There are a lot of responsibilities when owning a car and a big investment goes into it, so for these reasons; it's important that you have it go through a regular maintenance, in order to extend its life. If you do this, this can even mean that your car can exceed it's normal lifespan. While others can exceed 150,000 and more miles, cars today can easily hit the 100,000 mark. The owners of these cars maintained them with discipline and took very good care of them.
To extend the life of your car, maintenance should be carefully and diligently performed on time. So you can avoid repairs that are costly and make for a more efficient car, here are some steps which you can take.
Regular oil changes: every 3,000 miles or every three months, whichever comes first, is the recommended duration between oil changes. Opting to have more frequent changes is better especially if you do a lot of driving even though some manufacturers say that you can change your oil every 7,500 miles or every six months.
Change air filter: the engine will run much better, as well as be cleaner if you change the air filter at least once a year and maybe even more if you do a lot of stop and go driving.
Rotate tires: ensuring that they will wear out evenly will also help ensure that it stops properly and stays firmly on the road. Also, have the brakes and shocks checked to avoid handling and control problems.
Make sure to change the transmission fluid about every 30 to 60 thousand miles, which is the usual manufacturers' recommendation.
To help flush out rust and dirt, which has the potential of clogging up a car's cooling system, drain the radiator every so often and replace the antifreeze regularly.
Change spark plugs: some manufacturers install lifelong spark plugs, which mean that you can change the spark plugs once every 60,000 and even 90,000 miles or more. Keep in mind, however, that the longer the plugs are in place, the more difficult they can be to remove. Replacing them every 30,000 miles is best.
It pays to know that the catalytic converter, the muffler, and other parts of the exhaust system can wear out. This can rob the engine of energy if your exhaust system runs poorly.
Wash and wax: weekly washing and a yearly wax job will keep your car looking great.
Battery, fuel filter, PCV valve and hoses should be replaced, along with other parts of the car that may wear out. You also will have to replace knock or oxygen sensors if there's a problem that comes up.
To extend the life of your car, maintenance should be carefully and diligently performed on time. So you can avoid repairs that are costly and make for a more efficient car, here are some steps which you can take.
Regular oil changes: every 3,000 miles or every three months, whichever comes first, is the recommended duration between oil changes. Opting to have more frequent changes is better especially if you do a lot of driving even though some manufacturers say that you can change your oil every 7,500 miles or every six months.
Change air filter: the engine will run much better, as well as be cleaner if you change the air filter at least once a year and maybe even more if you do a lot of stop and go driving.
Rotate tires: ensuring that they will wear out evenly will also help ensure that it stops properly and stays firmly on the road. Also, have the brakes and shocks checked to avoid handling and control problems.
Make sure to change the transmission fluid about every 30 to 60 thousand miles, which is the usual manufacturers' recommendation.
To help flush out rust and dirt, which has the potential of clogging up a car's cooling system, drain the radiator every so often and replace the antifreeze regularly.
Change spark plugs: some manufacturers install lifelong spark plugs, which mean that you can change the spark plugs once every 60,000 and even 90,000 miles or more. Keep in mind, however, that the longer the plugs are in place, the more difficult they can be to remove. Replacing them every 30,000 miles is best.
It pays to know that the catalytic converter, the muffler, and other parts of the exhaust system can wear out. This can rob the engine of energy if your exhaust system runs poorly.
Wash and wax: weekly washing and a yearly wax job will keep your car looking great.
Battery, fuel filter, PCV valve and hoses should be replaced, along with other parts of the car that may wear out. You also will have to replace knock or oxygen sensors if there's a problem that comes up.
