Watching your car age is hard. Your favorite vehicle transforms from the precious, new baby to an old, dilapidated death trap. You might feel like you’re losing a family member when it’s time to scrap your car. A vehicle that’s been with you as long as this will pull at your heartstrings as it becomes worn and torn.
You don’t have to idly wait while watching your car fall apart. You can increase the longevity of your vehicle’s life with some simple, standard procedures. They won’t just save you an early heartbreak, but these tips will save you money from costly repairs.
When you need to replace a part or perform some heated surgery on your car, it could cost you major cash, much more than atraffic school. What most people don’t realize, is being proactive will give them a head start on preventing these large disasters from happening. These aren’t a well-kept secret that mechanics know, such as 11 minor car brands with incentives that you’ve never heard about, they’re the standard practices that any responsible car owner will enforce.
Change the Oil Regularly
Take changing the oil. Overtime, dirt causes corrosion on the engine of your vehicle. This will decrease the life of the car by ruining the engine earlier than expected. Changing the oil routinely (such as every 10,000 miles or every 6 months) is the number one way you can maintain your car’s health for a long life.
Don’t Break the Brakes
Brakes keep you from crashing. Having a great set of brakes prevents long distance sliding into the car in front of you. This is obvious, but most people will avoid changing the brakes because they see it as a costly endeavor that takes time they don’t have. The problem is, when you go too long without changing your brakes, you will damage the important components of your braking system. This will cost you more money in the long run. Also, changing your brakes prevents you from crashing too – the biggest cost saver.
Invest in Window Tinting
UV light from the sun can do considerable damage to the interior of a car over time. It penetrates the glass and can cause fading of upholstery and even reduce the lifespan of other internal features. A great way to stop this is car tinting. Applying window film to your vehicle not only blocks out 99% of the suns harmful rays but it also increases privacy and reduces glare, making driving safer.
Keep Your Tires from Being Tired
Tires can get worn. Hearing that horrifying burst while driving on the road insights fear in most drivers. This happens when the vehicle owner goes too long without changing the car’s tires or doesn’t maintain a healthy tire pressure. The tire pressure will not only prevent bursts, but it will affect your car’s gas usage. Cars perform better when the tires are in peak condition, so you’ll notice a higher MPG with healthy tires.
Coolant Systems are Cool
Ever notice a stranded car with smoke billowing beneath the hood? That’s what happens when you don’t monitor your car’s cooling. You run the risk of overheating the engine, causing the car to break down alongside the road or highway. This causes serious engine issues, which will be pricey to fix. Refilling your coolant system and flushing keeps your car at perfect temperatures. When you keep your systems temperate, your car won’t be the only cool thing on the road. (It’ll be you!)
Safe Driving is Healthy Driving
Believe it or not, when you drive safely, your car will last longer. There’re a few reasons why this happens. Being an alert driver will help you stay defensive. So, you’ll be better at avoiding a reckless driver, horrible road conditions, or wandering animal collisions. Driving defensively will keep you from causing physical harm to your car.
Stopping suddenly and flooring it at stop lights aren’t great for your vehicle’s well-being. It’s adding unnecessary pressure to your car’s performance that will cause long lasting damage. These are just a few examples of reckless driving but knowing how unsafe road behavior affects your car’s health – even when you don’t strike a pothole or collide with another object – will help you increase your car’s longevity for a long, fulfilling life.
