Every car enthusiast will know what we are talking about when we mention the term TLC. However, if you are new to cars or are not aware, don’t worry! This article will show you exactly what TLC is in a car. It’s actually quite simple!
The term means “Tender Loving Care.” This means taking care of your car and maintaining it to a proper standard. If you want a car that performs well and has a long lifespan, proper TLC is recommended. Now that you know what TLC is in a car, let’s talk about how you can provide your car with proper care.
What Is TLC in a Car? & How To Provide It
As we mentioned before, TLC stands for “Tender Loving Care,” and every car deserves it. Over time, your car will fall prey to wear and tear. However, if you give it proper TLC, your car will be extremely thankful and have a longer lifespan. Plus, it saves you a lot of maintenance money.
Do you want your car to run at peak performance? Well, look no further, because we’ll show you how you can take care of your vehicle and provide it with proper care.
Oil and Filter Change
Every car needs maintenance from time to time. The first thing that you should look at is if your car needs an engine, oil, or air filter change. You need to get your oil changed after almost every 3000 miles or 3 months — whatever comes first.
On top of that, you also need to know how often to change your air filter. A dirty filter can cause a lot of damage to your vehicle by emitting black smoke, reducing performance, and decreasing mileage. That is why it is highly suggested that you change the air filter to make sure the car stays in good shape.
If you like to check your oil at home, then chances are it might get stuck on your clothes. Here’s a helpful guide to show you how you can get oil out of clothes easily.
Check Your Brake Pads
Checking your brake pads and brake fluid is extremely important. If these parts are faulty, you’ll be in a dangerous situation when driving the car. To avoid having a fatal accident, we suggest that you do a regular inspection of the car. You can also get an inspection appointment from workshops as well.
All vehicle owners need to make sure that their brakes are working properly. If you bought a car from a previous owner, the first thing you need to do is to check the brake pads and lights.
Speaking of lights, if your tail lights are not working properly, you can get pulled over by the cops. No one wants that. So, you should make sure that your brake lights are working correctly.
Keep Up With Coolants
Cooling fluids are there to make sure that your car does not overheat. There are tons of options to choose from, but you should select the one that suits your car the best. This can be achieved through trial and error or by asking certified professionals about their opinion on different cooling fluids.
While on the subject of fluids, you should also check your brake fluids regularly. Additionally, changing your transmission fluid after hitting 100,000 miles is highly suggested for all vehicle owners.
Get Your Tires Checked
Just like with all the coolants and oil changes, you should also get your tires checked regularly. After every 7,000 to 8,000 miles, it is suggested that you get your tires rotated. Rotating the tires will ensure that you don’t see wear and tear on them. It will also save you from expensive repairs down the road.
If you want to get this done, we suggest going to an inspection facility and asking them for tire rotations. Expensive cars will need to get their tires rotated more than cheaper cars. In any case, doing so increases the longevity of your tires and allows your car to perform well.
If you do not do this regularly, your tires will start to wear out and eventually lose their grip on the road. This can be quite dangerous, as your car will have a chance of slipping whenever you are driving. Obviously getting your tires rotated is fairly tedious, but it is an essential part of your scheduled maintenance.
Along with getting the tires rotated, you should also ensure that the tire pressure is alright. Sometimes, a little more attention to your car can prove beneficial. If you have a Subaru, this tire pressure guide will definitely help.
Take Care of the Exterior
While maintaining the interior is the most logical priority, it is also crucial to take care of the exterior. By this, we mean that you should regularly wash your car to keep it in a presentable shape. While it might not seem like it, washing your car can make a huge difference. While you’re at it, why not clean the interior as well!
At the same time, keep an extra eye out for any dents that might be on your vehicle. You might be a safe driver, but accidents happen all the time. It’s also possible for someone to hit your car while it’s parked. Taking care of dents as soon as possible is essential.
If you notice a scratch on your car, we suggest that you buff it out. On top of that, waxing it every now and then is also recommended. You should also throw out any additional stuff inside of your car that you might not need.
