Car maintenance costs can ramp up in the blink of an eye, especially if you delay your visit to the mechanic – and let’s be honest, we all tend to delay such chores. Overall, owning a car that functions properly will cost you a small fortune when you account for fuel costs, wear-and-tear refurbishing and maintenance bills. This is the main reason why we all need to learn at least the most basic tricks and tips on how to slash down car expenses.
The oil factor
Manufacturers usually build engines and cars from the ground up with a certain “juice” in mind. In other words, if manufacturers of a particular car recommend a certain type of oil, it’d be wise to use it. This will add to the longevity of your engine. Apart from that, you should see to it that the oil and oil filters are changed regularly. In fact, regular oil maintenance is possibly the most important factor that determines the overall longevity of your vehicle and it is easily something that you can handle yourself.
Replacements should be upgrades
Your car consists of thousands upon thousands of detachable parts – small minute details that make all the difference. 80% of these parts will need to be replaced if your car’s lifespan is in the ballpark of a decade. It can be something as grand and obvious as wheels – in which case, you should consider upgrading them for better on-road performance and control.
On the other side of the spectrum is something as small as, for example, a hose beneath the trunk. If your chunky old hose is damaged beyond repair, you should consider replacing it with a T.I. Performance braided hose for sturdiness and flexibility. While it might appear to the untrained eye that braided hoses have weaker integrity, they are actually less likely to crease over time.
Keep the air filter clean
Dirt and dust combined make the greatest nemesis for your car. “Lubrication” is its favorite word. For as long as your engine is nicely greased up and clean, your car will run smoothly, and one of the top contributors to this state of “lubrication” is the adequate air flow. However, the air flow that deposits dust into your car will significantly shorten its lifespan, which means that you should check the air filter and clean it whenever possible. This activity, again, is one of those things you can do by yourself regularly, and it will keep your car out of the shop for as long as possible.
Full measure for tire pressure
While we’re mentioning regular maintenance, checking on your tires every once in a while is a prudent habit. Thankfully, most modern car models sport a computerized gauge (a.k.a. monitoring system) which will inform you if the tire pressure has fallen below the safe level, but checking it with your own eyes won’t hurt. After all, computers have a tendency to bug out. Adequate tire pressure will increase the longevity of your tires by at least 30%, which is a staggering statistical difference that saves you a lot of money.
Stop driving literally everywhere
There’s a disturbing vehicle-related trend that seems to be popping up as we’re digging deeper into the 21st century: people are using cars to reach literally any destination – something as inane as a supermarket around the corner or as crazy as slippery dirt-roads even when the car doesn’t have a “constitution” for such terrains. If you have a healthy pair of legs on you, use them as often as you can and you’ll add to the lifespan of your vehicle significantly.
You are certainly well-aware of the fact that a car is the second largest purchase an individual makes after buying and furnishing a home. However, you probably didn’t know that a car can end up being somewhat more costly than a home over the lifespan of fuel-spending and expensive maintenance. Thankfully, for as long as you go out of your way to stay well-informed about tips and tricks on how to slash down your car expenses, you will manage to strike the right balance between a sleekly maintained vehicle and financially reasonable investments.
