7 Tips to Extend Your Car's Lifespan
As impossible as it might sound, not every driver gives much thought to taking good care of their car. But what if you want your car to serve you longer and save some money on expensive service and maintenance? You might want to read these 7 tips to extend your car’s lifespan.
7. Check Tire Pressure Regularly
Having the correct tire pressure is a sort of Goldilocks situation. If it gets too low or too high, you can have serious problems. When tires don’t have enough air, too much heat is generated inside because the resistance against the road is stronger. If your tires are underinflated even by 2 PSI, your fuel economy will drop by 2%. Multiply this by all the kilometers you drive every day, and you’ll be emptying your wallet just to pay for fuel. And get ready to shell out more money on the tires, because the same tire underinflated by 2 PSI will last approx 6500 kilometers less, and if you’re thinking, I’ll just overinflate my tires and get crazy awesome mileage. Well, think again.
Tires with too much air in them negatively affect the car’s drivability and handling. Your chances of skidding, hydroplaning, or having an accident increase significantly. To avoid these situations, check your tire pressure at least twice a month, but once a week is even better. While adding air to your tires, make sure they aren’t warm to the touch and don’t overfill them. You also have to change your tires in a timely fashion. Don’t forget about seasonal tire changes, and remember to swap your front and rear tires at least once a year.
6. Take it Easy on the Accelerator and Brake Pedals
Sharp acceleration and abrupt braking might feel like fun, but they’re actually extremely harmful to vehicles. They do a lot of work on the different systems in the car; the transmission and engines suffer a lot. Brake pads and discs wear out much faster. Plus, you’re just burning more fuel than you need to. As for sharp turning, it’ll cause balding of the tires, and it goes without saying that you’re more likely to get into an accident. If you’re trying to act like a NASCAR driver. Be careful, please.
5. Park Correctly
Too many drivers out there throw their cars into the park before coming to a full and complete stop. You have to avoid this habit because it takes a real toll on the transmission and leads to an expensive repair. The same goes for putting the car into drive or reverse before stopping fully. Don’t do it. You should always stop the car completely and only then change the gear.
Here’s another tip. When it comes to parking: Don’t neglect your emergency brake. Just because your car has a park year doesn’t mean that your emergency brake has no use. I’m not just talking about emergency stopping. If you decide to park on an incline, you should remember that there are almost no perfectly flat surfaces and put your car in park. It puts too much pressure on the transmission. In rare cases, it can even become dislodged or break down. So the best option is to use the emergency brake. Plus, when you don’t use it for long periods, the cables connected to it can deteriorate, which might let you down in an emergency.
4. Don't Ignore the Dashboard Lights
With the help of the symbols on the car’s dashboard, your car can tell. When something’s wrong, like when the engine overheats, something’s wrong with the electrical system, or the brake fluid level is too low, Go to an automobile service center as soon as possible to save yourself from expensive repairs or even an accident.
If you notice the engine light flashing while you’re driving, slow down right away. Because this might be a sign of a serious problem. The engine light shows any malfunction in the entire management system of the engine. if the light doesn’t stop flashing even after you’ve decreased your speed. Stop the car and call a service center where there’s an on-board computer reader.
The brake light lets you know that something has gone wrong in the braking system. In fact, this light can indicate a lot of things, like when the emergency brake is on or if you’re brake fluid is low.
If your oil pressure is low, you’ll see the oil light shining. Take it seriously, because if you keep driving with this light on for some time, your engine will literally die. Low oil pressure might be due to a blocked oil filter or a broken oil pump. Just do not ignore it, whatever the case may be.
3. Don't Forget About Vehicle Inspections and Repairs
Cars are like people; they need regular check-ups and health tests. Unfortunately, a lot of drivers don’t realize this and neglect routine maintenance. But then they’re surprised when their car quits on them. Keeping up with regular checks and inspections is the best way to prevent an expensive car repair.
Later on, check your car’s manual to find out how often you should change your oil and air filter, and remember that a lot of it depends on your driving habits. Don’t forget about checks you can do yourself. Like oil level, tire pressure, wiper fluid, and so on. Get yearly inspections, and keep in mind that routine maintenance will depend on the season and the mileage.
2. Avoid Overloading
Weighing your vehicle down excessively does nothing good for the car’s suspension, steering, transmission, tires, and engine. Plus, overloading increases fuel consumption and makes the car more difficult to handle. To avoid these problems, you should get acquainted with the maximum load capacity for your car and stick to it. Try to get rid of all the useless stuff in your car.
Let’s admit it, most of us have a lot of junk in the trunk and random crap in the backseat. although incredibly useful on an icy winter road. A bag of salt in the trunk will only weigh your car down in the summer. Carry only the things you really need at the moment.
1. Don't Overload the Clutch
Now, some advice for those of you who prefer a stick shift: Don’t hold the clutch at those long traffic lights. It just wears out the parts connected to it faster because they’re working too much when they actually should be resting. During short stops, shift to neutral and press the clutch right before you start moving.
I hope you enjoyed this blog. Let me know in the comments below, and help your friends extend the life of their cars by sharing this blog with them.