Simple Maintenance Tips for Your Electric or Hybrid Car

Simple Maintenance Tips for Your Electric or Hybrid Car

One of the perks of driving an electric car is the fact that they need very little maintenance. Hybrid cars, however, combine an electric motor with a normal combustion engine and require that same amount of maintenance if not more. Before jumping headlong into purchasing one of these vehicles for the first time, it's important to educate yourself on their maintenance needs. Here are some quick and easy maintenance tips to make sure that you're getting the most efficiency out of your car.

Your car being hybrid or electric aside, all cars require tire maintenance. It doesn't matter what make or model your vehicle is; your engine's efficiency is greatly affected by how well your tires are doing their job. Tire pressure is important to check regularly because it ensures a good ride and can slow the wear on your tires. It also makes sure that you're getting the most mileage out of your gas. It's also important to remain aware of your tires tread and whether it's at a safe thickness. Rotating the tires regularly can slow this process, but eventually all tires need to be replaced. Check your owner's manual for the intervals which your tires need to be changed. Don't forget to check the check in unison when checking all of your tires; it's just as important as the tires that you use every day.

The battery is the most essential component in both hybrid and electric cars and needs to be monitored. Check it regularly, at least three times a year, to make sure that the terminals are tightly connected to the cables and they're both free of corrosion like rust and dirt. If you can readily open your battery, check the fluid levels inside to make sure that they are proper. Again, check your owner's manual for the regular intervals with which to check this.

A piece of maintenance that's specific to the electric car is changing the brushes on the motor. The brushes conduct electrical currents between wires and stationary parts in the engine and are apt to wear. But this process takes a long time; generally you won't have to replace your engine brushes until you've reached about 80,000 miles.

Again, there some things that are important on all vehicles and we wouldn't want to skip these systems just because we're being model specific. One of these systems is the brakes. As a general rule, you should check your brakes at least every 20,000 miles. Usually, you won't have to do a brake reline until you've covered twice that amount of mileage. But you can check them regularly by looking through your wheel spokes and measuring the thickness of the pads. Anything less than a quarter inch should be serviced.

Another system that's important to all vehicles is the suspension system. Usually, this system requires no maintenance until the end of the vehicle's life. However, if you notice the quality of your ride declining, you should take your vehicle in to be serviced immediately.

Hybrid cars, employing both electrical and combustion engines, need more maintenance. So, as with regular vehicles, you should check your oil and transmission fluids at the regular intervals defined in your owner's manual. It's also important to keep tabs on your coolant levels in your radiator. Hybrid cars are just as likely to overheat as normal vehicles when their coolants systems are neglected.

If you properly maintain your electric or hybrid vehicle, they will give you a lifetime of care free use and enjoyment. Unfortunately, even with strict maintenance and upkeep, our vehicles systems sometimes fail. When this happens, it's good to know that emergency roadside assistance is just a phone call away. Tow truck companies have been updated and can now usually diagnose engine troubles on the spot, even if you have a hybrid vehicle.

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