Follow Your Service Schedule: Obviously this one{s a no-brainer, but there are still too many car owners out there who pay little or no attention to their vehicle maintenance schedule as laid out by the manufacturer. This is particularly inexcusable in late model cars that do everything but drive themselves to the repair shop at the appropriate time. Between the service indicator lights located in the gauge cluster of many new cars to the lengthy intervals between required service (up to 100,000 miles in some models), there{s no reason for skimping on proper maintenance.Check Fluids and Tire Pressure Regularly: Every car owner (myself included) has been guilty of going too long between vital fluid and tire pressure checks. Here{s a task that takes maybe 10 minutes. With a rag in hand and the engine cool you open the hood and pull the oil dipstick. Wipe it clean, re-insert it, and pull it out again for a quick check of the most important engine fluid. Check the radiator overflow reservoir level and the brake cylinder reservoir. Check the power steering fluid level and, while you{re at it, check the hoses and belts for any signs of wear or imminent failure. Go ahead and give the air cleaner a look, too. Start the car and after it warms up, check the transmission fluid level. Finally, with the tires cool, use a pressure gauge to make sure each tire has the proper psi according to the owner{s manual and/or tire manufacturer. Ideally, this procedure should be done once a week but in the real world once a month would be acceptable (except for tire pressure which really should be checked at least bi-weekly).