Best Ways to Keep Your Car Running

8/13/2019 Best Ways to Keep Your Car Running

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Best Ways to Keep Your Car Running

1. Don't Drive

Want your car to last? Don't use it. That sounds obvious, but it's worth keeping in mind.

Chances are there are plenty of times when you currently use your car that you could be walking,biking, using public transportation or carpooling choices that are better for the environment,your wallet, your health, and the car you won't be driving. !t's simple" The less you drive, thelonger your car will last.

2. Make Fewer Short Trips

#hort trips of less than $% minutes can be particularly hard on a car, resulting in e&cessive wearand tear. During a short trip, your car's engine never has a chance to reach its full operatingtemperature.

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#o what? -ere's why it matters" ne of the byproducts of engine combustion is water. When anengine reaches its operating temperature that water turns to vapor and is e&punged, either out the
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tailpipe or the crankcase ventilation system. n a short trip, however, that water stays inside yourcar's engine and e&haust. /nfortunately, water is one of only three ingredients necessary to makerust 0you've already got the other two, o&ygen and metal1, and rust kills. )ook at any of mybrother's cars.

2 further complication of condensation and water is that it dilutes your oil, which then does apoorer 3ob of lubricating the engine. !f you can't avoid taking lots of short trips, we recommendyou change your oil freuently, such as every 4,%%%56,%%% miles.

3. When Shopping or a !ew Car" Choose Care#$$%

!f you're in the market for a new car and you'd like that car to last until the start of the #asha

bama administration be sure to choose a car company that's going to be around for a while,with a good reputation for supplying parts.

-ere's a sad but true fact" Too many perfectly good5running cars are 3unked because it's hard toget parts for them. #o here's our recommendation" Talk to your local independent mechanic andfind a company that has a good reputation for supplying parts for its older vehicles. ur personalfavorites are 7olvo, Toyotaand #aab0although everything is sub3ect to change these days1.These brands have a reputation for longevity, so it's understandable that they'd want to make surethey make parts available for many years.

&. Drive ent$%

When you drive, do your car a favor and drive gently.

Think of your car like your own body. What's more likely to land you in a full5body cast" 2

gentle walk around the park, or a season of rugby? We rest our case.

What does 8drive gently8 mean? !t means accelerating slowly, not snapping your head back. !tmeans anticipating your braking so you can brake gently and avoid panic stops. !t means notrevving your engine in the driveway when it's cold, before the oil is warm and freely circulating.
http://autos.yahoo.com/volvo/http://autos.yahoo.com/toyota/http://autos.yahoo.com/saab/http://autos.yahoo.com/volvo/http://autos.yahoo.com/toyota/http://autos.yahoo.com/saab/


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!f it's below free9ing outside, allow your car a minute or so to warm up before driving it hard.Then drive slowly for another minute or two, until the engine oil has warmed up and started tofully lubricate all the components.

:inally, if your car is new, follow the break5in recommendations in your owner's manual.;egardless of the manufacturer's recommendation, we advise changing your car's oil after yourinaugural $,%%% miles.

(. Wat)h or Engine Warning Signs

!t's ( to drive your car short distances with certain warning lights illuminated or gauges out oftheir normal range, but there are three that you dismiss at your car's peril" the engine oil light, theengine temperature gauge and the brake light. 2 few minutes of an e&cessively hot engine or lowoil pressure and the groceries you're hauling in the back could suddenly be worth more than yourcar. 2 couple of minutes with the brake light on and you might end up playing bumper cars withthe Cadillac ost of us know what it feels like to be hauling a few e&tra doughnuts around the midriff, so tospeak. !t places e&tra demands on our engine, and it creates suspension, braking and evene&haust problems. !f you catch our drift.

!t's no different with your car.


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=ou should also remove anything that causes additional drag. Creating aerodynamic drag issimilar to adding weight in that it increases the demand on your engine, so think about removingthe big, flat bug shield that sticks up above your hood. ;emove any roof racks you're not activelyusing, and take the cargo carrier off the top of the minivan. We know it gives you some hope oflooking cool, like you do something besides haul kids around, but it's killing your gas mileage

and making your engine work harder.

. Do /o#r Reg#$ar Maintenan)e

#kipping regularly scheduled maintenance intervals is one of the uickest ways to assure yourcar finds its way to an early grave. ;egular oil changes and oil, fuel and air filter changes all helpmake sure your car has what it needs to run without problems" clean air and clean fuel, plusfresh, uncontaminated oil to prevent wear and tear.

2n added bonus to regular service? !t gives good mechanics an opportunity to spot problemsbefore they balloon into something more serious.

