By David Monforton

As you drive your new car off the dealer lot for the first time, your thoughts are probably not on when you will bring it in to the shop for service. An attitude like this could cost you.

By taking a proactive approach right from the beginning and setting up a maintenance schedule, you can avoid a major repair for the life of your car.

A preventive maintenance schedule serves as an insurance policy on your new car, and most owners manuals do a fine job of outlining when you should have different components checked. Sticking to the schedule and paying a little now for service will save you a great deal a few years down the line.

Following is a checklist of items you should be able to take care of yourself. Otherwise, you need to follow your owners manual’s schedule for taking the vehicle in for service. Catching a problem early will usually reduce the risk of having to pay for a costly repair down the line.

Air conditioning: Run at least monthly for five to 10 minutes, even in winter. In addition, have the air conditioning serviced by a mechanic every two years.

Air filter: Inspect every two months, more frequently if you drive on dusty roads. It’s easy to access and, if dirty,replacement is inexpensive and a snap.

Fluids: Automatic transmission, brake, coolant, oil and power steering should all be inspected monthly.

Belts and hoses: Inspect every three months. On belts, look for wear and cracking. On hoses, look for leakage and bulges. Also, if a hose is soft and spongy or hard and brittle, replace it.

Tires: Inspect at least monthly and have them rotated every second oil change. In addition to being found in your owners manual, the recommended pressure for your tires can be found on a placard located on the driver’s side door’s edge, door post, glove box door or fuel door. Inspect the tires for abnormal wear and tread depth.

Windshield wipers: Inspect monthly. Look for cracking and wear on the tip of the blades. Then get in the car and run them, squirting washer fluid onto the windshield. And don’t forget to check the rear wiper.

Finally, a stern reminder: Never service your car or check fluid levels and other components without following your owners manual’s instructions to the letter. For example, you risk severe injury if you remove the radiator cap while the engine is hot, you could get a false reading if you check the oil level while the engine is cold and your tires will give a higher pressure reading when they are hot. A sense of false security by misreading a level can be as dangerous and expensive as ignoring these levels and waiting for a problem to occur.

So don’t be afraid to pop the hood and give your engine some TLC. You’ll save yourself money in the long run and gain a sense of satisfaction that you are not as mechanically challenged as you may have thought you were.

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