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For cars that are several years old, maintenance can represent a significant part of the cost price of the vehicle. Today, new vehicles require little maintenance, car manufacturers are helping to reduce these costs by improving their quality and reliability. Some manufacturers now offer warranties of up to five or even seven years.

Basic maintenance
For an automobile, the main interventions are operations necessary to maintain a good level of performance and safety. A certain number of checks, necessary and accessible to all, must be carried out regularly.

Daily
Check the correct fluid level: cooling, brake, oil, windscreen washer. Check the operation of the turn signals.

Weekly
Clean the windows and degrease the windshield well.
Check bulbs and clean headlights and taillights.
Check the operation and condition of the windshield wipers.
Check tire pressure. In the event of a sudden change in temperature, it is important to check the pressure of the tyres, which can very quickly become under-inflated or over-inflated.

Based on mileage
After a certain mileage, certain maintenance operations are necessary, from 7,500 km (for older vehicles) to more than 25,000 km (for newer ones):
Engine oil must be drained and replaced with new oil. And this at least once a year, indeed even in the absence of operation the engine oil (in semi-open circuit) is loaded with humidity and dust.
Every two engine oil changes, the replacement of the oil filter is recommended.
With generally the same periodicity, the engine air filter is also good for replacement.
Specific to cars with controlled ignition engines, the replacement of spark plugs is also on the agenda.
When changing the engine oil, it is advisable to check the level of the gearbox oil, the circuit for this oil being of the closed type, the lubrication of the gearboxes is to be life, so no emptying.
It is also imperative to check, on this occasion, the level of wear of the braking system: level of brake fluid, linings and discs.
It is advisable to take advantage of this to carry out a visual inspection of all the usually hidden parts (underside and compartments with reserved access), in order to detect any anomaly: leaks, broken support, deformed part or part ready to yield.
Depending on the type of use (city, highway, dust, heat, load), maintenance intervals can vary from half to double.

Corrective maintenance or repair
An accident may necessitate exceptional interventions, carried out by a qualified mechanic. They can go as far as complex repairs to the bodywork, or even the replacement of complete components. Chassis-shells have the advantage of being more rigid but are also more vulnerable.
In Europe, warranties granted on the purchase of new vehicles are now systematically two years in accordance with the legislation. Many car manufacturers offer extended warranties for periods of more than three years.
The arrival in force of electronics in the automobile, although it makes it possible to offer many new functionalities, also poses new problems in terms of maintenance and repair. Repair garages are therefore faced with a major change in their profession which, from purely mechanical, is becoming increasingly electromechanical, even computer-based, which requires them to have access to complete and up-to-date technical information.