We've all heard about those pesky chores like getting the oil changed, and it's pretty obvious when your windshield wipers go out, but many people don't think about maintenance when their odometers reach milestones such as 60,000, 50,000, or 100,000 miles. This lack of knowledge can mean financially devastating problems such as premature failure or even your car being junked. It could also puts you in danger of victimization by dishonest mechanics, resellers and dealerships.

We've jotted down some thoughts to get you started on learning about car maintenance tasks:

• Keep your auto clean: Looking nice and shiny is not the same as working properly, but keeping your vehicle nice and tidy from roof to bumper to undercarriage can be considered part of upkeep. If you don't frequent the car wash, the dirt will harm your paint and undercarriage.
• Make a checklist: Forgetting about car maintenance is easy to do, but an easy way to plan for everything is to create a checklist of all the maintenance your auto requires when you drive it home. Then, mark all the work done as your car reaches at the various milestones. If a paper list isn't for you, look for online or mobile apps for the job.
• List all your services: Have you ever forgotten about maintenance because there wasn't a notice on your windshield? A short log of all the work done can solve everything. You can use a book or app to track service appointments, and you can also track work including repairs and replacements with this easy system. To go the extra mile, consider adding mileage and data about oil checks to the log.
• Check out your manual: Cars come with a manual just for their make and model, and these manuals discuss the maker's recommendations for servicing your vehicle. Many people don't realize how much these recommendations can vary substantially, so they end up trusting what potentially confabulating mechanics say about the maintenance their car requires. We know the correct upkeep for each vehicle we service at Christian Brothers Automotive in Land O’ Lakes, FL, but you can't blindly believe all mechanics. If you do, it could mean spending far too much money.