Nine Secrets to Maintaining Your Car properly

Free Car Caring Tips Online all free

Nine Secrets to Maintaining Your Car properly

Robert Sikorskys little book Drive It Forever offers invaluable tips to keep your car going the extra mile. His stellar advice could save you a years worth of car payments or more!

The smoother you drive, the longer your car will run. Stopping and starting, fast lane changes, scratching off all lead to shorter life for your car.

Naturally, you can not drive at all without stopping and starting. But your goal is to keep moving smoothly any time that you can. Does it look like a stoplight is about to turn green? Then slow down and if possible, gently keep moving until the light changes.

Less engine idle means less engine wear, says Sikorsky. If you have to idle longer than 30 seconds, you may as well turn the engine off and start it when you are ready to roll. So turn off the car if you are waiting in parking lots, waiting on others to ready themselves for travel, if you have to go back in the house for something, etc.

And never rev up the car while it is not moving.

If you are driving in bumper to bumper barely moving traffic, it is wise to turn your air conditioner off. This saves a lot of wear on your car. The engine has to work overtime if the air is on and you are stopping and starting frequently.



You have probably heard that it is good to take your car out periodically for a good drive on the highway now and again, and thats good advice. This allows your engine to get fully warmed up and helps get rid of some deposits built up by short trips.

If it is below freezing, try not to take your car out on short trips of less than five miles. Sikorsky says this is one of the worst possible conditions for your car.

Do not cruise around a parking lot forever, trying to find a spot. Go ahead and park further away and get in a little exercise.

Avoid accelerating suddenly unless there is an emergency situation. Putting the pedal to the metal may get you someplace today, but tomorrow you may end up hitching a ride from a neighbor.

If possible, do not park your car headed uphill. When you are ready to start it later, the engine will have to use extra power to pull itself. It is better to park headed downhill than uphill.

Driving on dusty roads cuts your gas mileage considerably as well as adds to engine wear.

I have found Drive It Forever a valuable read! It is personal, and easy to read, even if you are mechanically challenged.

Nine Secrets to Maintaining Your Car properly

Peter and Missy met a deer up close and personal a week earlier.

Maintain Your Car Properly So That It Lasts As Long As Possible

Free Car Caring Tips Online all free

If you always make sure that your car has regular check ups and that you maintain it properly, you mill likely be fortunate enough to not be one of the thousands of motorists that get stuck at roadside each year because their car was not properly maintained and decided enough was enough. Sometimes people forget that a car is a machine and like any other machine they require proper maintenance.

Oil levels need to be checked regularly as well as the temperature that the engine is running at because if it is too hot it will burn oil at unbelievable rates. The last thing that you want to do is let your oil run dry as this can cause your engine to completely cease. Then you are talking big bucks as your choices will be limited to getting a new car or a new engine. Neither of which would be very fun but however would be very expensive and often could have been avoided with the proper maintenance.

Have your oil changed regularly and always make sure that it never runs low. Each time that you have your oil checked or changed make sure that they also check for faulty belts and hoses to save you a lot of trouble down the road. Always have your fluids and coolants checked regularly too so that you can rest easy knowing that such things as your radiator will perform up to par. Flush and/or replace regularly and this also includes transmission fluids too.

Take a look regularly under where you park your car to see if there appears to be any new fluids which could indicate a leak. If you have any knowledge of cars and engines then you might know which colors of leaky fluid a sign of what are such as antifreeze is greenish, transmission fluids are more on the pink side, brake fluid is reddish, and oil is usually brownish. The relevance to knowing this is so you can either attempt to remedy the problem yourself or at least have a good idea of what to tell the mechanic.



Some say that it is healthy to turn your heat and air conditioning on at least once a month, regardless of the time of year to keep them flowing freely at all times. Brakes should be checked regularly and tires should be rotated about every 7,000 miles. In the meantime though, make sure that you inspect your tires yourself and look for anything that may appear to be unusual.

Even the most untrained eye should be able to tell a difference if something is different or unusual when they lift the hood of their car if they have been looking under the hood every now and then. There would be a notice of an unusual looking battery or something that looks suspicious. Preventative maintenance is very helpful in getting the best performance out of your vehicle. Familiarize yourself with the owner's manual and do things such as have your car waxed once a year for longevity of the exterior coat and have the undercarriage cleaned annually as well. These are all ways to get the most out of your vehicle.





Automotive Fix It Yourself Car Doctors are a special breed. They undergo a above average sense of self-accomplishment. They take the best pride in servicing such a own vehicles. However, properties are substantial in regards to safety.