4 Ways To Tune Up Your Car

It seems like these days, less people are plunking down hunks of cash on new cars. People are hanging onto their older cars longer for a variety of reasons. One of these reasons is due to the fact that people simply know how to take care of their cars in this day and age. Some people, however, are confused about how to go about tuning up their car. There are a number of things that you can do in order to give your car a tune-up.  

1. Flush All Fluids

You should flush all fluids that are present in your car on a regular basis. For example, many people tend to forget about their power steering fluid. In fact, power steering fluid is one of the fluids that you should flush and replace the most frequently, due to the fact that it is petroleum based, and petroleum tends to break down more quickly than other fluids. Most of the other parts of your car directly rely on fluids, as well. In addition to the brakes themselves, brake fluid can also lubricate a number of hoses and rubber and metal particles.

2. Straighten or Replace Wheels

You often become used to the way your car rides, which means you may not notice some of the issues associated with it. Your wheels, for example, might be in definite need of being straightened or replaced. New tires can compensate for some of this give, but alloy wheels can eventually become a bit worn out or misaligned due to the shock of being subjected to the road. Have a service remove your tires, and realign your wheels, having them fix any damage that your wheels have incurred due to being on the road.

3. Replace Your Struts

Replacing your struts can be a relatively expensive process, and it might not even appear that your struts are damaged. However, it is best to have these expensive parts replaced, as your own safety might be at risk if you do not. Your struts should be replaced once every three to four years as when they wear out over time, you will find that your stopping distance has increased greatly. This, essentially, means that your car will not stop as quickly as you want it to when you apply pressure to your brakes.

4. Replace Catalytic Converter

In addition to having your catalytic converter replaced, you should also consider having your muffler and oxygen sensor replaced at the same time. You should have them replaced due to the fact that they will keep the air both in your car and the air that your car emits. If your car is clogged up with air of poor quality, this means that it is not going to run efficiently, either. Not only will replacing these items ensure that your car is being more energy efficient, it will save you cash on things like gas.

Car tune ups can be done at home by you or by a car repair service in your area.