Heppy In The Car

Maintaining a vehicle, regardless of its make, model, or age can be quite expensive. In order to avoid spending most of your time and money at the local body shop there are ways that you can keep from having to spend any more on vehicle repairs than absolutely necessary. Many of these preventative methods might seem like common sense but they are easy to forget or overlook during the course of the average adult life.

One of the first things you can do is keep an eye on how much oil your car uses. Excessive oil consumption usually becomes noticeable during the average oil change or oil level check. If you notice that your car is suddenly consuming a large or unusual amount of oil is to consult an auto repair shop that you trust. Taking quick action will usually prevent further damage to your car and often leads to a cheaper repair.

Another thing that all car owners should do is keep their gas tank filled. This might not be a very attractive plan with gas prices being as high as they are but a full gas tank can be a life saver during cold weather. If your gas tank is not filled there is always the chance that your gas lines will freeze in cold weather. In warm weather driving to close to empty will allow dirt at the bottom of your gas tank to enter the fuel lines with the gas. This dirt can eventually clog the fuel filter which will lead to carburetor damage if the problem is noticed and fixed in time.

Always have your brake fluid changed with each 30,000 miles. This little measure can keep you from having to spend hundreds of dollars replacing your brakes. Also make sure that you check you cars fuses if you ever notice an electrical problem. Sometimes one small fuse being blown can cause a major problem and being able to diagnose and fix this problem yourself can save you a great deal of money.

Make it a point to check your tire pressure once a month regardless of how new your tires are. Not only can low tire pressure lead to gas being wasted, it can also lead to unexpected flat tires. Spending a few moments every month checking tire pressure and adding some air to a tire can keep you from having to call a tow truck when you discover an unexpected flat after work.

Treat yourself and your car to a minor road trip every other week or so. Standard stop and go traffic can cause a great deal of wear and tear on any vehicle. Cruising at a steady speed can be very good for your car so indulge in a short car trip from time to time to help your cars overall performance and life span. When going on these car trips make sure that you do not go over 55 miles per hour. Going over 60 miles per hour can cause damage to a car and gas waste.