Properly maintaining a vehicle to keep it on the road for a long time is something every owner should do. In general, it makes more financial sense than changing vehicles every few years. Considering the current pricing – for new but especially for pre-owned vehicles – this is all the more true! If you do a little digging, you will find several tips to follow to take good care of your car, van, SUV or pickup truck.
But there are also many mistakes one can do in the process. Here are five mistakes you should avoid making.
1. Pushing Back Bi-Annual Inspections
Not having your car checked by a qualified mechanic or pushing back your biannual inspections makes it less safe on the road. Inspections make it possible to recognize a problem before it becomes critical. This becomes very useful especially just before the end of the warranty.
2. Believing That Brakes Don't Need to Be Serviced Until They Become Noisy
Although today's brakes are more efficient in terms of performance and durability, improper maintenance will make them wear faster. For example, calcium on the roads does more damage and causes accumulations, residue and rust that can literally cause the pads to seize, giving way to rapid and uneven wear.
3. Changing the Oil… And Forgetting About the Rest
The efficiency of today's vehicles is explained by the quality of the materials and fluids used. Omitting to change or top off these fluids can lead to slow and irreversible damage. For example, brake fluid has the particularity of quickly absorbing humidity from the ambient air. In addition, there is no filtration or circulation in the loop. The residues accumulated in the liquid therefore remain trapped and can cause damage.
4. Choosing the Cheapest Tires
Tires are the only point of contact with the road. In addition to wearing out faster (up to three times faster in some cases), cheap tires have less grip. Even if the tread has the right thickness, the poor quality of the rubber compound could make the tire unstable to the point of being dangerous.
5. Not Replacing Worn-Out Wiper Blades
Visibility is one of the most important aspects of driving. A poorly cleared windshield can be problematic to the point of causing an accident. The price of a good pair of windshield wiper blades is nothing compared to a hefty bill from the body shop… or a bill from the hospital. In order to make your wipers last longer, you can, for example, apply an aquapel treatment to reduce effort, use more windshield washer fluid, as well as remove greasy contaminants with a cloth and rubbing alcohol.
