A car is a major investment, so it’s important for you to take care of your vehicle and ensure that it’s in a good state throughout your time together. This calls for knowing some of the basic things you should do to keep your car in good shape so you can travel safely in it. If you’d like to find out what some of these things are, read on to see four basic tips that can help you.

1. Check the Fluids

In a car, there are many fluids that you need to check in order to make sure that the car is in good shape. These include the transmission fluid, brake fluid, coolant, power steering fluid, and engine oil. Make sure that there aren’t any leaks and that these fluids are all at the right levels. It’s good to familiarize yourself with the colors of the different fluids. This way, if there’s a leak, you’ll be able to know which fluid is leaking and you can hasten the repair process as you take the necessary precautions. This is important to do because different fluids will stain and destroy the floor of the garage or area where you park your car. Leaks can also corrode nearby pipes and materials, another potential expense. It’s estimated that corrosion costs the United States $276 billion every year. Don’t let corroded roads destroy your car.

2. Check the Windshield and Wipers

It’s also important to clean the windshield thoroughly on a regular basis. Doing this is going to make it easier for you to spot any issues such as cracks that you need to repair as soon as you can. Don’t forget about the windshield wipers, which wear out over time and need to get replaced in order to keep working effectively. Worn-out or damaged blades can leave you with poor visibility in a snowstorm or during heavy rain. That said, inspect them and change them in order to keep driving safely.

3. Rotate the Tires

You ought to rotate your tires every 3,000 to 5,000 miles or at least every time that you go to have your oil changed. Doing this is important, as it will help reduce the wear that they experience and also give you good gas mileage. Check the tire pressure and either inflate or deflate them according to the required PSI. This is important to do because a flat tire or blowout is a serious safety risk.

4. Test the Lights

Last but not least, you need to check the lights to make sure that they’re all functioning. This is because you can easily get a ticket for driving around with a burnt-out bulb, which is also a safety hazard. You should check to find out whether it’s the bulb itself that’s blown out or whether you need to replace the fuse. Clean the lenses of your headlights and replace their bulbs the moment they start to get dim and you can be sure that you’ll be a lot safer while driving.

While taking these steps, it’s also important to know your rights as far as buying a faulty car that will cost you in terms of repairs goes. In this case, remember that the Tanner Consumer Protection Act is a part of the California Lemon Law. Under it, a car’s presumed to be a lemon if it’s been out of service for over 30 days in total within 18,000 miles of use or in the first 18 months from the time it’s delivered to the buyer. In such a case, you should take the appropriate legal action to make sure you don’t suffer the results of buying a car in a bad state. This will cost you a lot of time and money.