As nearly every motorist can attest to, car maintenance is an ongoing fact of life during the course of vehicle ownership. There are steps that drivers can take to prolong the life of their car such as routine maintenance like your lube, oil and filter change. Let's take a look at some common maintenance issues which you or your favorite shop can handle.

One of the most valuable things you can do for your car's health is to regularly change the oil. Usually this means every 2000 to 3000 miles. One good strategy is to buy your quarts of oil in bulk. Not only will you save money by getting a quantity discount, but also that box of oil in your garage staring at you will be an ongoing reminder to change your oil.

Perhaps you do not have time to change your own oil. If this is the case, why not consider having a lube job done while the shop changes the oil, filters and checks your vehicle for anything else that might need maintenance? It does not need to be done at every oil change but it is a good idea to keep your suspension, steering system, and drivetrain properly greased.

If for no other reason than your safety, you should keep a keen eye on the tread on your tires. Balding tires can result in poor traction, or worse, a blowout. You will also experience reduced energy costs because tires with a healthy level of tread will give your car better gas mileage.

One way to save money is to replace the light bulbs for your headlights and brake lights yourself. Visit an auto parts store to find the bulbs you need. You can simply give the associate at the store the make, model, and year of your car and he or she will locate them for you. The job of changing out the bulbs is not too difficult. Simply pop out the plastic cover and install the new bulb.

Windshield wiper blades that scrape are not only noisy and irritating, but they also do not efficiently wipe away rain or snow. Worse yet, they can smudge the dirt on your windshield and impair your vision. If you are going to change them yourself, again you will want to bring to the store your vehicle's make and model so that you purchase the correct model of wipers.

Every 30,000 to 40,000 miles you should change your automatic transmission fluid. This fluid's job is to keep your car's transmission cool, and a cool transmission will have a greatly extended life. And if you do it yourself, you will save yourself the money that you might otherwise have paid out to a mechanic.

Keep your car's air filter clean and you will see improved gas mileage. It is a good idea to change it every 15,000 miles. If you do this in conjunction with regularly changing your oil, checking your tire pressure, and keeping your car free from as much cargo as possible, you can make a significant impact on fuel efficiency.

Sticking to a steady car maintenance schedule will more than payoff in the end in terms of time and money. You can ultimately control the amount of time your car needs to be in the shop and the costs of repairs. By taking proactive and preventative steps, your car will be on the road more often and you will be sitting in it with a heavier wallet.