Extending the life of your car is a great way to make it last to its full potential. There are many tips and tricks to take care of your car so you don’t run into many problems. Car maintenance is key to taking care of your car, and we’re going to give you some tips to ensure that your vehicle lives up to its expected useful life expectancy.
- When you begin your drive, always accelerate slowly when the engine is cold. This will reduce wear on the drive train and engine. Mechanics say that the first 10 to 20 minutes of a vehicle being in use is when the most damage is done to these parts of the vehicle.
- Never rev up the engine upon startup of the vehicle. Doing so can add years of wear and tear to the engine, especially if the temperature outside is cold.
- Put the vehicle into neutral at red lights to reduce strain on the engine and automatic transmission. When stopped while in “drive” the engine still works hard to propel the vehicle.
- Avoid quick accelerations and high speed driving, especially when the temperature outside is very cold or very hot. Otherwise, you’ll see more frequent repairs needed for the vehicle.
- Use careful driving to extend the life of your tires. Watch for, and avoid, potholes and curbs when driving. Also avoid quick stops, accelerations, and turns. And never peel out to “burn rubber” because you are literally burning away your tires.
- Don’t hold the steering wheel in extreme turns for extended periods. Otherwise, you will damage the power steering pump.
- Only fuel up at reputable gas stations. Not all gas stations have filters on their pumps, which means you could get dirty gasoline (aka sediment ends up in your gas tank). And gas stations that do use filters don’t always change them regularly. So, find a quality gas station and stick with it for fuel ups.
- Don’t gas up if you see the fuel tanker in the gas station parking lot. When the tanker fills up the underground tanks at a gas station, it stirs up the sediment in the tanks. And if you get gas during this time period, then that sediment can end up in your vehicle’s fuel tank. It will clog fuel filters and injectors, which means that in the short term you’ll see poor performance from the vehicle and in the long term you’re looking at costly repairs.
- Don’t keep a bunch of keys on your vehicle’s key chain. The weight of those extra keys combined with the jostling of daily driving can lead to worn tumblers inside the ignition. Eventually that leads to ignition switch failure. You’ll know before it gets to that point though – the telltale sign of imminent ignition failure is when the ignition key sticks when you turn on the vehicle.
- If you’re not going to be using your car for a month or longer, then you need to fill up the gas tank before storing it. This prevents condensation buildup in the gas tank. You’ll also want to be sure that you add a fuel stabilizer to the tank and drive the car around a bit to distribute the additive to engine parts.
- Protect the finish of your vehicle with regular washes and waxes. Make sure that you use a high quality car soap and a high quality car wax that is properly applied.
- When storing the vehicle for an extended period, put it up on jacks. This reduces the strain and weight on the wheels and tires.
- Always park in the shade when you can. Parking in the shade helps to reduce the UV damage to the vehicle from the sun’s rays.
- Clean the inside of your vehicle each time you clean the outside. This helps you prevent and corrosive or abrasive materials or debris from damaging our vehicle’s interior due to negligence.
- Be careful when cleaning the plastic lenses on your dashboard. You don’t want to accidentally scratch them and be unable to see your speed or other dash notification. Always use a clean, damp cloth to clean this part of the vehicle.
- Always use floor mats to protect the vehicle’s carpet. The rubber mats are great for snow and mud, while the carpet mats are good if you don’t mind vacuuming and washing as needed.
- Protect the door and window seams. Keep the vehicle’s rubber weatherstripping seals in great condition by regularly wiping them down with a rubber protectant. Just make sure that you’re not using an oil-based product because it will do more damage than good.
- Protect the leather seats before they dry and crack. If your vehicle has leather seats, then you need to be proactive about tanking care of them. Leather cleaners can be used to remove stains and dirt. Apply a leather protectant after cleaning to help prevent those stains in the future. And make sure that protectant is also a leather conditioner to keep those seats looking good.
- Use a fabric protectant. If you have fabric seats in your vehicle, then you can spray them with a fabric protectant (like Scotchgard) to prevent stains and dirt buildup.
- Use a towel under the baby seat. If you have a baby carrier or other child seat in your vehicle, then place a towel under it. Since kids drop so much stuff, this will prevent any stain buildup on the interior. You can even put some plastic under the towel to prevent any spills from seeping through the towel and onto the seat.
- Don’t delay on touchups. If your vehicle has a knick in the paint, then you should touch it up as soon as possible. Why? Because paint won’t stick to rust!
- Never put water in the windshield washer reservoir. Water will freeze in cold weather, and damage the washer fluid pump. Plus, it just won’t clean your window as well.
- Keep up with regular car washes in the winter. Though you may think “why bother” when it comes to keeping your car clean during the winter, it’s actually more important to regularly wash it in the winter than any other time of year. All that road salt from the snow and slush will cause corrosion (and rust) on the car’s body if it’s left there too long.
- Wax the car to protect the paint job. The wax will help protect against tree sap, bird droppings, UV rays, and more.
- Maintain proper inflation in the tires. This prevents uneven wear and tear on the tires, helps you get better gas mileage, and extends the life of the tires. use a tire pressure gauge to check each tire’s pressure once a month and fill with air, as needed. For the most accurate reading, check the air when the tires are cold.
- Rotate your tires according to your owners manual. This helps extend their lifespan by distributing tire wear evenly. Typically this needs done every 6,000 – 7,500 miles.
- Change the oil regularly. Consult your owner’s manual to determine how many miles you can go before the oil needs changed out. In the interim, check the oil level at least once a month to make sure you’re not running low.
All of these steps will ensure that your car’s life will be extended, and your car will be at its best shape and performance. Neglecting your car, and not taking simple measures to take care of it, will result in shortening the life of your car. These tips are easy and affective ways to maintain your cars potential and not run into many problems. By following these tips, you are taking care of your car and are most likely going to see better performance and better driving results.