TLC stands for “Tender Loving Care,” Although the abbreviation is common, it might not be known to an average car person. Usually, care and attention are required for a person to cheer up and be delighted. The same goes for the objects. To keep them healthy, cheerful, and efficient, TLC is required.
TLC in terms of cars refers to the most important word, “maintenance.” Many people buy a car today but sell it within 3 years because maintaining a car is not as easy as buying one.
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What Does TLC For A Car Mean?
TLC stands for “taxi and limousine commission.” It is a regulatory agency that oversees the operation of taxis and other for-hire vehicles in certain cities, such as New York City.
Whenever you see an ad for a car that says it needs TLC, this means that the car is in bad shape. Indeed, it needs a lot of work when people say things like this — trying to show that it was in rough shape when the previous owner owned it.
When A Car Is Listed As “Needs TLC,” What Are Some Common Problems?
Many cars need a little TLC when they’re put on the market. A car that needs a lot of attention doesn’t necessarily have to be in the worst condition. Instead, it means that the car isn’t running at its best or isn’t efficient enough.
TLC: A car that needs immediate attention might have broken brake pads, dirty oil, or worn-out engine parts. Most significantly, the car emits a foul smell or has a lousy rumble when it starts when it has such issues inside. That’s when you need to get it checked with a mechanic.
How To Give Your Car Tender Loving Care?
1. Oil Changes And Filters
One of the essential things that can affect the health of your car’s engine is the oil. Oil gets dirty when it isn’t changed, which means the engine will not run. Every three months or every 3000 miles, you must change your oil.
Get your oil checked to make sure your oil isn’t running low and leak. You must also keep an eye on how well the car engine works. It won’t run well if you don’t have your car’s engine checked out regularly and it’s not well-maintained.
You’ll start having trouble while driving the car. Make sure that your engine’s fluids, as well as filters, are changed regularly. It can help your car’s engine last for a long time.
It’s indispensable to change your car’s engine air filter at least once a year. This is because a mucky one makes it easy for harmful particles to get into the car’s engine, damaging it. Whenever this happens, it significantly slows down the performance.
2. Rotate Your Tires
Rotating your tires will improve your car’s handling because it will keep the tires in balance and keep the tread even on all of them. You must rotate tires rotations every 6,000 to 8,000 miles and more often. So, even if you don’t see any signs that your tires are worn down, it is excellent to rotate them. You don’t want your tires to get so worn down that you can see them.
When you drive, the front tires of your car do a very different job than the rear tires. That’s why the tread on them isn’t even. Luxury cars will have to rotate their tires more than less powerful cars. You should rotate your tires to make them last a long time. It will help them last longer.
3. Keep Up With Your Car’s Fluids
Verify the fluids in your car from time to time because they need to be kept at the proper levels. It is to make sure that your car runs well.
These fluids are made up of engine oil, coolant, transmission fluid, brake fluid, and radiator fluid, among other things. When there is a leak, the different colors of these fluids help you find them.
4. Get Your Brake Pads And Lights Checked
If your brakes don’t work right, you’re asking for trouble. Make sure your brake pads don’t get worn down to the point in which they can’t work. Brakes that make noise or don’t work are the most prominent symptoms you shouldn’t ignore.
You should take them to your mechanic immediately. You may need new brake pads, brake discs, or brakes. Hence ask your mechanic to help you get all the brake parts of your car, including indicators, reversing lights, brake lights, fog lights, and more. Keep an eye out for blown bulbs as well as cracks or dirt on the lens.
If your car’s indicators don’t “flash amber” in line with the rules, it could get a Minor Defect notice on its MOT. If you have any problems with fading indicators, you should either replace them or at least have a local garage check them – you might just need a new bulb!
Taking your car to a local garage can also help you avoid a fine if a bulb has broken. They can fix the problem and prevent you from getting a ticket.
5. People Should Also Love The Outside Of Your Car
What looks good inside must look good on the outside as well. The same saying goes for your car’s appearance as well. Keeping an eye on the outwards of your car is as important as keeping an eye on its engine health. One of the simplest ways to keep your car looking good is to wax the outside from time to time.
The car isn’t going to like you if you do this all the time. It’s terrible for the car if you’re doing it too often. This should still be part of your car maintenance. When it’s hot outside, your car is likely to need the most wax.
Learn to take care of scratches and dents as soon as possible, and get them fixed as soon as possible. A minor flaw in the way your car looks may not bother you now, but over time, these bumps and scrapes can rust and cause more severe damage to your car.
How Can You Take Care Of Your Car, So It Doesn’t Need TLC?
Small things can make the car run, look bad, and sell for less than it’s worth. When you put up the car for sale, it takes a few weeks to figure out and fix everything under a budget. Unfortunately, you’ll still end up selling the car at depreciated value. TLC cars can be both good and bad, depending on their appearances. We could buy the car for more than $1,000 and sell it for less than the listed price.
You might not be able to do everything you need before putting your car on sale. Hence to sell it at a reasonable price, you’ll have to check on the car’s maintenance and spend generously on the costly repairs to avoid writing “need TLCs” in the end.
Benefits of Giving Your Car TLC
TLC can help you save money and your life! Try to keep your car up to date; you must adjust the oil, check the brake pads, and check the battery.
Also, you’ll be safer because a healthy car will get you where you need to do it without a hitch. Because you’ll be safe, you’ll also be happy. Peace of mind is a number one priority when you drive on a snowy night. But the same drive with bad brakes or tire tread will stress you out.
Overall Verdict
Odds are, if you make sure your car is serviced as well as kept up, you won’t have to stop on a roadside. Bad things can happen. The only thing that can save your car from getting sick is to take care of it early. It will run better. TLC will make your car run better. Your car won’t make any noise or run slow.
