In the words of Benjamin Franklin: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Your vehicle isn’t that different from your body after all: it also needs regular checkups to ensure that it is functioning properly. Ignore niggles for too long and it just might morph into a serious condition that could have been prevented with minimal effort. Drivers who make it a priority to spend money and time on preventative maintenance tend to save themselves from larger expenses in the long run. Regular auto care should be listed as one of your priorities, as opposed to an unplanned, reactive expense. Being proactive instead will pay off in the long term. Here are a few useful service interval schedule items to keep your vehicle in top shape all year round: Monthly checks: Tyre pressure and tyre condition Lights Windshield washer fluid Clean your vehicle monthly. Every three months (or per the owner’s manual), check: Engine oil and filter Levels of other fluids, including automatic transmission, power steering and brake fluids Battery and cables, belts and hoses Exhaust and fuel filter Every six months or 10 000 kilometres, check: Chassis lubrication Replace windshield wipers Every 12 months or 19 000 kilometres, check: Brakes, spark plugs, coolant and steering and suspension

Source: http://www.carcare.org/