Tuesday, February 18, 2014

10 Small Tips To Help Extend The Life Of Your Car

10 Small Tips to Keep Your Car in Good Condition



KEEP IT CLEAN -  First and foremost, dirt can build up in the summer and salt in the winter. Keep your car washed and clean regularly as dirt leads to scratches and salt eats away at the paint. The same principle applies to your interior, the longer you wait to vacuum, the more time you allow dirt to be compacted deeper, and deeper into your seats and carpet. 

DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF - Wipers are relatively cheap, when they start to wear out,  do your self a favor and replace them.  Old wipers can scratch windshields and cause accidents when you really need them.  Fix bad weather stripping immediately, water seeps in an causes mildew and unwanted odors.  Weather stripping is usually relatively cheap as well. 

BRAKES - Everyone hates getting their brakes changed, but brakes usually last around 30,000 miles or so. A couple hundred bucks to replace new pads is nothing compared to letting them squeak and squeal to the point where now you need new Pads and Rotors. 

KEEP LEATHER FROM DRYING OUT - Leather is usually pretty durable and reliable in cars these days, however it is not invincible. Over time the sun and stormy weather can dry out or soil leather seats. Be sure to clean your seats and interior regularly and ever couple of years apply a new conditioner. 10 bucks goes a long way. 

KEEP UP THE INFLATION -  No I'm not talking about the economy, you want to keep your tires inflated to the correct PSI (pounds per square inch) as this not only preserves the life of your expensive tires, but it keeps you safe on the road as well. 

KEEP'M ROTATED - Usually, for a few extra bucks you can have your tires rotated during an oil change. Rotating your tires preserves their life and keeps an even wear and tear all around your vehicle. This is especially important for AWD (All Wheel Drive) vehicles.  Bad tires and uneven wear can even cause damage to drivetrains and suspension. 

GET THE OIL CHANGED -Oil to a car is like blood to a human. Blood carries oxygen throughout our body right, now imagine how we would feel if we had dirty blood and sludge running through our veins.  Oil keeps a car lubricated and running smooth, dirty oil causes more friction, this means more heat and more wear and tear. Congratulations, by ignoring a $35.00 maintenance several times the life of your car has been cut nearly in half. 

FILTERS, FILTERS, FILTERS - Don't forget about your car's filters, the protect you and your motor from dirt, dust and debris. Filters are usually pretty cheap, and keep your motor clean and your cars interior looking good. Not to mention the air your breathing inside your car is filtered. 

WATCH OUT FOR TANKERS AT THE STATION - When you see a tanker dropping off gas at the gas station, skip the pump. Why you ask? Because when these big tankers start dropping new fuel into the tanks, it stirs up all the dirt and grime on the bottom of the tanks, this in turn gets sucked up through the system and into your sweet ride. This cause fuel pumps to burn out. 

KEEP IT ABOVE HALF TANK -  Fuel pumps can be pricey and usually last quite a long time.  Fuel pumps can get hot, especially in summer and when your tank is half empty the pump is no longer submerged in liquid gets hotter and has to work harder to suck gas up out of the tank to the engine. Keeping your tank above half empty helps improve gas mileage as well. The less gas in a tank, the more room for condensation and dirt a grime to get sucked up.   

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