Mother’s Day may be observed just once a year, but a mom’s work is a daily thing that’s never done. You can’t blame a multitasking mom for occasionally forgetting her car’s maintenance schedules. And now that schooldays are fast approaching, a mother’s focus now shifts to her kids’ school needs, so there goes her attention to her car’s needs again.
Hopefully, the following at-a-glance tips to car care will serve the harried mommy-slash-driver’s purposes well. She can clip these tips and paste them on the fridge for her “to-do” notes, if she likes. Or maybe place it in her car’s sun visor pouch. Whatever will catch her attention. Because, admit it or not, her car needs some TLC, as well.
Mom, even if it’s not your birthday, “BLOWBAGA” as often as you can. That means, check your: B – Battery; L – Lights; O – Oil; W – Water; B – Brakes; A – Air or tires; G – Gas or fuel, and; A – Accessories.
Check your coolant level and drivebelts, too.
Take the car out for a long run once in a while, and not just for short journeys. Check how the brake pedal “plays.” Step on it and slowly press down. How does the pedal feel under your foot? Does it feel spongy or different from the usual? Does the pedal sink slowly to the floor? If so, have it checked immediately.
Check your spare tires, too. Is it still there, and with adequate tire pressure? Remember: Tires, in general, have a shelf life of five years before the rubber begins to deteriorate, even for the ones that aren’t in use.
Inflate your tires to the maximum allowable pressure to prevent the rims from being damaged. Every now and then, check if your wheels are aligned.
Always have in the car the following: Reflectorized vest for road visibility, in case you have to get out of the vehicle during a roadside emergency; contact numbers of ambulances, hospitals, and police; important personal information (including any drug allergies, medical conditions, etc., and the contact number of your closest kin), and; emergency lights with early warning device.
Purse that cellphone and makeup kit, mom. It’s now against the law to drive distracted.
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