Becoming the kind of responsible adult male that this site is all about means taking better care of the things in your life. It’s about seeing the value of what you have and being responsible for it. One of the most important assets in a man’s life is his car. Even if you’re no gearhead, you ought to recognize both its monetary value and the sheer utility it adds to your life. So here’s how you become a better owner.
Keeping your toolbox stocked
This guide is going to teach you how to be a bit more handy with all the tools you need to maintain a car. There are a lot of fixes and maintenances you can take care of yourself. You just need to make sure you have a toolbox with all the right tools handy. And that you take care of them. Even if you’re a complete novice, you’re going to need wrenches, socket wrenches, screwdrivers and pliers to begin with. You can read up on some of the best tools on the market if you read this review and similar sites. The more you put into taking care of car, the more likely you are to expand that tool collection.
Learning your repairs
Tools aren’t the only thing you need, however. You’re also going to want to learn a bit about repairs you can make yourself. Note that we’re not telling you how to become a mechanic all on your own. You’ll still need them for the big fixes and keeping your car log up to date. However, taking the time to learn a bit more on your own can end up saving you quite a lot of money on those trips to the mechanic. There are all kinds of resources you can find on the internet. Some will teach you the basic DIY fixes you can make to your car. You can also find manuals that teach you every detail of your specific ride that you might possibly want to know.
Maintaining its performance
Besides the fixes that you’re likely going to need to make now and again, there are some other things that you’ll need to learn. Simple tips for keeping the performance of the car as well maintained as it can be. Checks and preventative measures to fight off the possibility of things breaking down in the long run. This includes simple enough matters like changing the oil and checking the pressure of the tires. Checking transmission fluid and the engine air filter might seem like a little more work. Once you begin to build a bit of experience and confidence in dealing with your car, however, it’ll get a lot easier.
Maintaining its interior and exterior
It’s not just the interior of the car that matters either. If you want to be a more responsible car owner, you should be concerned with its appearance, too. It doesn’t reflect well on you if you’re driving something that’s dented and dirty, after all. There are a few exterior snags that you can fix yourself without too much effort. Even those dents and dings can be taken care of with the right know-how. If there’s paint missing or the metal is creased or crumpled, it might need to go to the shop. Suction cups can be enough to take care of the less damaging dents, however. All this does is pull things back into place.
The emergency kit
Taking care of the car is important. It won’t get you out of every messy situation, however. Some require a kit all on their own. We’re talking about the occasions on which you might find yourself breaking down or stranded in the middle of your drive. The first priority of the emergency kit is keeping you and your car safe. That’s why you need high-visibility jackets in your kit, as well as reflective markers to put around your car. That will keep you visible. You may have need to some water, food and blankets to keep yourself comfortable if you need to wait. A first aid kit is another must in case you get yourself into a bump. Finally, keep a phone that’s fully charged switched off. This can help you maintain communication even if your own phone battery dies. There’s more that goes into a full emergency kit, so do your research and prepare accordingly.
Dealing with a crisis
There are some situations that are a degree more serious, however. Even if no-one is hurt, getting into an automobile accident can cost you a lot of money. For that reason, it’s good to have the knowledge in mind to keep yourself out of trouble. First, report the crash to the emergency services and insurance companies immediately. Get the necessary information like registration and name of the others involved. You can also make sure that you have all the evidence in your favor by keeping a dash camera on your car.
Driving responsibly
Of course, you can’t eliminate all the possibilities of getting into one accident or another. You can, however, limit them by driving with responsibility on the road. This means a few different things. For one, making sure your car’s ready by making the necessary checks. It might mean making a few adjustments to it if you’re driving in the winter, too. It also means keeping those road safety tips at the front of your mind as much as you can. Keeping your focus is key. If you’re going on long drives and finding that difficult, you need to make a temporary stop. Make your driving less of a burden to others on the road by indicating properly. Being gracious with your space to let others commute more effectively is important, too.
Your finances
Being more responsible as a car owner means taking care of how you maintain it. That applies to all the costs that go into your car, as well. Cars aren’t cheap, you know that by now. But that doesn’t mean you can’t work at reducing some of those costs. First, make sure you have an educated figure in mind for how much you plan to spend on your car. Then make a budget of all the different expenses that go into it. The big four are paying for the car itself, its insurance, the fuel and setting money aside for maintenance/repairs. Making this budget can show you places you might be able to cut down a bit.
Quitting the bad habits
What really separates the best drivers from the worst usually tends to come down primarily to the kind of habits picked up on the road. Some bad habits, like poor indicating, can make you a danger on the road. Others can be worse for your car and particularly the actual value of it. For example, you might be okay with taking your car into the dirtier places once in awhile for a more exciting drive. If you’re not thorough in cleaning it after, however, you can be corroding away at parts of the car. Similarly, driving hard and hearing that engine roar can be more trouble than you would like. In new cars in particular, they need some breaking in to start with.
Being a better car owner is about knowing how to take care of your car. Not just the car itself, but how you drive and react to certain situations. You’re no longer a teenager who can get away with treating the car like just another toy, so treat it right.
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