When you’ve bought a new car, whether used or new, it makes sense to make sure that you can use it for a long time to come. It’s best to stay out of debt so keeping a car long past the last loan payment is the way to go. The thing is, once your car hits a certain number of miles things start to fall apart, and you need to consider car maintenance.
There is a way to reduce those costly repairs and that is to maintain your car over the years. The better care you take of your car, the longer it will last. Then, you can get an extended warranty for used cars and reduce your costs further in case of a breakdown. Check out some Protect My Car reviews to get a better idea of how they work.
In this article, we will go over some of the best car maintenance tips to keep your car running long into the future.
1 – Change the oil and filters
One thing that will reduce the lifespan of your car and lead to costly repairs later is not changing the oil on time. Old oil breaks down and stops lubricating the engine. Then the parts start to wear down and eventually fail.
Make sure that you are changing the oil on the schedule that the owner’s manual lays out for you. This should also include the oil filters and even air filters in other parts of the car to keep things running smoothly.
2 – Tune ups on time
Old spark plugs and worn rotors in the distributor cap make the engine have to work harder to get going. It relies on the exact right timing of the sparks from the plugs to ignite the gas so the engine pistons can turn.
Not tuning up your car is sure to lead to costly repairs further down the line. If you recently had a tune up and notice the plugs are discolored and the gap between the electrode and the insulator has gotten wider then this is a sign that there is a problem with the engine and needs to be checked.
3 – Keep fluids topped up
While there is a lot of focus put on the oil, other fluids tend to get neglected. Every so often you should check your brake oil, transmission fluid, and coolant. If these ever get low then it can be dangerous to drive and also could cause a breakdown.
Low brake fluid could spell danger if the brakes suddenly get spongy and cause you to take longer to stop. The coolant being low can cause the car to overheat. If it happens often and gets hot enough the engine can seize and be ruined. And, transmission fluid keeps the gears changing in an automatic transmission. This can also cause your transmission to seize if it’s low and cost quite a bit of money to replace.
Check these fluids at least once a month. If they are often needing to be topped up then there is a leak somewhere and should be checked out.