Whether you drive an old or a new Car, you want to keep your ride going as long as possible, but it’s easier said than done. While in the middle of life’s daily hustle, you might be letting proper car care slide. Over the years, that will add extra wear and ultimately shorten the life of the vehicle.
Getting the most out of your car is easier than you might think. Once the warranty runs out or your service package expires, simple maintenance procedures (at small investments) are the key to avoiding expensive vehicle repairs. These tips however, will be handy in prolonging the life-span of your car: 1. Read the car's manual and schedule maintenance accordingly. Keeping up with your car's recommended maintenance schedule can help avoid costly problems with your cooling system, drive train, suspension and other components; following the recommended schedule also helps ensure you get the full benefit of the manufacturer's warranty. 2. Drive less. Especially, avoid short trips. Cold starts are hard on engines, your gas mileage, and the environment. Short trips can also significantly shorten the life of your muffler. Basically, you get condensation in the exhaust when you start a cold engine, and if you don't run the car for long enough to evaporate all of the condensation out of the system, excessive amounts of water can accumulate in your muffler, and rust a hole through it. Avoid starting a cold car just to pull it into the garage, for instance. Consider walking to the nearest store for a change. Combine short errands, and, if you have multiple vehicles, drive the one more recently driven when you go out again. Do drive a car at least every week or so, since cars that sit for longer than a week or two at a time have other problems, such as fluids gradually draining out of systems. Consult a mechanic if you will store a car for an extended period. 3. Check the fluids: You should check the level of your antifreeze, oil, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, and brake fluid, very regularly. A good time to do so is when you fill up with gasoline/petrol. Even if your car doesn't leak fluids at the moment, one can occur at any time and you can identify it by checking the fluid levels often. You should also check the color of some of these fluids. Some of these have see-through plastic tanks that you can look through, and some have dipsticks. Antifreeze should be either pink, green, or yellow (Pink for newer cars with "Dex-Cool", green for old cars with plain Ethyl-Glycol, and green or yellow for cars that have been flushed and filled with universal antifreeze...brown antifreeze should always be flushed, it either has rust or a lot of dirt in it, probably both. Also, never mix different kinds of antifreeze; if you don't know what color antifreeze your car has, buy a universal brand. Oil will normally be slightly clear (when new) to brown. Oil that looks white and milkshake-like may be contaminated with antifreeze/coolant or very rarely, just a large amount of condensation. You should take your vehicle in for service soon if this is the case. Transmission fluid should be bright red, and should not smell burnt. If it looks or smells burnt, have your transmission fluid flushed. Letting it get too bad can damage your transmission. There's also a chance that you may have an internal transmission problem, especially if you are having problems with shifting or engaging in gears 4. Change the oil regularly. This will improve your gas mileage and protect your engine. The recommended mileage between oil changes is 3,000 - 5,000 miles (or 5000 - 8000 kilometres) or every 3 to 6 months, depending on the type of oil you use and your driving conditions. Doing this could make it possible for your vehicle to attain 200,000 miles (or about 320,000 kilometres). Change the oil filter at the same time; there is no sense in putting clean oil through a dirty filter, and filters are very cheap and available at any auto parts store. If you're unsure how often to change your oil, check your car's owner's manual or contact the dealer for your car's make. In general, conventional oil and harsh driving conditions (like short trips, taxi/police/delivery use, extreme weather, heavy loads) will require more frequent oil changes than fully synthetic oils and light driving conditions. 5. Change the air filter. This is something you can do easily at home with few or no tools. A screwdriver may be required. You can buy a matching filter at nearly any auto parts store and your owner's manual will show you where your air filter is located. A dirty, dusty filter can slightly hamper gas mileage and make your car accelerate poorly. 6. Flush these fluids every two years: power steering fluid, brake fluid, and cooling system anti-freeze. Check this timetable against your owner's manual. Newer cars generally allow longer intervals between changes. Change transmission fluid & filter at least every 50,000 miles (40k to 45k is even better). Older fluids don't lubricate and cool parts as well as fresh fluid and may leave your car unprotected in severe conditions (for example, old antifreeze may not perform well in a very cold weather).     |
