Getting the most out of that new car, part 1

Once you have purchased a new car, there is more work to be done to ensure you get the most out of it. Chances are, a new model with have new features that your old car only dreamt of. Beyond learning about the bells and whistles, it is important to commit to a proactive car care and maintenance schedule, ensuring the car continues to look and run like new. We’ll cover that in the second part of this series.

Familiarize yourself with the car
Owner’s manual. Read it, or at least give it a good scan, from cover to cover. Admittedly, the manual won’t be as entertaining as a best-selling novel, but you will certainly learn about your car, how to use it, and how to care for it.

Pop the hood. Learn where to find key service items under the hood and how to check fluid levels and other vitals.

Change a tire. It’s also a good idea to do a trial run with the jack and spare tire. After all, the last place to start figuring out how to use them is on a cold, dark, wet roadside. Even if you don’t plan on ever changing a tire, you don’t want to end up like the driver who let a road-service technician dismantle half her Explorer’s interior before realizing the spare was mounted under the vehicle.

Prepare your car for duty
Now is a good time to head out to the store to pick up a few things, such as:

All-weather mats. There’s nothing quite like having a soggy blend of snow, sand, and road salt work its way into your original-equipment car mats. For winter months and muddy seasons, invest in a set of those deep rubber mats that can hold up to a quart of water. When they aren’t needed, you can roll the mats up with a bungee cord and stow them away. Don’t just throw the winter mats atop the carpeted mats though; this could cause interference with the car’s pedals.

Electric air pump. Maintaining tire pressure is important for safety, handling, and the longevity of the tires. An electric tire inflator that runs off your vehicle’s cigarette lighter or DC power outlet is a big convenience, especially during the season changes, when pressure fluctuates as the outdoor temperature wildly.

Other items. You should also consider carrying a basic tool kit, high-powered flashlight, portable wheel chocks, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, reflective emergency triangles, small board in case you need to use the jack on soft ground, blanket, and aerosol tire-puncture sealant. And possibly the best item in case of an emergency: a cell phone with a charger.

—Tony Giorgianni

We'd like to hear some of your thoughts for how to get the most out of a new vehicle. Post your advice and tips in the comments below, or join in our dedicated online discussion in the Cars forum.

Comments

[Rik-El]

You suggest some wise tips; some of these are basic, but I don't believe that I've actually ever read them before in 50 years. The suggestion to familiarize oneself with the removal of a wheel reminds me of my own recent experience. I usually change my own 4 wheels every year to install the mounted winter tires. Even though my shop will do it at no charge, I like to be sure that I can change a flat if the need arises. To my recent surprise I discovered that the alloy wheels of my Audi A4, 2003, will not come off the car's wheel hub; even though it's only been 4 months since the last removal. I thought "This is not nice. If I have a flat out on the road (which I did) I can't change the tire--I need to call for service." The Audi dealer's mechanic said that these alloy wheels corrode to the hub & one needs to put the auto on a lift so that you can pound the wheel from the car. Morale of the story: The best laid plans of mice and men....It was a great idea to be proactive--only if the manufaturer would cooperate.

[everett whitney]

ABOUT Tire Changing Practice ?

Essentially all new vehicle jacks & the wrench to remove those wheel nuts are so inadequate as to be unsafe !

Do spend under $8 to buy a much more satisfactory 20" - former 'garage' style lug wrench - shaped like a huge 'plus sign' with (4) different sizes of sockets at the ends of each arm. Could make the difference in ever being able to accomplish a flat change at all !

[Lorraine]

Thanks for the tip about the electric pump! I went searching and was shocked at inexpensively a decent on can be had.

[Anthony Giorgianni - Consumer Reports]

Everett: Nice suggestion.

A related tip is to buy a torque wrench. Many car owners don't realize that their wheel lug nuts must be tightened the same amount to prevent warping the rotors. (The specification - expressed in foot pounds, pound feet or newton meters) can be found in your vehicle owner's manual)

Many mechanics seem not to know about the settings either, or they just don't care. I still see plenty of cases of lug nuts' being tightened so much that you can hardly loosen them, a real problem if you need to change a flat on a highway or if you simply want to preserve your rotors. Impact wrenches can be equipped to use torque settings, incidentally.

I've seen simple beam-type torque wrenches for less than $10 online and in walk-in stores. I actually have one stowed away in my car.

Anthony Giorgianni