Car maintenance

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Do these and the car keeps running. Your owner's manual wins if it names a different mileage. A small reader you plug into the car is worth having. It reads the codes and shows the vitals before a light comes on.

Every month

Check the tire air pressure, including the spare. Do it when the tires are cold.
Look at the tread. A bald tire or a nail in the tread does not wait for the yearly visit.
Check the oil level on the dipstick if the car has one.
Look under the car for fresh drips.
Make sure the headlights, brake lights, and turn signals work.

Every six months

Change the oil and the oil filter. Most cars want this about every 5,000 to 7,500 miles, or twice a year if you drive less.
Top off the washer fluid and replace wiper blades that smear.
Check the coolant level in the overflow tank when the engine is cold.
Check the brake fluid level. A low level often means the pads are worn.
Look at the belts and hoses for cracks, soft spots, and leaks.
Clean the battery posts if they are crusty, and make sure the cables are tight.
Plug in a code reader and clear nothing until you know what the code means.
Listen for a squeal when you brake, and a clunk over bumps.

Once a year

Change the engine air filter, or sooner if you drive on dirt roads.
Change the cabin filter. A dusty one is why the fan sounds weak and the windows fog.
Check the fuel filter, or change it, every 20,000 miles.
Have the spark plugs tested. Replace them if they are worn, fouled, or the gap is gone. Waiting until the car misfires costs more.
Have the battery tested, especially before winter. Replace it if it fails the test.
Rotate the tires so they wear even.
Have the brakes looked at: pads, rotors, and the parking brake.
Get an alignment if the car pulls or the steering wheel sits crooked.
Have the coolant tested. Old coolant eats the water pump and the radiator.
Check power steering fluid if the car still uses it.
Run the air conditioner and the heater. A weak AC often starts with a low charge or a dirty cabin filter.
Look at the exhaust for rust holes and loud leaks.
Check the lug nuts after a tire shop visit, then again at home a day later.

Around 35,000 to 50,000 miles

Change the transmission fluid if the manual says so around 35,000 or 50,000 miles. "Lifetime" fluid still gets dirty. Follow the book for your car, and use the fluid it names.
Replace the spark plugs if the last set was due in this range. Some iridium plugs go much longer. The manual has the number.
Flush the brake fluid about every two or three years. It absorbs water and the pedal gets soft.
Change the coolant if it has never been done and the car is in this mileage.
On a rear wheel drive car or a truck, ask about the differential fluid. It is an easy one to forget.

Keep the receipts. The next time a light comes on, the plug in reader and the last oil date tell you where to start.

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