If your vehicle is your prized possession, chances are that you want to try to make your car last forever. While “forever” may be a stretch, there are easy ways to keep your car lasting as long as possible. Here is a look at 5 tips that can help you preserve your vehicle, brought to you by the local mechanics at Chapel Hill Tire.
Vehicle Preservation Tip 1: Maintenance Flushes
While many drivers tend to dismiss the necessity of maintenance flushes, they are essential to the health of your vehicle. If you want to help your car last longer, they become even more necessary. Your vehicle relies on several different liquid solutions for proper functioning—including coolant, transmission fluid, brake fluid, power steering fluid, and more. Over time, these solutions become worn, depleted, and contaminated, making it essential that they are cleaned and replenished with regular maintenance flushes.
Vehicle Preservation Tip 2: Consistent Oil Changes
Some vehicle services are needed more consistently than others. Perhaps the most frequently-needed service in any car is an oil change. It can be easy to push your oil change off for as long as possible, but this can shorten the lifespan of your vehicle significantly. To keep your vehicle lasting longer, you need to maintain your manufacturer-recommended oil change routine.
Vehicle Preservation Tip 3: Park in the Garage
Harsh environmental factors can take their toll on your vehicle’s health. This includes extreme heat, cold, precipitation, and more. You can protect your vehicle from these stressors by simply parking in a protected spot, such as a garage. If you do not have a garage available to you, parking in a shaded spot or slipping on a vehicle covering when it is not in use may also help prevent damage from the elements.
Vehicle Preservation Tip 4: Quick Repairs
As you continue to drive your vehicle, it is likely to eventually run into a problem. Quick repairs are essential to preserving your vehicle and keeping service costs low. The longer that you ride out a problem your car is facing, the worse it may become. Because all of your vehicle systems work together for proper functioning, one needed repair can quickly spread into other vehicle issues when left unattended. To keep your vehicle lasting longer, bring it in for a repair at the first signs of an issue.
Vehicle Preservation Tip 5: Matching Driving Patterns with Maintenance
It is no secret that your driving patterns will impact your vehicle’s health and longevity. If you drive frequently, you should service your vehicle more frequently. It is also important to factor in the road conditions in your area. Dirt roads, for example, can cause excess engine dust and extra needed filter replacements. Bumpy, uneven, and pothole-filled roads may require more frequent tire replacements, tire rotations, and tire alignments.
Conversely, it is also essential that you do not let your vehicle sit for too long without proper care. Car batteries and engine oil both deteriorate more rapidly when your vehicle is not in use. Leaving your vehicle sitting for too long can also rot its rubber components, which includes everything from your tires to your engine belts. You also risk rusted parts when your vehicle remains sitting for an extended period of time while exposed to moisture. Here is a full overview from our experts on the risks of a dormant car.
Chapel Hill Tire Local Vehicle Service
If you need help keeping your car in lasting shape, visit your nearest Chapel Hill Tire mechanic location for leading vehicle service. Our experts are skilled in all of the services needed to help your car last longer. Make an appointment at one of our eight Triangle-area locations to get started today.