How to maintain a new car

Question

I recently bought a 2019 Mitsubishi Xpander.
This is my first time owning a car, and I'd like to know what are the basic periodic checks I should be doing.

(the car manual is not in English, and I didn't manage to find an English one)

Answer 1

Check the Engine Oil Do it regularly—monthly for a vehicle in good condition; more often if you notice an oil leak or find you need to add oil routinely. The car should be parked on level ground so you can get an accurate dipstick reading. Don’t overfill. And if you do have a leak, find and fix it soon.

Check Tire Air Pressure Once a month and before any extended road trips, use an accurate tire-pressure gauge to check the inflation pressure in each tire, including the spare. Do this when the tires are cold (before the vehicle has been driven or after no more than a couple of miles of driving). Use the inflation pressure recommended by the vehicle’s manufacturer, not the maximum pressure embossed on the tire’s sidewall. The recommended pressure is usually found on a placard on a front doorjamb, in the glove compartment, or in the owner’s manual. Also be sure to inspect tires for abnormal or uneven wear, cuts, and any sidewall bulges you can see.

CR advises that digital tire-pressure gauges (which cost about $15 to $25) are probably the best bet overall because they will give an accurate reading or none at all. Many pencil-type gauges (typically $10 to $15) are good as well. Note that to check the pressure in a temporary spare tire, which is often 60 psi, you will need a gauge that goes higher than that—say from 0 up to 90 pounds. (See our tire buying advice and Ratings.)

Wash the Car Try to wash the car every week, if you can. Wash the body and, if necessary, hose out the fender wells and undercarriage to remove dirt and road salt. It’s time to wax the finish when water beads become larger than a quarter.

*as your car is brand new you don't need to worry about air-filter or oil-filter for now.

Answer 2

If your car doesn't have an oil-level monitor, check the oil level once per 1000km. Once you start accumulating accurate oil consumption data, you can make these checks rarer. For example, if the vehicle has never consumed any oil and you already have at least 30000 km or so of data, I'd be comfortable with checking oil consumption as rarely as every 3000-4000 km. But if there's any hint of oil consumption, do the checks more often.

If your car doesn't have windshield washer fluid level monitor, top it up regularly. Otherwise, add fluid before long trips and whenever the vehicle says it's time to add more.

Have some good strategy for ensuring you can get into the car once the key battery is failing. In my previous car (2011 Toyota Yaris), I noticed the key battery needed changing when the key didn't work when cold, but when warmed up, it had enough juice to open the doors. Oiling the locks regularly if there are mechanical locks won't hurt. In my current car, there is a smart key system that tells you when the battery is low. In most cases, the battery should last 3 years at least.

If your car doesn't have a tire pressure monitoring system, check the tire pressures regularly. Do buy an accurate gauge. I have precision mechanical Flaig tire pressure gauge. Avoid the cheapest mechanical gauges: buy a precision mechanical gauge or digital gauge. Especially the cheap mechanical gauges embedded to floor pumps should be avoided.

Check all the important fluids: power steering fluid (if any), coolant, brake fluid. Good cars have the fluids in reservoirs that are semi-transparent, allowing you to check them every time the hood is open.

Remove any bird droppings from the paint surface quickly as they can damage the surface.

If your car has traditional incandescent / halogen bulbs, check them regularly. Change the windscreen wiper blades when they become too old and thus do the job only marginally.

Keep an eye on the tread wear of the tires. If you drive only very little, consider changing 10-year old tires even if they have tread left. If there's any bulging or sidewall damage, replace the damaged tire immediately!

Other than that, add fuel whenever needed and wash the car regularly, and do the periodic scheduled maintenance for the car.

Read the user manual of the car and follow its instructions. There may be a lot of these instructions, but they are there for a reason.

Drive safely and carefully!

Answer 3

I would strongly suggest that you get a manual. The dealer should be able to get one for you.