Follow These Car Maintenance Tips To Make Your Vehicle Last Longer

Last Updated on July 18, 2023 by Mark S. Taylor

You bought the car of your dreams and now, naturally, you want it to serve you as long as possible. Here are some things you should take into account as soon as you car maintenance tips:

• During the break-in period, as a general rule, for the first 1600 km, do not exceed the speed of 90 km / h or the speed recommended by your vehicle manufacturer.

• Avoid heavy loads such as towing a trailer or load the roof rack or the rack at the rear of the machine with heavy construction materials.

• Don’t let your new car sit for long periods of time – this is good advice for all vehicles (new and used), but especially during break-in. 

• Use only light to medium acceleration, keeping the engine RPM below 3000 for the first few hours of driving after leaving the dealership.

Operate your vehicle with care

After driving in the car, do not stop paying close attention to it. Drive the car with care every day and it will reward you with longer intervals without repair.

• Do not start your car engine in severe frost. Always warm it up a little. This is a surefire way to add life to your car’s engine.

• After a little warm-up, start moving slowly and smoothly. The greatest wear of the engine and gearbox occurs in the first 10-20 minutes of engine operation.

• Do not allow the vehicle to warm up at idle speed for a long time.  This will increase the warm-up time of the motor. An engine that does not run at operating temperature experiences accelerated wear. For example, this leads to incomplete combustion of the fuel, deposits of soot on the cylinder walls, oil contamination and ultimately component damage over time.

• For long stops, reduce the load on the engine and automatic transmission by shifting to neutral (N). During long stops in Drive (D) mode, the engine still transmits torque to the automatic transmission.

• Avoid driving at high speeds. Also, do not make frequent fast accelerations. Especially when it is very hot or very cold outside. This driving behavior will lead to more frequent breakdowns and repairs.

• Extend the life of your tires with careful, leisurely driving. Observe the specified speed limits. Avoid quick acceleration from standstill, quick and abrupt stops. Including try not to enter corners at high speed. Avoid potholes, holes and cracks in the road. Do not run over curbs or hit the car’s wheels on curbs when parking. And, of course, don’t burn the rubber.

• When turning the steering wheel, do not keep it in the extreme right or left position for more than a few seconds. This could damage the power steering pump.

• Combine your short trips into one long itinerary. Most of the wear, as well as maximum engine contamination, occurs in the first few minutes of driving after starting the engine. That is why frequent but short car routes are evil. That is why it is better to combine, if possible, short trips into a single route. This way you can keep your car’s engine in good condition for as long as possible.

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Buy fuel only at reputable and reputable gas stations

For any car, gasoline or diesel fuel is water, without which it cannot function. As in life, bad fuel will not make your car last as long as possible. Therefore, choose carefully where to refuel your car. It is desirable that these were proven gas stations, where, as expected, the filters in the fuel pumps are changed in a timely manner.

Unfortunately, in Russia there are also non-network filling stations, where the condition of the equipment leaves much to be desired. As a result, refueling at old gas stations, you run the risk of pouring dirty gasoline or unfiltered diesel into the tank. Although, of course, it is worth admitting that there is a mess at well-known network gas stations. So you better read reviews on the web. You can also ask a familiar car mechanic where it is safe to refuel. 

Do not refuel if you see a gasoline tanker at a gas station

If you see a gasoline tanker at a gas station filling the gas station tanks, we advise you not to go to the gas station. Find another place to refuel better. The fact is that when gas station tanks are filled with fuel, turbulent flows are created in them, which can raise sediment. This sediment can get into your tank along with fuel, which can clog not only the fuel filter, but also the fuel injectors. 

Don’t rip up your car when you’re stuck

When you sit down in mud or snow, do not exacerbate the problem with improper actions that can damage many components of the machine. Do not tear the car by pressing the gas pedal to the floor. Your car is not a tank. With maximum engine speed, you are unlikely to help your car get out of mud or snow. 

Your task is to do everything smoothly. For example, you can try to pull out by rocking the car back and forth. Here you can read how to get out  if your car is stuck in deep snow . 

If you press the gas pedal to the floor, then the wheels of the car will rotate at high speed (slip). This will create a lot of heat due to friction. Remember that this way of pulling out a stuck car is fraught with jamming of the gearbox, damage to the clutch and differential. Ultimately, if you can’t get the car out for a long time, it’s best to call for help. Sometimes it is even cheaper than repairing the car afterwards after unsuccessful attempts to get the stuck car out. 

Disconnect the heavy metal key fob and other keys from the car key

Many of us love to attach our car keys to our shared set of keys, which hang on a metal ring and keychain. Did you know that this is a heavy load hanging from the car key that you insert into the ignition?

After all, in addition to the fact that your bunch of keys and metal keychain bounces while driving, the load on the key can wear out the components of the ignition switch, which ultimately lead to ignition problems. To unload your car key, purchase a lightweight key fob. We also recommend removing other keys from the keychain. 

Also, be aware of the condition of the car key. If it starts to stick in the ignition lock, this is the first sign of either lock wear or damage to the key. 

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Choose a good car insurer

Sometimes, no matter how careful you drive, an accident can occur. Remember that even experienced professional drivers are involved in accidents. Accordingly, we advise you to insure your car against damage by including the option “repair by an authorized dealer” in your policy. This will ensure that your damaged vehicle will be restored with original parts. Also, such an option will give at least some guarantee of qualified car repair. 

Keep a diary (journal) of the history of refueling and vehicle mileage

Keep a piece of paper and a pencil in the glove compartment, where you should write down the entire history of refueling and the mileage between them. If you notice that the mileage of the car between refueling has decreased, contact the technical center to diagnose the car. This could be an early warning sign that something is wrong with your vehicle.