Cars take a lot more punishment on the road than a lot of drivers realise. Wear and tear plays its inevitable role, but perhaps the damage doesn’t have to be quite as extensive or expensive as we usually allow it to become.
The simple fact is that by scheduling a few bits of preventative maintenance and care here and there, you can keep your car in much better health for long. You can save money not only by stopping any issues from getting more complicated, but you’re likely to spot potential problems before they happen. So, what should you be doing for your car more often?
The big clean
Most people care about how their looks, inside and out. It’s like caring for you home. However, there are some people who simply rarely think to wash their vehicles. You might not be in the ranks of the 83% of van drivers who never, ever wash their vehicles. But you could probably stand to protect its exterior more extensively. A simple wash every week is best, but a pressure wash is the best every month or so. You might need to do it more often if you live near the ocean and the salt in the air can do real damage. Waxing the car after is a crucial part of keeping a protective layer on the car, too. Without it, moisture can get in and start to spread rust.
Mind your fluids
You don’t necessarily have to learn how to change the fluids yourself, as doing it incorrectly can be quite dangerous and you definitely don’t want any spills that can prove toxic to people and pets. Wiper fluid, everyone can change. But for coolant, antifreeze, and power steering fluid, you should at least learn how to check it.
Keep it slick
Changing the oil is easily one of the most important parts of routine maintenance in a car. It’s rarely too expensive which, of which you can learn more here: autoserviceprices.com/jiffy-lube-oil-change-prices/. For those who don’t do it, they don’t know the risks they’re taking with the car. Engines have a lot of moving parts which cause friction and build heat inside. The oil helps to lubricate things to reduce friction and absorb heat, preventing the engine from overheating. It fades over time, however, and an overheating car causes huge engine trouble that can be expensive to fix, not to mention leaving you stranded after a breakdown.
Avoid a wheel-y bad time
Even more dangerous than breaking down on the road is losing control of the car. If you don’t care of the wheels, then that becomes more likely to happen to you as time goes on. It’s not just about checking tyre pressure and knowing when you need a change. You have to rotate and balance those wheels, as well as getting your alignment checked. As tirereview.com/back-to-basics-step-by-step-tire-wheel-balancing/ shows, without it, you’re likely to experience more pull and vibration issues on the road. If it gets bad enough, you will be fighting your car for control. This doesn’t need to be done more than once a year, usually, so there’s little excuse to not do it.
Love your engine
Oil is an important part of keeping the engine working efficiently, but the engine should also be in good shape, as well. You should check your spark plugs every six months at least because different models have different lifespans. But when they stop working efficiently, your car guzzles a lot more fuel and can be another source of breakdowns. Replacing air filters when they’re dirty is important, too. It prolongs engine life by making sure you have a filter that can effectively stop debris from getting caught in there.
Put some money in the jar
Regardless of how much preventative maintenance you do, something is going to go wrong with the car. There’s just no getting around it; something has to give eventually. But you can at least be prepared for it. Estimate your average yearly car repair costs. If you have a new car, then you can use the Car Reliability Index to find what parts are likely to fail first and cross-reference with the regional garage pricing that www.carmd.com/wp/vehicle-health-index-introduction/2016-carmd-state-index/ provides . That should give you a fair estimate of what your car repair fund should be and a savings goal to hit.
If you care about your car, then you can’t afford to neglect the bits of love and care it needs from time to time. It will look better, it will drive better, it will save you money, and it will stay a better investment. The tips above won’t take a lot of time out of your life, so what’s the excuse not to follow them?
