5 Easy DIY Car Maintenance Tips

After your home, your car may be one of the priciest items you own. By properly maintaining your vehicle, you can reduce accidents and expensive fixes later down the line. Below are five DIY car maintenance tips you can likely manage yourself.

Keep your tires properly pressurized. Checking the air pressure on your tires can lengthen their lifespan and improve gas mileage. To maintain, check the pressure recommendation in your vehicle manual, and then use a pressure gauge at least once a month to make sure they match. Need more air? Fill up at your local gas station.

Swap out your wiper blades. You can change your wiper blades yourself in under 15 minutes. Ideally, you should tackle this every 6 - 12 months, depending on how frequently you drive.

Change your AC filters. Your AC filter, also known as your cabin air filter, helps filter out dust, debris and pollen pumped through your HVAC system. Changing it will clean your air, prevent allergic reactions and minimize dusty odors. You can order a filter online and swap it out every 15,000 to 25,000 miles.

Change your engine air filters. "Similar to your AC filters, the engine air filter under your hood should be changed once a year, or every 12,000 miles, whichever comes first. You can order a filter online and fit it in yourself in under 10 minutes.

Check those fluids. Check your oil at least once a month, or longer if you drive infrequently. Don't forget to keep up with other fluids as well, including brake, power-steering, automatic transmission and wiper.