How to Extend the Life of Your Car

Many people know the importance of bringing your car into their local Milex Complete Auto Care for routine maintenance or scheduling an appointment with Mr. Transmission at the first sign of transmission trouble.

But it’s easy to miss the main message of why people should stay on top of their oil changes and filter replacements. In addition to keeping your car in top condition, you will likely want to avoid purchasing a new car until it is absolutely necessary.  New cars are fun to drive, and we all love that new car smell, but it isn’t a pleasant experience to pay for one, month after month after month.

Here is some practical advice that every car owner should know that should help extend the life of their vehicle.

Take your car for regular maintenance. Just like the adhering to good habits such as brushing your teeth, eating healthy, and getting good exercise and sleep help our bodies, taking care of your car on a daily basis is a good practice that will keep your car running longer.

By having a Milex professional change your oil, replace filters, inspect the coolant and make sure your radiator hoses and spark plugs and belts are in proper working order, you are far less likely to one day find your car on the side of the road with smoke or steam billowing out.

As your car enters its final years, you should resist the temptation to cut corners on continuing with regular maintenance, thinking you only have a limited time left driving it around.  The benefits of caring for your car may help you even after you’ve made up your mind to get a new vehicle.

For instance, when you do decide to sell your car, buyers can access vehicle history reports from places like CarFax and can see if you’ve been taking care of your car. That might help get a better price on your car when you trade it in or sell it.  If you’re thinking of passing down your car to one of your teenagers who will soon be behind the wheel, that’s another excellent reason to keep your car well maintained.

Driving close to empty. If your gas is extremely low, the fuel pump can start to overheat. It stays cool when it’s submerged in a full tank of gas, but if you’re down to those last drops, that can become problematic. Ideally when you get to a quarter tank, or at least one-eighth, you should fill up, or at least put some gas into the tank again.

Hard shifts from reverse to drive. It can cause problems for your car by making an abrupt shift from reverse to drive. If you start in reverse, make sure you come to a complete stop before driving forward. If you do hard shifts from reverse to drive, it can eventually wear out your transmission.

Inspect your tires. Check your tires frequently to make sure they are properly inflated.  If you spot a nail in the tire, it can patched inexpensively, or you will know the tire needs to be replaced before suffering a flat.  Don’t think about driving even a short distance on a flat tire, because everything from brake lines to rotors and calipers can be damaged. If you get a flat, pull over the side of the road as soon as you can and call for assistance.

Inspect your tires and get them rotated as needed, and you are likely to buy fewer replacements over your car’s lifespan. It will help keep your car around longer and delay those new car payments for a few years.