8 Important Tips To A Long Running Car

A few months back found myself touring some used car lots with my Aunt, she was shopping around for an upgrade for her old Chevy, that had begun to see better days. While she was signing the paperwork for a newer/old car, I found myself looking around some other amazing cars some were 10, 15, 20 years old, and still looked in perfect condition. This got me thinking, How are there are so many perfect old cars still on the road? What are people doing to keep them in this type of condition? I knew I needed to investigate further. While I was doing this I stumbled across some interesting figures.

The average age of a car registered in the US in 2018 was over 11 years of age, of the over 260 million cars on the road. Most Americans keep their cars for an average of over 6 years. In 2021 they project that nearly 20 million cars on our roads will be over 25 years old.

With this many antique cars on the road, I thought that their owners must be doing something special, they must have access to some 'secret' insider information that the rest of us just aren't privy to. As I began to dig a little deeper, I learned a simple fact, the secret to keeping your car running longer is to do the basics as often as you can. These simple steps protect the integrity of your car and prevent larger more costly problems arising in the future. So, what do I mean by the basics? Here are 8 Important Tips To A Long Running Car that I learned during my research.

#1 Get your timing right

the vast majority of cars on the road and beat her timing chains or belts. This part helps keep your engine running smoothly. but if something goes wrong it will kill your engine in seconds. timing belts have to be replaced every 60,000 to 100,000 miles, depending on the make and model of your car. There's no point in hiding the fact that replacing a timing chain or belt is never cheap. going to Donuts it's not something you have to worry about four years to come

#2 Keep your cool

your engine is designed to create thousands of explosions just to keep your car moving down the road. as a consequence that gets pretty hot in there, this is why every car is fitted with a cooling system. This is why you should always ensure that there is enough coolant in the reservoir to check for any leaks from hoses that are radiators and get them replaced in mediately. kind of running too hot won't last for long

#3 Your suspension is designed that way for a reason.

The automobile industry is a multi-billion-dollar industry. Every year teams of engineers spend their days designing different parts for cars. A team of engineers who worked on the suspension of your car, and designed it in a specific way. it was never meant to be modified. All you should do to your suspension is to get it regularly serviced and tightened or get parts replaced when needed. If you want to do anything get some performance parts directly from the manufacturer or get some upgrades from affiliated aftermarket companies that have worked directly with your automaker. Never let anyone who isn’t qualified to work on your brand and model to mess with its suspension.

#4. Blood saves lives

Oil is the lifeblood of your engine. If you can remember when you changed it last, the best advice is to go get it done now. An oil change is one of the fundamental things that you should schedule regularly. Your owner's manual or a simple online search will tell you exactly how often you should change your oil. Some older car experts recommend that you change it more often especially when a car gets a little older the internals of the engine started to wear.

#5. Learn to leave well enough alone

Every time we turn on the television we are bombarded with a plethora of products they promise to make your engine more powerful, faster, and last longer. Most people learn that anything that sounds too good to be true generally is. Stick to the products that your manufacturers recommend. buying high-quality fluids and oils, doing common-sense preventive maintenance, and using only genuine parts will prolong the life of your car

#6. Get a full check-up every couple of years

Just because your state doesn't require an annual safety check doesn't mean it's not something you should do.. Too many car owners avoid this because they believe it's an unnecessary expense. But, it’s important to try and think of it from this perspective if you don't get your car fully serviced this year, and next year you have to put your hand in your pocket to purchase a replacement-Which will be more expensive? Unplanned car problems always end up being more expensive than regular services.

#7 Always be prepared

Most older car owners will have a little reservoir of oil in their trunk. Having learned from experience that older engines will burn oil. This is something that you need to keep an eye on, by regularly dipping to check your oil levels and watching out for leaks. This is really not that big a deal it only a matter of popping the hood once a week and having a quick look around the engine, Also once in a while, you should check the ground underneath your engine after you pull away.

#8 Get some good threads

Everyone has either heard the story or have it happened to themselves when they ran over something unexpected on the highway and ended up shredding a tire. Buying cheap tires inevitably ends up costing you money and most simply aren't safe. Why would you want to cut corners on the one thing that connects you to the road, they are essential to your overall health and safety, especially in poor driving conditions. Cheaper tires are known to wear unevenly and faster, further damaging your car's suspension. This can lead to wear and tear in other parts of the car's components. Wheels, brakes, and tires are basic components of your car and are not something that you should cut corners on(pardon the pun).

As you can see the secret to prolonging the life of a car is just regular maintenance. Doing the simple things on a regular basis will keep your car running for years to come. Thankfully my Aunt’s decision to upgrade to 2012 Buick LaCrosse has paid off handsomely, Thank you to the previous owners, who looked after this car so well.