We are of the opinion cars are more of a companion than appliances. Thus, if you take care of your car, it will take care of you. Give it everything it needs, and it will give you everything you need from it. Neglect it and it will leave you on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck — feeling neglected.
With that concept in mind, here is how to show your car some love:
Perform Scheduled Maintenance
Even if you ignore every other piece of advice here, you should heed this one diligently. The people who built your car know what it takes to keep it running. They have performed tests in extreme heat, bitter cold, torrential rains, blinding dust, dazzling blizzards, and every other condition you can imagine.
They do this to ensure the car works in all of those situations. They also learn what components will fail when asked to endure circumstances such as those year after year. The scheduled maintenance requirements they put forth are based upon those observations.
Ignore them at your own peril.
Wash, Wax, and Detail
Yes, modern clear coat paint jobs have amazing longevity, but they need to be maintained properly to do their jobs. This means washing the car on at least a bi-weekly basis, waxing it twice a year (right after winter and just before autumn), and keeping the interior as clean as possible.
The truly fastidious refuse to consume food in their cars. A lot of them will not buy a used car in which find a french fry either. While that is a bit on the extreme end of the spectrum, the closer you stay to that ideal, the nicer your car will look.
Drive Thoughtfully
Drive your car gently until it heats up to its ideal operating temperature. While you do not have to wait for modern engines to warm up as in the past, it is still a good idea to avoid applying full throttle to a cold power plant.
The oil has yet to achieve ideal viscosity when the engine is still cold, so it does not flow as efficiently as it should. Consistently placing a heavy load on an insufficiently lubricated engine will lead to expensive repairs in the long run.
Insure Adequately
One of the worst things that can happen is getting into an accident without enough insurance to fix your car. Yes, high deductibles make insurance more affordable, but they can also leave you in a situation in which you can’t afford repairs if something happens.
In most cases, people opt for this when they are having financial problems. Sometimes this leads to less than optimal credit, which can also entail higher car payments. If this describes your situation, you can refinance bad credit car loans with a company like RoadLoans.
Garage Whenever Possible
There is only so much protection your car’s paint job can provide. Therefore, you should park your car out of the elements whenever the opportunity presents itself. Doing so will keep it looking nicer and help it run better. This is particularly true if you live in an area subject to extremes — whether of heat, cold, rain, or snow.
Garages also minimize the potential for damage when you are out and about. Parking on the street, particularly at the end of a line of cars, leaves your car vulnerable to a hit and run.
Avoid Speeding
Here is something most people do not really think about. The faster you drive, the more you use your brakes. Brake pads and rotors wear out. Driving at moderate speeds makes them last longer. It preserves your tires too.
You will also use less fuel and reduce the odds of an accident. Another byproduct is, of course, mitigating the likelihood of speeding tickets. That is money you could use to do any number of other things, such as take your car to a drive-in to see Pixar’s “Cars” trilogy.
These are but a few of many ways to show your car love. Do you have any suggestions we have overlooked here? Tell us about them in the comments section below!
