Do you want to extend the life of your car?

Hello everyone!

DriverSide not only provides information on buying and selling cars, but it helps to live with your car every day. In today's economy, we are constantly asked how people can keep their current cars on the road for long periods of time. While it is expensive to buy a new car every few years, it is also expensive to repair a car that could be on its last legs. We at DriverSide, always be on the side of, you, the driver, we have compiled a list of some of our helpful tips to help prolong the life of your vehicle and save money in the long run.

1- Read the manual of the machine and maintenance program accordingly. Keep up with the maintenance schedule of your car can help you avoid costly problems with the cooling system, transmission, suspension and other components, according to the recommended schedule also helps to ensure that he gets the full benefit of the manufacturer's warranty.

2- Drive less. Above all, avoid short trips. Cold starts are hard on engines, your gas mileage and the environment. Short can also significantly reduce the life of the silencer. In essence, you get condensation in the exhaust gas when the engine is started cold, and if you do not run the car evaporate for a sufficient time to get all the condensate out of the system, excessive amounts of water can accumulate in your muffler and rust a hole through it. Only to pull it to avoid starting a cold car in the garage, for example. Consider walking to the store for a change. Combine short errands, and if you have more than one vehicle, drive the newer run, when you go back. Not to drive a machine at least once per week or so, since the cars that sit for more than a week or two at a time, other problems, such as the fluids gradually drained of systems have. Consult a mechanic if you want to store a car for a longer period.

3- Check the fluid: how every time you buy gas: should the level of your antifreeze, oil, transmission fluid, power steering and brake fluid to check very regularly. Even if your car does not lose fluids, you can develop a leak and quickly a dangerously low level of something. You should also consider the color of some of these liquids. Some of them are mounted with plastic tanks that you can look through, and some test strips. Antifreeze should be pink, green or yellow (pink for newer cars with "Dex-Cool", green for the older vehicles with simple ethyl glycol and green or yellow for cars that have flushed with antifreeze antifreeze stuffed universal brown ... more should be washed and has no rust or a lot of dirt in it, probably is, must never antifreeze, .. if you do not know what color your car is anti-freeze, buy a universal brand oil should be relatively clear, not black - black oil was too long, the engine oil, white and milkshake looks has water in it, probably from a loss of antifreeze inside left, or very rare, only a large amount of condensation of gear oil should be .. bright red, and should not be burning smell ... likely to be changed if it is brown or smells burnt.

4- Change the oil regularly: this will improve your gas mileage and protect your engine. The recommended oil change mileage is 3,000 to 5,000 miles (or 5000-8000 km) or every 3 or 6 months. In this way, it could make possible to achieve for your car to 200,000 miles. Replace the oil filter as well - there's no point putting clean oil through a dirty filter and filter are very cheap and readily available spare parts. Please refer to the manual or contact. Dealer for the specific needs of your car.

5- Change the air filter: This is something that can easily be done at home without the use of tools and should be done about every 12,000 miles. You can store a matching filter for almost every auto parts and buy the manual will show you where is the air filter. Can reduce dirty, dusty filters gasoline consumption.

6- flush these fluids every two years: power steering, brake fluid, cooling system and antifreeze. Check this calendar before the manual. Newer cars usually provide longer intervals between changes. Replace transmission oil and filter at least every 50,000 miles (40k to 45k is even better). If you are without a change in many programs have gone more than 50,000 miles, but it is better not to change it and hope for the best. Often put new transmission fluid in a trans that actually lead to many miles on the fluid problems because it decompose "paint" and other tire / solids that may have accumulated over-used in the trans due to liquid.

7- Monitor your thickness of the brake pads and do not let the brake pads wear out metal - this will damage the brake discs ("hard") cause at least and maybe the calipers as well. Rotors and calipers are much more expensive than replacing pad. There is no such thing as 'clean' a tablet while in a car yet - the friction between the brake pad and the disc is any substance outside to eliminate almost immediately.

8- Rotate the tires. Changing the position of the tire is very important and reduces irregular wear of the tread, whereby the tire life. The rotation cycle is recommended twice a year or every 6,000 miles. Turn diagonally - front left to rear right and front left to rear right. However, this model may vary depending on the kinematic chain of the vehicle, and the type of tire. The vehicle manual contains detailed information revolution. Remember, some tires (especially on sports cars) are directed and are designed to turn only one way. They have a large arrow on the sidewall to indicate this.

9-You hold inflated tires. Tire pressure can reduce tire life by 15% and is easy to remove your gas mileage, maybe 10%. Inflate the tires is perhaps the simplest of all activities, and many stores sell tire pressure gauge for a very low cost. Check the tire pressure every time you gas reduces tire wear and prevent these problems. Monitor the tread with a penny. Insert the penny into the tread with Lincoln's head down. When the top of its head is covered by the tread, the tires must be replaced. Basically, if you can see all of Lincoln's head, you need to replace your tires.

10- Hold the front. If you (not brake - brake judder indicating warped rotors) your car shaking while driving at high speed notice, or when the tread is worn unevenly, so you may need an alignment. This is also the key to extend the life of your tires and keep the tread for even more security.

11-Get the car off to a good start every time you drive. Start the car and drive slowly and carefully until the engine reaches operating temperature. This reduces the load on the motor, while the oil is still cold and thicker. Another possibility is to use electric heaters of the engine, and start the drive motor is warm. Accelerate time to the setpoint. For most modern cars idle on a cold engine is both counterproductive and wasteful. Also, as you accelerate, release the gas a little, "the automatic cause to upshift while you do not press hard on the gas. This tends to move less wear on the internal friction., It is easier couplings for the car if you To facilitate the gas.

12-you use the parking brake. Even if you come by car with an automatic transmission, use the parking brake regularly, especially if you are parked on a slope. Helps the brakes in the rear of the car adapted to hold and makes it last longer. Do not use the parking brake in winter because the brakes locked and locked until it is defrosted.

13-wash the car: road salt, mud and dirt can lead to expensive body. Without regular cleaning, you can begin the rust on the bottom of your doors notice within four years. Another three or four years to creep and corrosion underbody components such as brake lines. It costs a lot to rust if you neglect to wash your car, especially near the ocean / Gulf Coast, where the sand on the road or morning dew could be salty fix.

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