Some people get lazy and leave various invoices or random trash inside their cars. We suggest that you take a bag and clean out your vehicle after every few days. Plus, thoroughly cleaning the seats of your car will make it look amazing.
This might sound like a hassle, but all of this is extremely easy and can quickly become a part of your routine if you put your mind to it.
Benefits of TLC in a Car
Now that we’ve established what TLC is and how you can do it, let’s discuss the benefits of all the effort. After all, it takes a lot of time to maintain your car.
Your Car Won’t Break Down Randomly
This is easily the biggest advantage of regularly cleaning and maintaining your car. If you do not care about your car, chances are that it will break down without any warning since the components will not be fully functioning. With proper TLC, you won’t have to worry about your car breaking down randomly.
Plus, more frequent inspections of your car will help you catch small problems early before they turn into bigger and more expensive problems. You can enjoy driving around in a safe, clean, and fast car.
Increased Safety
If you take the time to properly care for your car, it will ensure your safety as well. Having all the parts working correctly reduces the risk of accidents. For example, there is always a risk of your brakes failing if you do not look at the brake fluids or check the brake pads.
We agree that doing all of this can take a lot of time and effort, but when it comes to your safety, it’s definitely worth it. Plus, you’ll also get better fuel efficiency since your engine will be running perfectly. This means that you won’t have to spend so much money on fuel, which can save you significant cash, especially with the gas prices being so high now.
It Will Save You Money
Having your vehicle break down randomly sucks. What’s even worse is the money you have to spend to fix whatever went wrong with your vehicle. Oftentimes, car parts can be quite expensive. You might have to spend thousands of dollars to get everything working properly again.
While the initial maintenance will cost you money, it will ensure that you are safe from random expenses in the long run. Getting routine service is crucial when it comes to the TLC of your car.
The Downsides of Neglecting Your Car
If you’re still not convinced that proper TLC is essential for your car, maybe some downsides will convince you. There is so much that can go wrong if you do not take care of your vehicle.
Decreased Power
One of the most notable things that will happen if you don’t take care of your car is a decrease in engine power. If you do not replace the fluids in your engine, it won’t work at its peak power. Eventually, it might even cease working.
Changing coolants is also extremely important, because otherwise, your car can start overheating. Once that starts to happen, your car is in danger of stopping randomly due to so much heat in the engine. Always make sure that you top off the coolants and mix a bit of water with the antifreeze as well.
Potential Oil Leaks
If you do not regularly change your engine oil after every 3 months or 3,000 miles, it can get contaminated. Once it is contaminated, it will hurt your car from the inside. On top of that, it might even cause an oil leak.
Plus, if it doesn’t get contaminated, chances are that it’ll run out. Once it is out, your car will stop working, which can be quite dangerous if you are going on the highway or are stuck in traffic.
Components Can Break
One of the biggest disadvantages of not doing a regular inspection of your car is that the parts inside can wear out or even break. Naturally, the parts in your car are bound to rust or corrode over time. However, all of this can be avoided if you take good care of them.
If some part is rusted or seems like it isn’t working, you should get it repaired or replaced instead of waiting for it to give out. People often get lazy and don’t pay much attention to this, but it can be the difference between having to spend thousands at once or spending hundreds for your car to work for longer.
Additionally, if you neglect your car, the chances are that your brake pads might stop working. This is extremely dangerous, as you might be on a busy road or going at a high speed. Your brakes giving out in these moments is scary and can be a cause of a fatal crash.
That is why it is highly suggested that you get regular inspections from your mechanic and ask them if you need new brake pads or not.
Conclusion
You now have everything you need to know about what TLC is in a car. Providing good Tender Loving Care will ensure that your car does the same for you. Proper care of cars will make sure that your engine health is at 100% and the life span of your car is extended.
Taking good care of your car also ensures that it doesn’t break down randomly and doesn’t add extra unforeseen expenses for you. The most important thing is that you’ll have peace of mind that your vehicle is safe and in great shape.
Practicing TLC helps your car look good and saves you money. So, what are you waiting for? Go to the mechanic today and ask them to do a full check-up of your car.
