Top 6 Tips to Extend Your Car Life
Let’s face it: Buying a car is expensive – and you probably like what you drive – so you are likely to want to extend your car life. You’ll want to keep your vehicle running well and looking like new. And with these industry tips, you can get the most out of your car’s years.
Don’t Grind those Gears
Flying fast may be fun, but too much lead footing, hard braking and quick accelerations will do the opposite of helping to extend your car life. All the above are a surefire way to place undue wear and tear on your car’s components. And all that stress just means they will wear down and out faster.
Game the Gas System
If you are going to fill up at a station and you see fuel tankers there refueling the pumps, try a different station. In fact, you will want to avoid that gas station for a day or two. Why? As those underground reserves are being filled, there is a slew of sediment and debris being stirred up by the new turbulence. Since that grime can clog up your fuel filters and injectors, you are better off avoiding it all together. Clogs can translate to nasty repairs down the line and severely impact performance.
Keep the Keychain Light
No matter how cute you find keychain collections or how convenient it is to store all your keys on your car keyring – don’t do it. All that weight is bad news for your ignition. As that heavy load bounces around while driving, it can wear out the tumblers inside the ignition, which inevitably leads to ignition switch failure. You should invest in a light keychain that you can easily detach your car key from and drive with only that key in the slot. If you find your key sticking when trying to turn on the ignition, that is a warning sign that the switch is about to fail.
Reading is Fundamental: The Manual
Though the owner’s manual is most often tossed aside, it is actually packed with important info. Dig it out of your glove compartment and give it a browse. From best practices to recommended maintenance and more, it usually holds a few keys to extend your car life.
Stay on Schedule – or Ahead of it!
The last thing that you want to do is put off repairs, if you want to extend your car life. Delaying any needed work will only make the problem worse in the long run. The longer you put it off, too, the more costly it will likely be, as it will have just increased in severity. The best way to ensure your car is in top shape is to at quick when work is needed. This will keep the damage minimal and the life long.
Further, having routine checks cannot be over-stressed. Your local auto body shop will be super knowledgeable as to how your car should be running and are more than happy to do a preventative check for you. If they find something, you have the relief of knowing you caught it before it compromised your car. Peace of mind is everything!
Keep it Neat and Clean
Not only will you feel good about how your vehicle looks, but you will be helping it, too! Regular cleaning is very important to extend your car life. It prevents dirt and grime from building up before it has a chance to do damage (such as rust, corrosion, etc.). Also, time spent cleaning your car is also time spent inspecting it. As you are wiping, you can be hyper aware of any scratches or nicks before they become a bigger issue.
