Essential Tips to Increase the Longevity of Your Car

Just because you are driving your car for a few years and racked up significant miles doesn't mean it is time to send the car to the junkyard.

The fact is, if you will take proper care of your car it may still be thriving to cover more miles.

Here are some tips to help keep your car running longer.

To extend the life of your engine when you have your oil changed, use a high-grade filter and always use a high-quality synthetic oil.

In bitterly cold weather, this maintains the oil's fluidity and is also less likely to break down when the engine gets hot.

While this will increase the cost of an oil change, but it will help your engine last longer and a good filter can eliminate any unwanted particles from the oil.

Watch out for the fluids

While your owners manual may tell you it is unnecessary to check your steering, brake and coolant fluids for years, but it is wise to check them every 20,000 miles.

If you are doing this yourself, consider the consistency of the fluids and if any of these feel gritty or smell burnt, then replace them.

If the orange coolant appears dark red, then it needs a coolant change and if it has a cloudy appearance, then the engine needs to be serviced.

In addition, you need to change the transmission fluid every 35,000 miles and replace them with high- quality synthetic transmission fluid.

If you try to stretch well beyond the manufacturers' recommendations, you will find yourself with an expensive repair bill to rebuild the transmission.

If your car has been parked overnight or more, don't drive off immediately because the oil has settled into the oil pan, leaving the moving parts of your engine without lubrication.

If you wait for a while and allow your car to warm up without revving your engine, this should be enough to allow the oil pump to work its magic.

Washing and waxing a car can extend its life and this is particularly true during the winter and after snowstorms as the road salt can break down a car body.

Road salts can cause rust and even affect the brakes, and once there is a thaw, drive your car in for an underbody wash to limit the damage.

A good waxing in the fall and midwinter can create a barrier against salt and you must also opt for a wax that functions effectively at low temperatures.

If you invest time for maintenance and treat your car in the right way, you will find it running more miles than you expect.

You also need to carry out these preventive maintenances from time-to-time to increase the longevity of your car.