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Preserving your Car: How Maintenance can Save your Pocketbook

Blog | January 9th, 2012

On a dark, frigid morning, just as the sun is coming up, you are sitting in your car, trying desperately to get it to start. The engine won’t turn over. Could it be the oil? When was the last time you got it changed? If you have ever had this experience then you know how a costly repair can throw a monkey wrench into your financial plans. The best way to avoid this type of calamity is to perform regular maintenance.  By performing upkeep on your car you can save big money in the long run.

Auto maintenance is a very costly expense. It doesn’t matter if you are taking your car to the dealership or to the local mechanic, repairs can cost you an arm and a leg. Make sure you make the necessary preventative maintenance on your car. Change your oil every 3,000 miles and make sure your other fluids get checked at the same time. Your best-case scenario would be to find someone you trust, who knows a lot about cars, to take a look at your car periodically. Then he can identify any potential problems and help you diagnose them before they become actual problems.

Besides just under the hood, make sure the outside of your car is taken care of as well. If you don’t wash your car regularly, dirt can build up on the windows and doors that will clog up the motors and prevent everything from running smoothly. The same goes for your engine, too. By keeping your engine clean, you can prevent gunk from building up and causing your engine to slow down and fail over time. Plus, it’s always nice to drive a car that looks clean and shiny.

One thing that many people forget about when they are performing auto maintenance are their car tires. These pieces of black rubber are essential to making your car roll down the street and most people don’t even think about them. Make sure you get them rotated after every other oil change, or about every 7,000 miles. Check the air pressure in your tires regularly. This prevents your tires from unexpectedly going flat. More importantly, it saves you money on your gas bill. Low tire pressure means low gas mileages so make sure your tires are properly inflated!

When you do need new tires, try shopping at a warehouse retailer like Costco or Sam’s Club. They offer discounts on many brands of tires and have many exclusive repair deals that other places don’t provide. Some places will even perform the regular maintenance mentioned above for free!

By performing regular service on your automobile, you can save a bunch of cash in the long run and restore your car to almost brand new. It will also help you avoid that helpless feeling that we talked about in the beginning.  If you have any additional tips about preserving your auto, feel free to leave them in the comments.