subject: Things You Can Do Today To Prolong The Life Of Your Vehicle [print this page] Unless you're planning to purchase a new car, you'll want to do everything possible to prolong the life of your current one. By taking a few preventative steps, you'll save a significant amount of money that would otherwise go toward paying for avoidable repairs. In today's economy, this might represent one of the best investment you can make.
When most people are confronted with automotive problems, they immediately assume the blame lies with their vehicles. In reality, such problems are usually the result of neglect. The maintenance steps you ignore today can one day come back to haunt you. With this in mind, we'll provide a short checklist of items to address in order to extend your vehicle's useful life.
Check Your Car's Cooling System
Few people take the time to check the condition of their cars' cooling systems. This system is responsible for regulating the heat that surrounds your engine. Several components work together to ensure the heat generated by your engine's combustion process is transferred away from the assembly. If any of these components fail, your engine could quickly overheat, and sustain expensive damage.
Unless you have a lot of auto repair experience, you're unlikely to be able to check the condition of the radiator, water pump, and heater core. But you can check the level of coolant in the system as well as the condition of the hoses. These things alone are a valuable step toward preserving the life of your engine.
Develop Good Driving Habits
Constant launch starts, brake-slamming, and rounding hairpin corners at Mach 3, will take a toll on your vehicle. Your brakes will wear down more quickly, and need to be replaced more often; your engine will suffer premature wear and tear; and the struts and shocks of your suspension system will need to be replaced sooner than otherwise. Slow down. Adopt good driving habits. Your vehicle will last much longer.
Check And Replenish The Fluids
This should be intuitive. Your engine, transmission, brakes, and steering all depend on an ample supply of fluids. When fluids become sparse, problems occur. For example, your engine needs oil to lubricate the moving parts, and prevent them from damaging each other during operation. Driving even a few miles without sufficient oil can destroy the assembly.
Take the time to check your oil, transmission fluid, coolant (mentioned earlier), and brake and steering fluids. If you know where to find the appropriate dipsticks and reservoirs, doing so should take less than ten minutes.
Change The Air Filter
Your engine needs a precise mixture of air and fuel in order to perform efficiently. If the mixture in the cylinders is lean or rich, the assembly will experience problems. Your car's air filter allows air to reach the engine while preventing dirt and contaminants from doing the same. The problem is, debris slowly accumulates in the filter, and makes it increasingly difficult for air to pass. If you neglect to change it, your engine will be unable to "breathe." It will suffer premature wear.
Air filters usually cost less than $20. Thus, periodically changing the filter in your car is an inexpensive way to extend the life of your engine.
Inspect Your Tires
If you overinflate your tires, or allow them to become underinflated, they will suffer premature wear. Keep in mind that even if your tires are properly inflated, they can still suffer wear if your drive wheels are misaligned. Check them carefully every two or three weeks. Look at the treads to identify excessive wear that may suggest toe or camber is out of alignment. Test each tire's pressure to ensure it is consistent with the recommended psi listed in your owner's manual. Lastly, inspect your treads and sidewalls for damage from rocks and other objects.
A well-maintained vehicle will last much longer than a model that is neglected over the years. The steps above take time. They also require a bit of effort. But they can potentially save you thousands of dollars avoided repairs over the long run.
