Change The Oil Regularly

Regular oil changes lead to longer engine life and increased performance. Discover the 7 benefits of frequent oil changes.

Keep the Cooling System Working

In addition to changing the oil, there's another part of keeping the engine cool that you can't overlook -- the cooling system itself.

Keep the Engine Breathing

Imagine training for marathon. You work out, run every day, eat right and give your body the proper amount of rest. But when the marathon day comes, you forget to do one thing: breath.

Check for Leaks

You don't have to be a mechanic to spot a leak. In fact, sometimes you don't even need to see it -- you can just smell it. Oil and antifreeze are the two main fluids you want to make sure aren't leaking out of your engine.

No we're not talking about dressing etiquette. We're talking about the rubber belts on your engine that run all sorts of vital components. The function of a belt can vary from car to car, but some of their main responsibilities are running the fan, water pump, alternator and air conditioner. You don't need to know what all those things are, but you do need to know that the belts on your engine run at least some of them.

Keep Your Belts On

Replace the Fuel Filter

We mentioned earlier about how the fuel filter protects your engine from harmful sediment and particles in the gas. The fuel filter catches any particles or debris that would be harmful to the engine and keeps it trapped in a canister, much like your oil filter does.