Top 10 Tips to Keep Your Used Car in Shape

For most of us a car is not a luxury but a necessity, needed to get to work, get food and do just about anything else. With this in mind following these tips can help keep your car in the best shape possible. 

1. Read the Manual

As much as you may know about your used car it’s a guarantee that the manufacturer knows more. Which is why they include the owner’s manual in each system with important information on your car’s make and model. This includes what kind of fuel is recommended, how your vehicle fares in different weather conditions, and different types of warranty information.

 2. Change Your Oil

Perhaps the most important tip in keeping your car in good condition, oil changes should happen routinely with most carmakers recommending about every 5,000 – 7,500 miles. Oil changes help your engine stay clean and smooth, removing the sludge buildup and adding lubricant to increase your engine’s efficiency.  

3. Take Care of Your Cooling System

Although not considered as often as oil changes, fluids in your cooling system should be changed usually every 30,000 miles, but as always its best practice to check your owner’s manual and see if this applies to your used car. 

4. Drive Cautiously 

The number one cause of damage to vehicles is actually the driver. Carelessness on the road is a major danger to not only your car but you as well. Slow down when going over speed bumps, avoid running over curbs, and most importantly, try not to speed excessively. Not only is excessive speeding a great danger to you, your car and others on the road, it also causes your vehicle to age prematurely. 

5. Check Your Battery

The cost of having an auto shop test your battery is far overshadowed by the price of having your vehicle towed. There is no indication when a battery may die so it’s best to have your battery checked somewhat routinely to avoid being stranded when your battery dies.

6. Change Your Windshield Wipers

Although they may seem rather insignificant, windshield wipers are an integral part of your vehicle. Faulty windshield wipers pose a safety risk to both you and your vehicle, if they can’t consistently keep your line of sight clear it might be time to get a replacement.

7. Check and Rotate Your Tires

Poor gas mileage is often called by underinflated tires, while blowouts are often caused by overinflated tires. A happy medium between these two makes for a much healthier and safe car. Tire rotation is also very important to guarantee that all tires get the same amount of exposure. 

8. Weather Protection

When most people think of keeping their car weather protected, hail damage is often what comes to mind and although this can destroy the outside of even the toughest car, there are more subtle weather related risks to your vehicle’s health. Extreme heat or cold can actually be detrimental to the inside of your vehicle, so if at all possible it’s best to keep your vehicle in a moderate climate condition. 

9. Keep it Clean

Taking your car to the car wash certainly is helpful when trying to keep your vehicle in its best shape possible. But most of the cleaning needs to be done where people hardly consider, the underside of your car is perhaps the most sensitive and exposed area of your vehicle. Cleaning the underside of your car helps get rid of all the grime from the roads you go through daily. 

10. Perform Checks at Regular Intervals

As important as all these tips are, it won’t do much if you’re only doing this one time then  never considering it again. These habits must become routine, not an excessive amount like once a week but doing this once every few months can keep your car lasting much longer than expected. 

Vehicle Services at Jerry Seiner Chevrolet in Casa Grande, AZ

Here at Jerry Seiner Chevrolet we offer the best deals in services on your new or used vehicle. If you’re in the Mesa, Phoenix or Tucson area be sure to come by for any services you may need. Be sure to Check our service offers for even more chances to save big! Come see us in store at 1990 N Pinal Avenue Casa Grande or schedule a service online through our website!