Maintaining and cleaning your car regularly will ensure its longevity. On the other hand, if certain operations do not require any mechanical skills, others must be carried out by one of our professionals. Discover through this article how to properly maintain your car.
Monitor tire pressure
Because they connect your car to the road, your tires are a true distillation of technology. Did you know, for example, that the manufacture of just one of them involves more than 200 components? To guarantee your vehicle safe and optimal handling, your tires must be in perfect condition.. We tell you how to do it in this article. Regarding the pressure, it is very easy to check it using a manometer. If you don’t have one, go to a service station or car wash equipped with an inflator. in the opening of the driver’s door or inside the fuel filler flap of your car. Information that you will also find in the user guide for your Renault.
Check the condition of the brakes
Check the condition of your brake pads with the naked eye? Impossible mission. For that, go to one of our workshops . On the other hand, it is much easier to check the status of your disks. If any of them show signs of wear and/or scratches, they should be replaced.
Control levels
It is essential to check the different levels of your car at least once a month. To do this, nothing could be easier: park your Renault on a flat surface, turn off your engine, open your bonnet then start by checking the level of the windshield washer fluid. If it’s too low, fill it up. Next, the turn of the brake fluid. Use witnesses to control its level. If necessary, adjust it. Continue with the power steering fluid – again, using the level indicator – then check the engine oil. The correct level is between the minimum and maximum indications located at the end of the gauge.
Watch the lights
Regularly check the condition of your headlights and the proper functioning of your bulbs. If one of them is faulty, change it. To find out how, go here .
Clean the body of your car
Beyond the aesthetic aspect, cleaning Maintaining and cleaning your car your bodywork will protect it against corrosion and wear. Wash your car in cold water with a microfiber sponge and black soap. For rinsing, mix a little water and white vinegar. To preserve the treated surfaces, do not wash your vehicle in the sun, or when it is too hot (+ 30°) or too cold (- 10°).
Pay attention to the condition of the windshield
If it shows signs of damage, have it repaired. On the other hand, if it has one (or more) crack(s), it is time to replace it.
To clean the windshield – as well as all the windows of your Renault – mix a little white vinegar with dish soap . Once washed, rub it with newspaper. Guaranteed result.
Check wiper blades
Summer or winter, the rubber of your wiper blades suffers from extreme temperatures. Check their condition and, if necessary, change them.
Test battery status
To do this, you will need a simple multimeter that you will find in any DIY store (count about twenty euros). With the engine on, connect the tip of the red cable to the + terminal of the battery, the tip of the black cable to the – terminal. If your battery is in good condition, the voltage will be between 12.4 and 12.7 V. A value below 12.4 V indicates that your battery needs to be charged.
Engine drain
The oil change ensures the proper functioning of the elements that make up your car’s engine: valves, rocker arms, camshafts, pistons, crankshaft… When you drive, all these parts “come to life”: they move, collide, rub against each other. The oil plays an essential role: by lubricating them, it allows those in contact to “move” without generating too much friction. Once the oil is used, it loses its properties. Consequences: the rocker arms risk breaking, the crankshaft bearings melting, the cylinders scratching…
To avoid reaching such extremes, manufacturers recommend changing the oil every 10,000 to 15,000 km for gasoline engines, every 7000 km for diesel engines. Other factors come into play: year of entry into service of your car, mileage, type of engine, etc. To find out more, refer to your car’s maintenance booklet or your MY Renault account .
Technical control
The 1st inspection is to be carried out during the 6 months before the 4th anniversary of the 1st entry into service of your vehicle. For example, for a car put into service on July 1, 2017, the first technical inspection must take place between January 1, 2021 and June 30, 2021.
