For most of us, our vehicles are the second largest investment in our lives, second only to our home. If we allow our homes to fall into disrepair, they’ll eventually crumble around us. The cost to bring them back into good condition is often intimidating. The same holds true with your car, truck or SUV.

If you take good care of your vehicle, it will generally take good care of you. It will less frequently punch you in the pocketbook. When your vehicle requires repairs, the punch will generally come as less of a surprise and without as much power behind the blow. The key is good maintenance.

To do a good job of maintaining your car, truck or SUV you need to know what maintenance is required and when. This is where a list comes in. A list will help you to stay on top of your vehicle’s maintenance requirements. To help, here is a list you can generally use with any car, truck or SUV, though relying on your Owner’s Manual is still essential:

On a Monthly basis, you should …

• Check the oil (not a bad idea to do this whenever your fill up the fuel tank – something to do while waiting for the pump to shut off
• Check the antifreeze-coolant level and look for any signs of leakage under the hood and on the pavement
• Clean and check the wipers and the washer fluid reservoir
• Check your vehicle’s tire pressure and tire condition
• Check all your lights, including turn signals, brake lights, running lights, emergency lights, and headlights – high and low beam

Every Three Months, you should …

• Change the oil (this is an approximation you should actually consider mileage and time between oil changes – check the Owner’s Manual) and the oil filter
• Inspect all the belts and hoses
• Check the brake fluid, power steering and automatic transmission fluid
• Check the electrical cables to the battery, alternator and starter

Annually, you should …

• Change the engine and cabin filters
• Flush the coolant/antifreeze
• Check the brakes and wheel bearings
• Inspect the suspension, steering and alignment
• Have the engine wires and spark plugs checked
• Lubricate all hinges on your vehicle

If you stay on top of these things, there is a good chance you will reduce the cost of operating and maintaining your vehicles over the long haul.