When you’re buying a new car, you should be prepared to take all of the necessary steps to ensure that you’re able to sell it when the time comes. It’s difficult to imagine selling a car at the time of purchase, but if you’re like the average car owner, you’ll only keep the car for about 6 years before buying another to replace it. Even if you’re not the average car owner, it’s still a good idea to keep up with the maintenance of your vehicle so you can continue driving it for 200,000 miles or more.
The following are maintenance tips that mechanics and car experts suggest that you do regularly to ensure that you’ll be driving the car for years to come, or be able to sell it at market value when that time comes.
Check tire pressure
Our tires take a lot of abuse, and they’re often overlooked when it comes to maintaining a vehicle. Make sure you check the tire pressure each month by going off of the PSI recommendations found on the driver’s side door. Before driving your car far distances, make sure to check the tires have adequate pressure so that you are getting the best fuel economy possible. When tires are overinflated, they run the risk of blowing out while you’re driving, but if they’re at the right pressure, they’ll keep you from having to replace them more often than you should.
Check fluids
Every liquid found in your car has an important job to do, and without it there, you’re car will start having problems. Fluid levels should be checked periodically to make sure they’re at the right levels. Keeping sufficient oil in your car’s engine is one of the easiest and important measures you can take to keep your car running well. The reason for this is because of the intricacies of the engine itself. There are so many moving parts that need the oil to act as a lubricant, it also keeps the parts cool by circulating through, and it also helps keep the engine clean by removing debris from the parts. If you can’t change the oil yourself, make sure you’re scheduling regular oil changes with a mechanic so the oil that’s going through the system is clean and can work well.
Don’t push your car too hard
When the light changes to green, ease into the gas pedal rather than slamming on it. Having a lead-foot strains the engine and over time it will start to deteriorate the quality of the engine. Likewise, you should also ease into the brakes to keep the braking system running for years to come.