How to Keep a Car in Good Condition
Maintenance is the key to keeping your car running longer and better. Keeping up with all the scheduled maintenance and taking care of minor car repairs as soon as you are aware of a need will save you time and money, and it will add many good miles to your car.
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Instructions
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Know your vehicle. Read about your car's make, model and year on the Internet, and find out what particular bugs it may have. It will be easier to see solutions for problems when you know the problems and you can read how other people dealt with the same things in their cars. It can save you a fortune in labor costs to know the problem rather than having a mechanic try to figure it out.
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Keep your car clean. The paint job is there to make the car look nice and to protect it from the elements. Wash the car regularly with a good car wash solution or a mild detergent. Keep it waxed, as well. You will know it needs to be waxed when water stops forming little beads on the car.
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Protect the car from winter wear. Driving through snow and road salt is especially corrosive to the finish, so be sure to keep up with cleaning and waxing, especially in the winter. Don't wash the car if the temperature is below freezing, though, because salt won't wash off. If you put a salt-covered car in a heated garage, you will make it much easier for the salt to corrode your vehicle. Be aware that sometimes car washes use recycled water, so you might be spraying your vehicle with the salt from the last cars that were washed. Ask about this before you choose where to wash your car.
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Keep up with the car's oil changes. Regular oil changes save you gas money and keep your engine running in top form. Be sure the oil is changed at least once every 5,000 miles, although some say cars do best when the oil is changed every 3,000 miles.
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Check the car's fluids often. Make sure water, oil, power steering fluid, transmission fluid, coolant flush and brake fluid are clean and at the proper levels. Keep up with air filters and oil filters. The times to check all of these will be outlined in the owner's manual.
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Treat the car with respect. Don't drive at mach one or make hairpin squealing turns. Drive the car reasonably. You can go fast, but it's best not to gun the engine all the time or rev it for no reason at stoplights. Brake gently rather than stomping on the pedal. Hard braking will cause the brake pads to wear down too quickly. If you treat your car gently, it will drive well for a lot longer.
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Do minor repairs while they are still minor. Letting the little things go a while can cause other things to wear down or break altogether. If you fix things while they are small, it will cost less and keep your car running well for longer by protecting the car's other parts. The secret to a car's long life is keeping up with things in a timely fashion. If you take care of your car, it will take care of you.
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Tips & Warnings
Get parts that are known brands. Sometimes cheap brands are not up to par and will cost you more down the road.
Avoid running your car on empty. It is best for the car to have at least half a tank of gas to perform at peak efficiency. A full tank also prevents water from getting in the tank as easily.
