Basic maintenance to improve the life of your car
Author: LaChelle Neudorfer

You are driving along the highway and all of a sudden your
oil light comes on and your check engine light comes on! This
can't be happening! You have to be at work in 15 minutes. Oh,
but it is happening because you haven't changed the oil in who
knows how long and your engine is locking up. You're not only
going to be late, but you now need a new car.

Don't let this be you. If you take care of your car, your car will take care of you.
Let's start with the very basics to keep your car on the road. Oil changes and tire rotation.

Oil change companies tell you to change your oil every 3k miles. If you haven't already, crack open your owner's manual to the maintenance section to find out a secret most people don't know. The manufacturer probably doesn't require the oil to be changed that frequently! My Honda calls for an oil change every 7,500 miles. I compromise and do it every 5k to 6k miles.

The next thing you must do to save money and maintain the drivability and safety of your car is to rotate the tires. By rotating the tires at regular intervals, every other oil change if you do it at 3k miles, you will increase the life of your tires, therefore saving you money in the long run.

Another way to increase the life of the tires is to regularly check the tire inflation. Keep a tire pressure gauge in your glove box or door map pocket so you can check it while you are getting gas. You can find the correct PSI for your car (pounds per square inch) on the label inside the driver door jam. By having under or over inflated tires, your tread can wear unevenly very quickly causing you to need new tires, it lowers your gas mileage or worse, a dangerous blowout. Having improperly inflated tires can also lower your gas mileage which is a concern for everyone with the high price of gas.

TIP- Look for oil change deals that have free tire rotation or get new tires at a dealer that offers free rotation for the life of the tire. This will save you $20 or more every time you rotate your tires.

Less frequent maintenance, but very important, includes brakes, spark plugs, transmission fluid, coolant and the timing belt. If any of these items are neglected for too long, they can cause other components to break and be a hazard to your safety and wallet. Check your owner's manual for the recommended schedule. Many manuals even come with a place where you can fill in the maintenance done and the date. If yours doesn't have a place to fill it in, I recommend keeping a notebook in your car and keeping track of it that way. Also, keep a file with the receipts for all repairs done for when you sell your car or need to submit a warranty claim.

Although not a safety concern, the exterior maintenance of your car is very important. Washing is nice, but your car needs to be waxed to keep up its shine. Waxing should be done at least twice a year, once before winter and once before summer to protect the clear coat from the sun and acid rain. Acid rain can permanently damage the paint on your car, which could cost thousands of dollars to repaint.

TIP- Take your car twice a year to a carwash that offers oil changes. They usually have great deals on wash/wax/oil change combos.

Why you should maintain your car:

1. Voids Warranty- If you don't have records proving you have been maintaining your car, the manufacturer has every right to deny any current or future repair claims.

2. No one wants to be stranded- Your tire could blow or your engine could over heat and you could be left on the side of the road with your family and facing repair costs far more expensive than maintenance alone would have been.

3. Value- Cars without proof of maintenance are not worth as much as a car with a big stack of records. So I don't confuse you, maintaining your car does NOT increase the value of your car, but it maintains it. A car that has not been maintained or is in need of immediate maintenance is worth less than one that has been maintained.