Any gearhead worth their salt is going to have a serious attachment to their car. After all, to those of us who really love cars, they are so much more than four wheels and an engine. They represent a passion for something truly great, the incredible engineering that goes into creating them, and the freedom that they can provide to you when you’re behind the wheel. Sure, for some people they’re nothing more than a way to get from A to B, but to a car lover, they are far more than that. Because of the attachment that you have to your car, it only makes sense that you would want to find ways to extend its lifespan as much as you can. Of course, no car can last forever, but here are a few things that you can do to help your four-wheeled friend live for as long as possible.
Regular checkups
The biggest mistake that a lot of people make that can drastically shorten their vehicles life is that they only ever take it to a mechanic when something is very clearly wrong, like a leaky head gasket failure. The problem is that those issues may well have been going on for a long time, completely unnoticed. The best thing that you can do for your car is to take it to get checked over by a mechanic as often as possible, even when it seems as though everything is fine. If they look over the car and conclude that it’s A-ok, then that’s great, but there’s always a chance that a mechanic will find something that you might never have been able to notice as a driver. If you catch a problem early, it’s far easier to fix than when it starts causing real problems.
Think about the little details
When you’re behind the wheel, and every part of your car is working together in total harmony, it can be all too easy to forget just how many little things are working together to ensure that your vehicle actually runs. Everything from engine pistons to spark plugs to shim washers are integral parts of your vehicle that it simply wouldn’t function without. You need to make sure that both you and your mechanic are paying attention to those little details. It might not seem like a big deal if something goes wrong with one of them, but if something small goes wrong, that can lead to some pretty serious problems for your car.
Watch how you’re driving
Of course, sometimes the lifespan of your car is entirely in your hands. While it’s tempting to open up the engine and hit high speeds at every opportunity, you could well be doing a lot of damage to your vehicle without realizing it. Not only can irresponsible driving increase the risk of an accident, but it can also do small, but significant, pieces of damage to your car over time. Sudden braking out of high speeds can wear down your gears, your brake pads, and your tyres. The same goes for things like sudden acceleration and aggressive turning. If you’re not driving carefully, you’re doing your car a surprising amount of harm.