Owning a car for the very first time is exciting and you want to drive around to get a feel of your new acquisition and enjoy the convenience in mobility that owning a personal car comes with. It’s also a slightly worrying moment when you think about maintaining the car and everything you don’t know about the subject.

A first time car owner, you want to know when the car is ripe for servicing or if the squeaky noise in the back can be ignored to resolve itself. You also don’t know the price of spare parts and the average price for common car repairs which could leave you at the mercies of unscrupulous auto repair shops.

If you don’t want to be charged exorbitant rates for things you can even do by yourself then you have to know how to care for your car.

Your car needs to be regularly serviced to remain roadworthy and safe for your driving. There are intervals within which you need to take your car for service. These are car care basics that every first time owner must know.

Your car is due for a minor service after 3000 miles of driving or after three months, whichever comes first. A minor service involves oil change, air filter change and topping up of the engine fluids. Make sure you get the right fluids for your specific car model.

A medium service is required after about 9000 miles or six months, whichever comes first. This takes care of everything done in the minor service and also includes brake pads adjustments, wheel alignment and any repairs.

A major service is needed every year or after 15000 miles, whichever comes first. This replaces your spark plugs, brake pads and also involves a thorough inspection of your car.

Another thing that can help keep your new car running smoothly is to take advantage of injector cleaner that is sold in almost all gas stations and chain stores. Adding a bottle of fuel injector cleaner to your fuel tank before getting gas that can really do wonders. Clean removes excess deposits as you drive that helps your car to run was smooth.

You don’t have to be a graduate of the Auto Mechanic School Seattle or possess the level of knowledge such a qualification demands to be able to identify the right spare parts for your car.

Lacking the requisite knowledge of your car’s spare parts can leave your car fitted with counterfeit parts that break down suspiciously more often making you spend more on trips to the mechanic.

You just need the chassis number to know which spare parts are the manufacturer's recommendation for your car. With a chassis number, you can get the Electronic Parts Catalogue for your specific car model.

With a little dedication and willingness to learn, you can learn a few DIY car maintenance tips so you don’t have to run to your mechanic for every minor issue. This will also save you money.

There are minor car maintenance issues like replacing spark plugs, filters and wipers that you can do by yourself within less than an hour.