Making it Last…. How Can I Make My Car Last Longer?

We get asked this question often, and the answer is to maintain your car religiously, be you a Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Hindu or agnostic. Change the fluids regularly, repair the brakes and suspension as needed, and drive your ride gently. We aren't behavioral scientists, but there are several things you can do, driving behavior wise,  to avoid problems in the future with your vehicle. These are: 

Don't Ignore Your Car’s Sounds

Your car is making a clicking sound when you turn one way or another. Or when you brake, there is a squeaking noise… We know that your mind is telling you: "Let it go, maybe it will go away…"  Don't listen to that voice! Every sound your car makes means something, if you pay attention, your car can usually tell you exactly what needs fixing. At a minimum, it will tell you that it's time to get the car in to be seen by someone who will know what is causing the sound.  Those squeaking brakes mean you need new pads, and if you ignore that sound, eventually you’ll hear scraping metal, which means you need new rotors, and if you ignore that, you’ll eventually hear harps as you enter the pearly gates after  you lose your brakes completely. The clicking sound is a front axle that needs to be replaced before it fails completely. Listen to your car and fix problems before they get really expensive…or worse. 

Don't Ride Your Brakes

We have long, long, LONG hills in Colorado, but this advice is great throughout the country: do not ride the brakes down any hill of consequence. Heat is the enemy of brake parts! Alternate between braking and letting off the brake so that they can cool off somewhat, and to avoid overheating your brake pads or warping your rotors. Heat will rapidly accelerate wear of your pads also. Brake just enough to control your speed, and don't ride the brakes, even "slightly"  all the way down the hill.

Change The Oil

You need to change your oil every 3,500 miles at the most. It's that simple.  We recently did a total engine replacement for a first time customer. The was purchased new, and was driven 49,000 miles without EVER changing the oil. Two things are remarkable about this situation: that the engine lasted that long and that the owner didn't know that they had to change the oil! Frequent changes can actually double the life of your car and greatly increase its performance. 

Come To A Complete Stop Before Shifting

We all do it from time to time. You pull out of a parking space and shift into drive while the car is still coasting backwards. You’ve just added months of wear to your transmission in seconds. Inside your transmission is a complex set of gears, when you shift without stopping like that, you’re asking those gears to work as your brakes, which puts an amazing amount of stress on such a small area. You can also damage your drive shafts, the things that send power to the wheels, by shifting that way. After a while, it’ll lead to sloppy suspension handling, and a worn out transmission. You will also prematurely  wear the engine and transmission mounts, which are a moderately expensive repair. Take a breath, come to a full stop, then shift.

Don't Run Your Car With a Nearly Empty Gas Tank

What the heck? The reason for this advice is that today's electric fuel pumps are usually located in the fuel tank. The fuel actually lubricates the pump and keeps it cool. It sounds counter intuitive, but it's true… If you consistently run your car with low gas levels, your fuel pump will operate at a higher temperature and will not last as long. Keep at least half a tank in the car at all times and you can avoid an expensive repair.

Don't Wash Your Car in Bright Sunlight

It's noon on a beautiful 88 degree summer day, it's time to get the car washed…Not! The best time to wash your car is early morning, before the sun is beating down, or on a cloudy day. Why? The hot sun,  focused by the little beads of water will actually boil away, wreaking havoc with your clear coat finish. You may not notice it at first, but over time the paint job will be ruined. 

Don't Pressure Wash The Engine

A lot of people want a clean engine. From our perspective, it's easier to spot leaks on a clean engine, and a clean engine is much more pleasant to work on. It's o.k. to wash your engine…just don't do it with a pressure washer, or use the high pressure wash setting at a car wash to spray the engine. If you spray a high powered jet of water at the engine, water will affect electrical components, which are not designed to be exposed to moisture. Today's engines have all sorts of sensors and wiring harnesses and components, and it’s no place for a jet of high pressure water. Use a garden hose or the low pressure wash setting at the car wash to wash your engine, and avoid spraying anything that looks electrical…you can wipe those items down with a damp cloth if you want to clean them.

Keep The Interior Clean

You should see the interior of some of the cars we fix. Actually, some cars have so many water bottles, food wrappers, uneaten burritos piled up you can't make out the interior trim… Your car is filthy, never been vacuumed, the trunk is full of unwashed gym clothes and  no air freshener can stop the sickening smell inside your car. You need to clean it. If you don’t vacuum your carpets and clean out the garbage every so often, you’ll develop a smell that is impossible to destroy. Once that happens you will lose all interest in maintaining it, and the end is near….or nearer…

Don't Text And Drive

I drive for parts a lot and I see a lot of bad driving. I can always tell when someone is engrossed in checking their email, having a distracting conversation or even worse, texting on their cell phone while trying to drive… they are going 15 miles below the speed limit and are all over the road. If you want to make sure that you will need mechanical work, body work and maybe some orthopedic work, don't text and drive! I know it's hard to ignore that call or text, but you will never forgive yourself if you change your life, or that of someone else, because you had to catch that call…