With the economy a top concern for many consumers, more drivers are staying clear of new car dealerships and hanging on to their existing vehicles. This seems like a great way to save money and avoid a car payment, but regular vehicle maintenance is an important aspect of vehicle ownership that can easily be forgotten. Unless you want to performing costly repairs down the road, you’ll want to invest in the minor vehicle maintenance that will help you keep your vehicle operating its best in the long run.

Hands down the best way to improve the longevity of your car is by doing routine oil changes and fluid changes. These aren’t invasive and typically don’t require too much of a financial or time commitment says one St Paul Ford dealer. You can even perform an oil change yourself. Either way, Chevrolet Cincinnati advises that performing an oil change as often as possible can easily extend the life of your car. Using quality synthetic oil can also be advantageous to keep engine parts lubricated and wear and tear to a minimum.

Although performing frequent oil changes can help, it’s important to remember it is no guarantee when it comes to extending the life of your vehicle. That being said, a simple oil change is an easy way to protect vital engine parts from extreme wear and tear over time.

Another area that deserves attention is wheel bearings. According to Providence RI Used Cars, the wheel bearings require grease to reduce wear and tear on suspension and improve resistance. If not lubricated properly, fuel economy could be compromised. Luckily, lubricating the wheel bearings can be done yourself. Check the bearings twice a year.

Your brake fluid can also keep maintenance costs down. Particularly when it comes to cars with anti-lock brakes, the brake fluid needs to be flushed and replaced regularly. This process can clean out the contaminants that can build up over time, which Cincinnati Used Cars warns could damage your ABS pump and cost serious money.

Your radiator and cooling system should also be flushed as well. This system should have fresh coolant added every couple years to ensure you never have to purchase a new radiator, which is what St Paul Used Cars recommend. Servicing your cooling system will also ensure you won’t have to purchase a new water pump or heater core as well.

Another inexpensive way to keep your vehicle running its best is to change your spark plugs. While it’s recommended these days to replace them at 100,000 miles, you want to change them before that. After 100,000 miles, spark plugs can become fused to the cylinder head, which could lead to some very serious repairs. At about $5 for a spark plug, Used Cars New Orleans remind us that it shouldn’t be too costly to replace them about every 30,000 miles. By replacing your spark plugs regularly, you minimize the chance of having to replace your entire cylinder head.

* * *

Keep your car runnig like new by reading this auto repair blog.

The first thing to do is to keep your eye on the temperature gauge recommends Los Angeles Body Shop. If you see that the gauge is rising, it means that your vehicle may be on the verge of overheating. The best thing to do is to pull over and shut the vehicle off, but this obviously guarantees that you will not be able to arrive at your destination on time.

If your vehicle begins to overheat and you need to keep moving to your destination, San Diego collision centers say the best thing to do is to turn the car’s heater on full, which will help blow cool air into the engine. In addition to cranking up the heater, you’ll want to drive slow to keep the engine from working too hard. Eventually, Nissan Washington DC stresses that you’ll want a mechanic to take a look at the engine and inspect the coolant level, radiator, and the thermostat.

Having your cooling system checked as soon as possible will prevent serious engine damage. Although simply turning your heater on may not work all the time on all vehicles, it is a proven way to hell curb an overheating engine if you catch it early.

* * *

Thanks for visiting Auto Repair in the Know.