As a first-time vehicle owner, you are bound to make some mistakes when it comes to taking care of your vehicle. However, there are some mistakes that you should avoid as they can be costly for your vehicle.

#1 Don't Ignore the Check Engine Light

The check engine light comes on for a reason. When the check engine light comes on in your car, get it checked out. That can be as simple as taking it to your local oil change place so they can read the codes that the check engine light is generating and tell you what they mean. Or you can schedule a full inspection with your mechanic.

Don't ignore the check engine light because you are afraid of a costly repair. Your check engine light is designed to come in and warn you so that you can take care of problems before they get to be too big. You will not know what you are facing until you get the code read and have a mechanic look into the issue. Oftentimes, it may not be as costly as you think it will be to take care of the issue behind your check engine light.

#2 Driving with an Overheating Engine

If your engine ever overheats, do not keep driving. It doesn't matter if you really have to get to work or school. Driving with an overheated engine can cause damage that you just can't take back that can run in the thousands of dollars. Additionally, driving with an overheated engine is not safe. Your engine will be giving off steam and will not respond as it should.

An overheated engine can be as simple as your vehicle needing more coolant; don't make the matter worse by driving with an overheated engine. If you see an explanation point with what looks like parenthesis around it, pull your vehicle over. Wait a few hours until the thermostat on your dash that shows engine temperature has gone well below the halfway mark before you drive again.

#3 Get Your Oil Changed & Your Fluid Checked

Finally, make sure that you get your oil changed and your fluids checked. This can be a very simple process. There are so many oil change places that can literally have you in and out in ten to fifteen minutes, so there is no excuse to ignore this task. When you get your oil changed, you can also have all your other fluids checked and topped off as well.

Put a reminder in your phone, write it on your calendar, do what you need to do to remember, but don't keep driving your vehicle when it needs an oil change.

For more information, contact a company like Western Avenue Nissan.