Your car is one of your most significant investments and a primary source of dependence. Nowadays, a lot of people are keeping their ancient cars longer before trading them in or upgrading.
As we focus on sustainable living, you may be considering ways to reduce car parts consumption and extend its lifespan. So, maintaining your car properly is more crucial than ever to extending its life and minimizing the need for repairs.
Fortunately, there are plenty of tips, tricks, and eco-friendly practices you can adopt to prolong the life of your car and reduce your fuel use.
Regular Oil Changes
Oil changes are necessary to keep your car’s engine working safely. Greasy or old oil can cause unnecessary wear and tear to the engine over time due to increased friction between moving parts. Using old or unclean oil is one of the most common ways to harm a car’s engine.
Make sure to get your oil changed regularly per the owner manual’s recommended frequency, often every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. In this way, regular oil change can enable your vehicle to attain 200,000 miles.
Keep the Tires Inflated
Under-inflated tires can shorten tire life by 15% and may cause about 10% decrease in your gas mileage. Inflating tires is possibly the easiest of all tasks and are inexpensively available at many stores.
Checking your tire pressure every other time you fill up will lessen tire wear and avoid these problems. Use a penny to monitor the wear on your tires. Insert the penny into the tread with Lincoln’s head down. You should replace your tires if the tread does not cover the top of your head. If you can see all of Lincoln’s head, you must need new tires.
Charge Battery Regularly
Regularly charging your battery can extend its lifespan, protect it from future wear and tear, and potentially reverse existing damage.
A smart charger can safely charge your battery without overcharging it and automatically switches to a long-term maintenance mode when fully charged. This setting keeps your battery cells healthy and attempts to repair prior wear and tear for a longer-lasting, more sustainable battery.
Regular charging is vital for short trips, as longer journeys allow the alternator to recharge the battery after starting the engine. So, only driving short distances can slowly reduce your charge.
Park Car away from the sun and Keep it Clean
Without regular cleaning, you may find rust beneath your doors and spots on your seat covers within two years. Another one or two years later, parts like brakes and clutch pads will also begin to rust. And you don’t need to pay thousands of rupees to receive new seat covers and rust-related repairs.
Keeping your car clean, both inside and out, is the secret here, which will help the car look brand new and increase its trade value.
Put your car away from the sun and park it in an area with minimal sunlight or a garage to prevent its paint from fading. Additionally, remember to wash your vehicle regularly because road salt, mud, tar, and pollution tend to build up and quickly erode the paint.
Wash the footpads and clean the dirt off the seat covers to protect its interior. Keeping an air spray and air purifier in the automobile will highlight the interior. Regularly sending your car in for dry cleaning is a smart way to protect its aesthetic appeal inside and out.
Pay Attention to the Small Things
Watch out for minor issues that may increase in the future. For example, there may be a faint vibration that becomes stronger every week. But you hardly notice the change since it only occurs once, infrequently, or briefly.
Some parts are intended to alert you when it’s time for a replacement. For example, when it’s time to change the pads, your brakes may experience a squeal or scrape. Be aware of warning signs like these because safety is another factor in keeping a car longer. After all, an accident can lead to a sudden surge in the high-priced car market. But when your vehicle has reached the end of its reliable service, cash for junk cars is an excellent way to get value from your old vehicle.