For most Americans, their vehicle is their first or second most valuable investment. However, many car owners continue to make maintenance mistakes that may affect their safety, the value of their investment as well as the look and feel of their automobile.

An often overlooked yet critical maintenance procedure is rotating and pressure checking your tires. Underinflated tires will hurt your fuel economy, wear out sooner and can be dangerous to drive on, says Tom Wilson of MSN Autos. Moreover, front and rear tires will wear differently and need to be rotated accordingly.

Also, while cleaning up your vehicle, there a few things that you should be aware of. Surprisingly, washing your car on a bright sunny day can actually be counterproductive.

When tepid water is applied to the scalding metal surface of your vehicle, the finish can actually be boiled off along with dirt and soap.

“The end result is not pretty,” says Eric Peters of AOL Autos. “Cosmetics aside, you’ve cut into the resale and trade-in value of your vehicle by flailing its finish. Only an expensive repaint will fix things.”

It is always best to wash your car in the shade, on a cloudy day or in the late afternoon when the sun’s rays are less strong.

When hosing down your new or used vehicle, always be certain to keep aggressive streams of water away from the engine. Although it may sound obvious, many owners will pressure wash under the hood to remove any debris that has accumulated.

In modern cars, strong jets of water can affect the sensitive electronics that are fitted to each computer-controlled engine.

“Excess moisture can short-out electrical parts, cause intermittent malfunctions (including stalling for no reason, hard-starting, rough-running) and make dashboard ‘check engine’ lights flash for no apparent reason,” says Peters.

He adds that it is reasonable to utilize a garden hose to keep your engine clean, but you should always avoid using a high-powered pressure sprayer as it can force water through rubber seals and weather stripping.

Finally, make sure to replace your wiper blades on a regular basis. If your blades are cracking, bent or simply not doing their job, replace them immediately.

For being one of the simpler and most inexpensive maintenance procedures, thousands of accidents occur each year due to driving with damaged wiper blades.