Whether your car still has that new car smell, or it hasn’t been new since Nixon was in office, there are many things you can do to make the car last. Unless you can afford an infinite number of cars it is in the best interest of you and your wallet to take care of your car.
Preventative Care
Preventative care is very important when owning a car. You would be surprised at how many maintenance issues and repairs could be avoided with preventative care. Whether your car is brand new or very old you should always check the fluids. New and clean fluids will keep your vehicle running more efficiently. Changing the oil helps prevent the buildup of harmful deposits that could make the engine and other internal components work harder.
Maintenance
Maintenance is just as important as preventative care. Probably more so. Proper maintenance should be done on your vehicle according to the recommended service intervals found in your user manual. Usually when you get your oil changed a sticker is placed in the corner of your windshield. The sticker tells you when you should come back and get it changed again.
But that doesn’t mean you must wait until then to check your oil or to go in for maintenance. You can and should check your oil on your own to make sure it’s not low. Maintenance also includes changing the filters, rotating your tires, and checking the brakes. Keeping your vehicle in good running order is the best thing you can do for it, especially if you want to keep it for a long time.
Care
Taking care of your car is also important and that starts the minute you drive it off the lot. If the car is new or just new to you, there is a breaking in phase. In either case, when you are breaking in the car be gentle. Take your time and get to know it. Don’t go too fast. Take it easy for the first 1,000 miles. Taking care of your car also includes driving carefully. The fewer accidents and bumps you put your car through the better for both of you.
Also, don’t drag heavy loads with your car. Weighing the car down with too much weight will ruin your shocks. Not leaving your car idle is also important. Using your vehicle, frequently or moderately keeps the engine lubricated. A well-lubricated engine is a working engine.
Keep it clean
Keeping your car clean may not seem like something you can do to add life to your car, but it is, and you should. If the inside looks bad you will not take care of it. This will not add life to your car. Instead, make sure you clean it weekly. If you don’t have floor mats, get some. Take them out once a week and vacuum out your car. If the interior is leather buy some leather cleaner to clean it. Also, buy some leather moisturizing pads to keep the leather from drying out and cracking. You should also get your vehicle detailed once a month or once every couple of months.
Insurance
You must have insurance when you own a car. Make sure you have the right insurance like youi car insurance, shop around and find one that has everything you need. If your car is properly insured when something does happen, you will be properly taken care of whether that means a tow, a free rental until your car is fixed or a settlement to buy one of equal value.
Protect the Exterior
This can probably go without saying, but if you want to add life to your car you should protect the exterior. This encompasses a variety of things. If you have a track on the roof of your car, put towels under it to protect the roof from dings or cracks from whatever equipment you are tying to the roof. If possible, keep your car in the garage. This will not only protect your car from the elements, but it will also offer theft protection.
When you put your car into the garage make sure you have enough room. When something happens to the exterior, fix it as quickly as possible. A small crack in a window or a small dent in a car door may seem like nothing at first but they can get worse over time.
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