As the economy gets more unpredictable, the prices are getting higher and higher, especially with vehicles. Owning a car has become a luxury nowadays, especially with the expenses associated with owning one. This leaves car owners no choice but to take extra care of their cars, reduce their expenses as much as possible, and hopefully extend the life of their cars.
A car is made up of advanced technology and not everyone understands the exact mechanics of the car, and hence, the ways to maintain the performance of the car or extend its life. But there are some basics that don’t require you to dig deep into the mechanics of the vehicle. For instance, to maintain the performance transmissions in cars, you need to avoid a few things such as overheating, emergency brakes, etc.… for the car to work at its peak performance.
There are some basics that can be easily done and will dramatically improve the state of your car in the long run, here are some of them.
1. Break-in recommendations
If you just bought a new car, it’s best that you follow the break-in instructions without underestimating their importance. These are things like the oil change after a certain mileage coverage and following the maintenance schedule. Also, the oil change ensures that impurities left in the car after manufacturing is out of your engine.
2. Maintain your tire pressure
Handing the tires with the car by checking them regularly will help the tires handle better and will allow you to make the most out of your gas, and also will make them last longer since a car moving on tires with lower-than-needed pressure tends to wear out and utilize more gas than needed.
3. Try to keep your car away from the sun as much as possible
Although this is something we usually roll our eyes at when we hear from older people, it’s a hundred percent true. Even if you buy a really expensive and high-quality car, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t going to be affected by the damaging effects of the sun.
So, whenever you can, try to park your car in the shade, especially if you are leaving it for long durations. This will help you maintain the car’s paint and even the interior.
4. When the car is still cold, don’t overwork it
This doesn’t mean that you need to warm up a car for an hour before but try to drive at a moderate speed until the engine reaches a suitable temperature. Driving at high speed when the car is still cold will decrease the lifespan of the engine in the long run.
5. Make sure to check the owner’s manual
So, as a rule of thumb, the first thing that comes to mind when wanting to know something about your car is to check the user’s manual, and not to ask people. The car’s manufacturer is one who knows the most about the proper functioning of that specific vehicle and reading it will let you know the recommended maintenance schedule, type of oil needed, and ways for proper maintenance. So, there’s no need to search for answers when they are already in the user’s manual if you just take a few minutes to read it.
6. Don’t underestimate the “check engine” light
It’s common for vehicle owners to ignore the check engine lights when it comes on because they know that maintenance is not due yet, or that they don’t feel that there’s something wrong in the car because there could be something you are not aware of.
Prolonged usage of the car with the “check engine” lights turned on could lead to serious damage, especially if accompanied by irregular noises or smells. Even though living in a state of denial might seem like the less expensive option, it is not because this will cost you a lot in the long run. The car won’t fix itself, so might as well repair it now when the damage is light than spend a fortune later.
7. Watch the way your drive
Drive with what they call “mechanical sympathy” which basically means being sympathetic toward the mechanics of the car. The car after all is a machine, and every machine in the world has a lifespan, so make sure that you pay attention to the way you drive to increase that lifespan.
The smallest things will add up in the end such as driving aggressively, stopping aggressively, pressing on the brakes till the end, and not taking the time to warm up the car. All these things eventually reduce the lifespan of a vehicle.