7. Monitor your brake pad thickness and don't let the pads wear down to metal. This will cause damage to your brake rotors ("discs"
 at least and possibly your calipers as well. Rotors and calipers are much more expensive to replace than pads. There is no such thing as "cleaning" a brake pad while it is still on a car - the friction between the pad and rotor will eradicate any outside substance almost immediately.8. Rotate the tires. Changing tire position is very important and reduces uneven wear and tear on the tread, thus extending the life of the tires. The recommended rotation cycle is twice a year or every 6,000 - 7,500 miles. Rotate them diagonally - front right to rear left and front left to rear right. However, this pattern can change depending on the drivetrain of the vehicle, and the type of tire. Your vehicle manual will contain detailed rotation information. 9. Keep the tires inflated . Under-inflated tires can reduce the tire life by 15% and will slightly decrease your gas mileage, perhaps by 10%. Inflating tires is perhaps the easiest of all activities, and many stores sell tire gauges for a very small cost. Checking your tire pressure every other time you get gas will reduce tire wear and prevent these issues. Monitor your tire tread to determine when there is need for replacement. 10. Keep the front end aligned. If you notice your car shaking while driving at high speeds (not while braking - shuddering while braking indicates warped rotors), or if your tread is wearing unevenly, then you may need an alignment. This is also key to extending the life of your tires and will keep the tread even for increased safety. 11. Get your car off to a good start every time you drive it. Start the car and drive off slowly and gently until the car reaches operating temperature (known as closed loop). This reduces the strain on the engine while the oil is still cold and thicker. Another option is to use electric engine space heaters, and start the drive with a warm engine. Accelerate promptly to the target speed. For most modern cars, idling a cold engine is both counterproductive and wasteful. Additionally, as you accelerate, release the gas a bit to cause the automatic transmission to upshift while you are not pressing hard on the gas. This causes less wear on the internal clutches. It is easier on the clutches for the car to shift when you ease up on the gas. 12. Use your parking (hand) brake. Even if you are driving a car with an automatic transmission, use your parking brake regularly, especially if you're parked on an incline. It helps keep the brakes adjusted in the rear of the car and makes them last longer. 13. Wash your car and the car engine: Road salt, sludge and pollution can lead to costly body work. Without regular cleaning, you can start to notice rust on the bottom of your doors within four years. Another three to four years and the corrosion will creep to underbody components, like brake lines. It can cost thousands in rust-related repairs if you neglect to wash your car, especially near ocean/gulf shorelines, such as Lagos, where the road sand or morning dew might be salty. Washing your car’s exterior is taken for granted, but opening the hood and washing the engine every few years is a way to prolong the life of the vehicle. Removing the sludge that accumulates on an engine’s exterior helps keep the parts from overheating, which will allow you to stay away from the mechanic. Electrical parts and the air intake should be protected when you perform this task, so ask for advice at the auto parts store before you get into engine cleaning. 14. Protect your car in a storage If you aren’t going to use your car for several weeks, there are steps you should take to protect its operation. Reader’s Digest suggests filling up the gas tank to avoid condensation and adding a fuel stabilizer to keep parts in working order while it sits idle. In addition, removing the battery from your car will protect it from damage and potential drain. Finally, wash and wax your car so the exterior remains protected in your absence. It will be much better off when you return. You also need to protect your car from the sun. Too much sunlight will eat away paint and leave your car vulnerable to rust. If you can’t keep it in a garage, at least try to keep it out of the sun. Reader’s Digest suggests getting a car cover to give your car protection against moisture, bird droppings, and other debris. Covers also give you a line of defense against random damage that can occur to a car sitting on a residential street or in a parking lot. 15. Keep the interior of your car clean and dry There is a lot of electronics and wiring in the dash, center console and under the carpet. Electronics plus water always equals trouble . When you keep the interior clean, it stays smell-free. Once the moisture or garbage accumulate, it will be almost impossible to get rid of a bad smell. Most newer cars have a cabin filter that needs to be replaced every 10,000-15,000 miles. A dirty cabin filter also causes a bad smell in a car.
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