How to Extend the Life of Your Car

A car is a great yet costly investment. To acquire one, many people have to budget, save up for a long time, and sometimes take out auto loans. During hard economic times, everything seems too expensive, even owning a car, so it is vital to take good care of it. Additionally, caring for your car ensures it remains safe and reliable—even as the miles pile up—thereby giving it a longer useful life. Some easy, straightforward ways to care for your car include adhering to its service schedule and timely repairs, washing it frequently, checking and changing the fluids, and maintaining proper tire pressure.

Here are some things you should do to take care of your car:

Wash it regularly and keep the interior clean

When your car is new, you cannot stand to see its body and interior less than sparkling clean. You should not let that zeal for cleanliness die. The car exterior accumulates road salt, dust, and many other forms of dirt that—when left on it for longer—will cause it to rust after a few years.  You should have your car washed well, be it at a car wash or at home, with the right reagents and material.

For the interior, you need to have weather mats to prevent mud and other sorts of dirt from accumulating in the footwell. Use plastic sheets and protective towels on baby seats to keep the seats safe from spills.

Drive responsibly

Your driving habits matter a lot in keeping your car in good condition. If someone else also drives your car, you should be sure that they are competent and have good driving habits. Rapid acceleration and harsh braking give your car components undue stress and strain, making them wear out faster. You can consider installing cameras and other in-vehicle technologies from EyeRide, who you can reach at eyerideonline.com, to be able to keep track of your car and other drivers’ driving habits.

Timely repairs

Delaying small or even large repairs can make you dig deeper into your pocket later, in addition to causing more damage to your car and posing risks to the car users and other road users. A good case in point is driving with a spoilt water pump, which will result in overheating the vehicle and disastrous damage to the engine. Always get all the repairs done on time to avoid further damage and possible accidents.

Be attentive of fluid levels

Some crucial car fluids include engine oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, radiant coolant, power steering fluid, and differential and power transfer fluids for four-wheel drive vehicles. You should keep checking the fluid levels and conditions in between services. Any need for top up or replacement should be done immediately. Also, be on the lookout for issues like leaks, which can result in severe damage if not remedied in good time. Ideally, check your fluids after about two weeks.

Go through your car owner’s manual

The owner’s manual has tons of crucial information, like how to use the various functions, the recommended servicing schedule, and much more. You need to read it and keep it safe for constant reference.

Conclusion

The above tips can keep your car in a good and safe condition, and in case you wish to resell it, you will get a reasonable resale value. Also, you will save a lot on repairs and avoid possible accidents.