Whether you drive an old or a new Car, you want to keep your ride going as long as possible, but it's easier said than done. While in the middle of life's daily hustle, you might be letting proper car care slide. Over the years, that will add extra wear and ultimately shorten the life of the vehicle.Getting the most out of your car is easier than you might think. Once the warranty runs out or your service package expires, simple maintenance procedures (at small investments) are the key to avoiding expensive vehicle repairs. These tips however, will be handy in prolonging the life-span of your car:1. Read the car's manual and schedule maintenance accordingly. Keeping up with your car's recommended maintenance schedule can help avoid costly problems with your cooling system, drive train, suspension and other components; following the recommended schedule also helps ensure you get the full benefit of the manufacturer's warranty.2. Drive less. Especially, avoid short trips. Cold starts are hard on engines, your gas mileage, and the environment. Short trips can also significantly shorten the life of your muffler. Basically, you get condensation in the exhaust when you start a cold engine, and if you don't run the car for long enough to evaporate all of the condensation out of the system, excessive amounts of water can accumulate in your muffler, and rust a hole through it. Avoid starting a cold car just to pull it into the garage, for instance. Consider walking to the nearest store for a change. Combine short errands, and, if you have multiple vehicles, drive the one more recently driven when you go out again. Do drive a car at least every week or so, since cars that sit for longer than a week or two at a time have other problems, such as fluids gradually draining out of systems. Consult a mechanic if you will store a car for an extended period.3. Check the fluids: You should check the level of your antifreeze, oil, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, and brake fluid, very regularly. A good time to do so is when you fill up with gasoline/petrol. Even if your car doesn't leak fluids at the moment, one can occur at any time and you can identify it by checking the fluid levels often. You should also check the color of some of these fluids. Some of these have see-through plastic tanks that you can look through, and some have dipsticks. Antifreeze should be either pink, green, or yellow (Pink for newer cars with "Dex-Cool", green for old cars with plain Ethyl-Glycol, and green or yellow for cars that have been flushed and filled with universal antifreeze...brown antifreeze should always be flushed, it either has rust or a lot of dirt in it, probably both. Also, never mix different kinds of antifreeze; if you don't know what color antifreeze your car has, buy a universal brand. Oil will normally be slightly clear (when new) to brown. Oil that looks white and milkshake-like may be contaminated with antifreeze/coolant or very rarely, just a large amount of condensation. You should take your vehicle in for service soon if this is the case. Transmission fluid should be bright red, and should not smell burnt. If it looks or smells burnt, have your transmission fluid flushed. Letting it get too bad can damage your transmission. There's also a chance that you may have an internal transmission problem, especially if you are having problems with shifting or engaging in gears4. Change the oil regularly. This will improve your gas mileage and protect your engine. The recommended mileage between oil changes is 3,000 - 5,000 miles (or 5000 - 8000 kilometres) or every 3 to 6 months, depending on the type of oil you use and your driving conditions. Doing this could make it possible for your vehicle to attain 200,000 miles (or about 320,000 kilometres). Change the oil filter at the same time; there is no sense in putting clean oil through a dirty filter, and filters are very cheap and available at any auto parts store. If you're unsure how often to change your oil, check your car's owner's manual or contact the dealer for your car's make. In general, conventional oil and harsh driving conditions (like short trips, taxi/police/delivery use, extreme weather, heavy loads) will require more frequent oil changes than fully synthetic oils and light driving conditions.5. Change the air filter. This is something you can do easily at home with few or no tools. A screwdriver may be required. You can buy a matching filter at nearly any auto parts store and your owner's manual will show you where your air filter is located. A dirty, dusty filter can slightly hamper gas mileage and make your car accelerate poorly.6. Flush these fluids every two years: power steering fluid, brake fluid, and cooling system anti-freeze. Check this timetable against your owner's manual. Newer cars generally allow longer intervals between changes. Change transmission fluid & filter at least every 50,000 miles (40k to 45k is even better). Older fluids don't lubricate and cool parts as well as fresh fluid and may leave your car unprotected in severe conditions (for example, old antifreeze may not perform well in a very cold weather).Sources: www.samarins.com/maintenance/extend-life-of-your-car.htmlm.wikihow.com/Extend-the-Life-of-Your-Carwww.cheatsheet.com/automobiles/10-ways-car-owners-can-extend-the-life-of-a-vehicle.html/'a=viewalllalasticlala, Seun, Mynd44
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