Media post: Budget-Friendly Ways to Maintain Your Car’s Longevity
Most cars cost a significant amount of money, so it’s important to find affordable ways to take care of your investment. Maintaining your vehicle doesn’t have to be expensive or overly time-consuming if you’re proactive about regular tune-ups and long-term care. There are many budget-friendly ways to look after your car — keep reading for some ideas.
If you end up with an unexpectedly large bill due to a costly car repair and need funds to cover it, consider looking into an emergency loan, which is a type of personal loan that you can use in an urgent situation. If you’re in a pinch, this type of loan could get you through a difficult financial situation with fixed terms and low interest rates.
Review the manual and warranty
First, it’s important to read the owner’s manual that comes with your car. The manufacturer will often recommend ways to keep your car in the best possible shape, including a schedule for how often to change the oil, tires, check your brakes and so forth. The schedule will typically be based on mileage amounts. Following these guidelines will hopefully help you avoid paying for costly maintenance more often than necessary.
If you bought a used car and there’s no owner’s manual, search for it on the manufacturer’s website and download a PDF of the latest version. You could keep a downloadable copy on your phone for quick reference or print a copy and keep it in your glove compartment.
If you have a warranty or service contract, read the terms to understand what it covers. If your warranty or service contract offers work or parts for free, you may have to take it to an authorized service provider or use specific parts to get the benefit.
Schedule routine maintenance
When you buy a car, you have to commit to the cost of routine maintenance and common repairs. However, keeping up with your maintenance schedule should be more friendly for your budget than paying for a big repair down the road.
As you’re reviewing the owner’s manual and manufacturer’s guidance, you might consider adding the recommended schedule to your calendar. That way, you’ll be able to plan ahead and budget for the costs in advance.
Tune-ups usually include some or all of the following:
– Changing the oil, brake fluid, coolant and transmission fluids
– Checking spark plugs
– Adding air, rotating or changing the tires
– Checking the engine
– Changing out the air, oil and fuel filters
– Replacing window wipers and wiper fluid
– Checking the car’s alignment
Of course, there may be other types of maintenance depending on the car you have.
Learn to perform basic tasks
You could learn to do some of the maintenance on your own in order to save money — like checking your oil, checking the battery and adding air to your tires — especially if you’re a seasoned car owner. However, it’s a good idea to take your car into a professional shop or your dealership if you have any doubts. Skimping on maintenance in the short term may lead to larger issues down the road.
If you have a friend who’s a mechanic or has a lot of experience working on cars, you might ask them for help in exchange for a skill you can provide.
Clean your car regularly
A professional detailing from time to time can go a long way to making your car look its best and help you protect your paint job, mats, seat cushions and other surfaces. The rest of the time, try cleaning your car yourself or see if a neighborhood kid wants to help you clean it for some extra money.
Another benefit of cleaning your car by yourself is that it will give you an opportunity to make sure everything looks and works as it should. Spotting potential issues before they become big concerns could potentially save you time and money in the long run.
Spend now to save later
Most budget-friendly strategies for maintaining your car come down to planning ahead, staying on top of the maintenance schedule for your specific vehicle and potentially learning how to perform some of the maintenance on your own.
It’s not impossible to find low-cost ways to care for your vehicle, but it’s important to invest in routine maintenance now to keep your car running for many years to come.
Notice: Information provided in this article is for information purposes only and does not necessarily reflect the views of bestsellingcarsblog.com or its employees. Please be sure to consult your financial advisor about your financial circumstances and options. This site may receive compensation from advertisers for links to third-party websites.