!f you're wondering how often to do these things, there's a book that e&plains it all to you. !t'scalled the owner's manual. =ou'll find it in your glove bo&, shrink5wrapped in plastic, because if you're like most of us you've probably never looked at it. !n the back you'll find a list ofservice intervals, and the services that are recommended during each of them. !f intervals in the

book stop at $4%,%%% miles, that doesn't mean you're done with maintenance. +o back to thebeginning and start over 0so, for instance, do all the services called for in the ,@%%5mile serviceat $4,@%%1. *ice try, though.

Ay the way, if you're fretting over the ongoing cost of routine service, remember our ma&im" 8!t'sthe stingy man who makes the most boat paymentsB8

0. Change Oi$ an, Other ita$ F$#i,s

=our car's fluids will often be changed during regular service intervals, but it's important enoughthat we wanted to mention it separately. 2s you drive your car, and even if it 3ust sits in thedriveway, your car's fluids degrade.


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That's a problem because each of the fluids in your car is vital to the long5term health of theengine, transmission, steering or brakes. #imply keeping the fluids topped off isn't enoughbecause over time they lose important properties like their ability to remove heat andlubricate, as well as the ability to prevent rust and free9ing.

What fluids are we talking about? Transmission, differential, brake and power5steering fluid oiland antifree9e. Windshield washer fluid? *ot so important.

;egular transmission and differential fluid changes are often overlooked, but this service is veryimportant. !f you really want to keep your car forever, our suggestion is to get these fluidschanged every %,%%% miles whether your owner's manual recommends it or not. :resh, cleantransmission fluid assures that your car's drivetrain stays cool and uncontaminated. #ome cars,

by the way, have two separate differentials. Ae sure to ask your mechanic if yours is one, andmake sure that both sets of differential oil get changed. !t's easy to overlook this particularservice, but you do so at your own peril" 2 cooked differential can cost thousands of dollars torepair. ;outine maintenance service is much less e&pensive it should cost about $@% to get yourtransmission fluid flushed and replaced, and another $%% to do both differentials.

Ay the way, if your mechanic tries to sell you new blinker fluid, lace up your Ero5(eds and runout of there as fast as you can.

. et ro4$e5s Che)ke, O#t Sooner Rather Than 6ater

This is like saying 8Don't let a cold turn into pneumonia.8 !f you have a small problem with yourcar, get it checked out sooner rather than later.

:or e&ample, a torn C7 boot is a common problem and a simple repair. Delay getting it fi&ed,though, and you'll eventually end up by the side of the road, unable to drive and forced to fork

over some additional money for a tow and a whole new a&le.

That's 3ust one e&ample. There are many other problems that start small but balloon intosomething much larger if they're not addressed right away. Don't believe in this theory? Talk tothe secretary of the Treasury Department.


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2bove all, make sure your car is safe to drive. !f you have any doubts about such things asbrakes, brake lines, ball 3oints, tie rods, airbags, seat belts or even the structural integrity of yourcar, get it checked out. ;emember" onkeys, ask friends or try searching our database ofrecommended mechanics, the >echanics :iles.

11. Dis)#ss /o#r $ans With /o#r Me)hani)

*ot everyone wants a car to last for 4%%,%%% miles. 2s a result, mechanics don't always have along5term mindset when they perform routine service.

!f your mechanic knows you're in this for the long term, he'll spend a little more time lookingthings over when you bring in your car.


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=ou'll need to remind him regularly that you're hoping for a long, healthy life for your car. 2skhim to keep that in mind as he works on your car. )ike everyone else, mechanics can be myopic.They tend to focus on the boat payment at hand, and can easily overlook important signs andsymptoms that might be right ne&t to their elbows.

12. 8 /o# Can't Avoi, Sa$t" Wash /o#r Car Fre9#ent$%

!f you live in a part of the country that gets more than a few inches of snow during the winter,you're probably very familiar with the ravages of road salt.

Ay kick5starting rust, salt wreaks havoc on the body and other components. ur advice is simple"During the winter, when there's salt on the roads, wash your car's undercarriage as often as

possible. =ou'll remove much of the salt that's eating away your car, and that's a good thing.

13. Skip the :eate, arage

+arages and carports are great things. Do you want to spend $% minutes every morning duringthe winter free9ing your bolts off, scraping ice and snow off your car? f course notB

2 garage allows you to avoid that supreme morning hassle, and it also helps slow the steadydeterioration of your car's interior and e&terior caused by bright sun and storms.

-owever, there's a big e&ception to this rule" heated garages. ur advice is to skip the heatedgarage, which can accelerate your car's march towards its grave. -ere's why" -eat accelerateso&idation, also known as rust. =ou drive in the garage with snow and ice on your car, it melts,and the water and salt mi& in that nice, warm petri dish and, come morning, there's less of yourcar there.

1&. ;e ro#,

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Best Ways to Keep Your Car Running