If you want your car to last a long time, you have to make sure that you are properly caring for it. As it happens, there can be a lot involved in that, and it’s the kind of thing you might need to work at if you want to really make sure you are doing it right.
In particular, it’s good to be aware of which specific parts of your car you need to look after and care for – because they are especially important, or because they have got a lot of potential issues that can arise. Let’s look at what they are and how to look after them.
Of course, if you don’t have a fully working engine, then you can’t readily expect to have a car that works as required either. It’s vital therefore that you are looking after the engine as best as you can, and that is something that might be more challenging than you think. Mostly this is a case of watching whether there is anything apparently wrong with it – such as burning smells or overheating – and not pushing it if there is. If you can do that, you should find that it’s much easier to look after the engine as required.
Tires
As the only part of the vehicle that ever touches the road, your tyres are of particular importance. They fortunately don’t require much in the way of maintenance and care, but you should ensure you are keeping a close eye on how they are faring too. In particular, make sure you get them rotated from time to time, and think about checking their air pressure every few weeks too. If you can look after your tyres, your car will be safer to drive and much more efficient to drive as well.
Brakes
When the brakes give out, it can be an enormous problem for everyone involved – not just you but other road users around you too. In the very worst circumstances, it can of course lead to death. So you definitely need to care for your brakes as well as you can – something that you will probably find relatively simple. Watch out for the signs of failing brakes – mushiness on the brake pedal, slow stopping times, grinding sounds when you brake – and be sure to have them looked at as soon as possible, certainly before they fail completely.
Cooling System
If you are able to look after the cooling system, you will probably find that it leads to a much better vehicle that you can trust to be a lot more reliable. Your car needs to be able to cool itself well if you want to drive it effectively and be safe, so this is really important and something to think about from time to time. As well as topping up the coolant, you should make sure that you are servicing the whole system from time to time too.
