Car Maintenance for a Long Life

This article will relate to basic car maintenance, and what you need to know to make your car last. I will discuss things like tire pressure, tread depth, coolant levels, and the very basics of keeping your car in good running order.

First of all you, should have your car looked at every other month, this will prevent bad things from happening. The best way to save money, and keep your car on the road is to know things ahead of time. So don't look for excuses not to take your car to the shop, look for excuses to take it to the shop.

One of the most important things is your engine oil, which needs to be checked regularly. You can check your oil by finding the dipstick on the engine, and looking to see if the oil is at the full line. Your oil should be changed on a regular basis, also.

If you use conventional motor oil, you should change it every 2,500 miles. If you use synthetic oil this number goes up quite a bit; a lot of people look at it, and they dismiss the idea of synthetic oil because it costs more. If you look at how much farther you go between oil changes, it does not end up costing more. Synthetic oil is a much better wear protector than conventional motor oil; it will make your engine last longer, and run cooler; I would suggest that you give it a try.

The next thing that you should keep a close eye on is the coolant level in your car. You should always check this when the engine is cold, or you could get burned. If your radiator cap has a pressure release valve on it; you don't need to wait until the car is cold.

You should never fill the radiator with all water. Anti freeze has additives in it to help lubricate your water pump, and keep it in good shape. It also has additives to stop your engine block from freezing in to a block of ice; you should always use anti freeze in your car.

For gas mileage sake you should check your tire pressure once per week; you should always run the recommended tire pressure. You can find the recommended tire pressure on the side of the tires. If you do this; your tires will last a long time, and you could get as much as 10% better gas mileage.

On the new cars you should always keep them tuned up; if you decide not to it cost you huge money. If you let the tuning of your car go; it can make sensors go out, and these cost a lot of money to replace. O2 sensors are the ones that like to burn out when you decide not to tune your car.

There are two O2 sensors in your exhaust system; there is one at the front, and one at the rear. They will both go out if you don't tune your car, this is no longer like the old days any more. These are just things that you should do any way; car maintenance will make your car last.

It may take a little of your time, and some of your money; but in the end it's well worth it. It has always been my contention that this is the reason why people thing that the imports last longer. They cost them so much to buy; so they do a much better job maintaining them.

The next thing to keep an eye on is your transmission fluid; the last thing you need is for one of these to go out on you. They are very costly to repair, and they will last a long time if your take care of them. Check your transmission oil about once per month.

If it's starting to look discolored its time to change it; this is one of the biggest reasons that people have their transmissions fail. They are not designed to use the same oil for their entire life. It's like you living on one glass of water for your entire life.

Every three months I would suggest that you run a fuel system cleaner through your fuel system. If you do these few things; your car should last a long time. Car maintenance is one of the most important things that your can do to keep your car on the road for a long time.