple words, don't hog the fast lane and move over whenever necessary.

According to the Canada Automobile Association (CAA), the chances of drivers facing an accident while using cell phones while driving are up to eight times more. They also report that roughly 27% of fatal crashes in British Columbia were due to mobile distractions while driving. This is a very important resolution to add to your New Year's Resolution for 2023.

An emergency kit is one of the most important things to have in your car. With the holiday season around, traveling is imminent so make sure your vehicle has all the necessary emergency tools. If you need assistance, make sure to have your car emergency kit with all the necessary equipment with you.

An emergency kit includes jumper cables or a jump starter, a wheel wrench, a tripod jack, a flashlight, a first aid kit, a fire extinguisher, a basic car tool kit, duct tape, and extra batteries. If you plan road trips regularly and love to camp, these emergency kits are a must-have in your car. GPS devices, towing chains, kitty litter, salt, warm blankets, protein bars, candles and lights, car battery chargers, etc. are other things that you can include in your emergency kit.

The National Safety Council recommends having an emergency kit always in the trunk of your vehicle and the things it should include. Drive safely by making safety one of your new year's resolutions.

You are late for a meeting, you turn the ignition key and the car doesn't start. Although there can be several reasons why your car doesn't start, if all you hear is a clicking sound, it might be that your car’s battery is dead. It gets worse during winters and you don't know how to jump-start your vehicle. The only option is to wait for a mechanic, or someone who can help you jump-start your car. But what if you are on a road trip, or camping or stranded in the middle of nowhere with no one to help? Don't let this happen again next year and make a new year resolution to learn how to jump-start your vehicle. 

There are several ways to jump-start your vehicle easily. You can use jumper cables or jump starters. Modern jump starters are battery power packs that can even fit in your glove box and feature USB charging, LED lights, etc. Unlike jumper cables, jump starters do not require another vehicle to which you can connect your cables to. Make a new year's resolution to learn how to jump-start your vehicle and learn more about jump starters.

Your car communicates with you via dashboard lights and tells you if something is wrong. It's important to understand what they mean and should not be ignored, as they can prevent a car breakdown and save you an expensive repair bill. Not every symbol on the car dashboard is a warning light. Some are vehicle features like cruise control and lane departure warnings and some are warning lights like engine temperature, battery or check engine light. Did you know even the color of these lights (red, green and blue) matters a lot based on the degree of problem in the vehicle? Therefore, it is necessary to understand what these lights mean. Do not allow your car dashboard to light up like a Christmas tree and get it checked by a mechanic.

Sometimes, your car also communicates with you with smells and noises. Any bad odor and foul smell from the vehicle mean there is an issue. But recognizing these smells and noises is very necessary to detect the problem before it becomes big. Learn what vehicle odors are and what they mean this year to prevent your vehicle from a breakdown. Also, learn about common car noises and what they mean.

Keeping your car clean may seem too obvious, but people don't realize how important it is. Keeping your car clean not only helps you preserve your vehicle's paint but extends the life of your vehicle too. An unclean car with a layer of grime and road salt eats into your car's paint, causing rust and eventually leading to costly repairs. Although it's not a mechanical maintenance thing, a clean car makes you feel better, especially if you are driving a spacious SUV or van. 

Food particles, wrappers or soda cans stain the upholstery of your vehicle, damage the floor carpets and mats. Also, it's not safe to drive around in a car with cans and bottles as they can roll under your brake pedal and lead to accidents. The best way to ensure your car remains clean is to get a car wash subscription. You don't have to create a schedule and your car's interiors will remain clean and free of bad odors.

Un-schedule your busy routine and head out for a road trip. Road trips are one of the most rewarding and exciting activities a person can embark upon. Make the best of this new year by discovering new places and being confident and optimistic. Traveling to a new destination will not only help you handle stress effectively, but also create memories for life. It will also help you gain new perspectives on your life, the upcoming year, and your vehicle as well. However, it’s necessary to prepare yourself and your car for road trips. Check our car routine maintenance and checklist to ensure the vehicle doesn't suffer any breakdowns.

A New year is a great time to set goals and work on them. New year resolutions can be academic, lifestyle-based, or around your overall well-being. These resolutions and goals make you a better person, but we believe it's necessary to have a few new year's resolutions for your car as well. These 7 resolutions will help you keep your car in good condition and prevent breakdowns and hefty repairs. Make it a priority this new year to take your car for its scheduled servicing. Happy New Year!