Owning a car means paying for gas, general upkeep, registration, new tires or brakes, inspection stickers, major repairs from constant wear and tear or damage caused from a wreck of fender bender. Although these costs may seem overwhelming, there is a way to cut down the price of owning a car significantly. The path towards a longer life for your car with fewer repair costs is by routine maintenance.
How to maintain you Vehicle
By far the greatest cost of owning a vehicle, aside from maybe the original purchase, are repairs. Cars usually break down without any warning and while gas, registration and inspection and even oil changes are most likely a part of your monthly budget, the hundreds needed for major repairs are usually not.
Therefore a car should be treated much in the same way that a pet or even a child is treated as far pre-emptive measures to keep it healthy. Pets and children have routine doctor, vet or dentist visits in order to keep serious conditions at bay. In the same manner, cars should be checked for any sign of possible damage before a major breakdown happens. Failure to maintain can be the cause of serious car accidents.
Think of it as providing damage control for your car so you only have to pay for minor upkeep issues as opposed to major part replacement or engine/brake repair. The following things should be preformed routinely to ensure a long life for your car:
o Oil changes-many people put off having their oil changed if their cars are running fine. This is a serious mistake. Having the oil changed before the date listed is incredibly important. Running a car on dirty or low oil can damage the engine to the point of no return.
o Check your cooling system-allowing a car to overheat can total your car's engine.
o Check the fuel filter, spark plugs and timing belts for optimal performance.
o Top up engine oil, power steering fluid and transmission fluid as soon as they get low.