A car is a considerable investment, especially if you’re buying a brand-new vehicle, top-of-the-range model, or luxury brand. The last thing you want it to do is to shorten its lifespan because you’re not giving it the care and attention it needs, and you’re letting standards slip or avoiding major concerns.
If you want to preserve or extend the lifespan of your car and ensure it’s in good drivable condition at all times, then you need to carry out the following activities.
Keep It Clean
Keeping your car dirty and messy can decrease its lifespan as the dirt inside and out can start to damage the interior and exterior. Dirt can rub away at the paintwork, leaving tiny scratches and dulling the shine, making it look older and faster. Messy interiors can cause damage, increase the risk of odours penetrating the upholstery and cause increased wear and tear. So keep your car clean to help you keep it in its best possible condition.
Drive It Carefully
How you drive can negatively impact the lifespan of your car. If you’ve picked up bad driving habits or you’re too heavy on the pedals, you are increasing the demand for the vehicle and subjecting it to harsh working conditions, putting it at risk of failure sooner than expected. You can avoid this by paying attention to how you drive and eliminating bad habits such as harsh braking, accelerating, grinding gears, and more.
Use Authorised Mechanics
Suppose you have a top-end motor or a luxury vehicle. In that case, ensuring you only trust authorised dealers and technicians to carry out any required work can help you ensure that the correct parts are being used and that those working on your car have intimate knowledge of the manufacturer to do the best job possible. Whether you’re looking for a porsche repair near me, you need a service for a Land Rover, or you want to get your tyres changed for your Lexus, you need to use authorised providers for the best results.
Regular Services
Your vehicle should be serviced yearly or every 12,000 miles, and whatever comes first. A service will ensure that your car is in good working order, and it covers tasks such as changing oil, fluids, and filters and performing visual checks on many working parts, including brakes, steering transmission wipers, wheel alignment and much more. Regular service not only wants your car to be given the attention it needs to keep running but can also identify any significant issues or repairs you might not be aware of. This allows you to take care of things before they become too big of a problem or cause more damage.
Check Your Tires
Your car’s only contact with the road is its tyres, and if you drive on substandard or illegal tyres, you risk your car, yourself, other road users, and pedestrians every time you hit the road.
Your car’s tyres need to be sufficiently inflated per the manufacturer’s directions and be road-worthy, meaning they need to have a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm; anything less than this reduces the grip on the road and puts you at risk of accidents.