How to Slash Your Car Maintenance and Repair Costs

Did you know? An average American spends $8,700 a year to keep their car maintained. It accounts for $725 a month and 58 cents for each mile driven. The average lifetime spending on the vehicles is around $335,080, equivalent to 10 percent of average lifetime earnings.

It simply means that a big part of our savings is unconditionally reserved for car repair and maintenance. On top of that, a car is a second-largest purchase after a home. It is nearly impossible to achieve zero spending on your car. The more you drive your vehicle, the more money it costs to maintain it.

Besides high fuel prices, the wearing of the parts like tires, brakes, engine oil and spark plugs add to your costs. These things are translated into the bad starter motor, leaky radiator, cracked engine mounts, and other costly damages. While you can’t prevent the cost at all, there are several ways to reduce those expenses. Or you can delay the malfunction of your car. The answer lies in proper maintenance. Here is how…

Change Your Air Filter:

Air filter supplies clean air to the engine by trapping debris, pollens, and dust outside. Over time, it is accumulated with these particles. A clogged air filter causes all kinds of drivability problems in your car. A faulty air filter leads to misfires engine, reduced fuel economy, and noises.

Change your air filter every 12,000 miles or according to the owner’s manual. The replacement of air filters generally costs you around $10.

Get the Spark Plug Replaced:

A spark plug is an important element of a car which makes the fuel to ignite the combustion chamber. A malfunctioning spark plug can cause damages and affect vehicle performance as well. The unwanted outcomes are engine misfiring, slow acceleration, and excessive fuel consumption.

The spark plug should be replaced every 30,000 miles or as instructed by your car’s user manual.

Change the Oil and Oil Filters:

Changing the oil and oil filters keeps the engines in working condition.

This is because the engine is made up of many moving components. These components are required to be properly lubricated to avoid breakdown.

Oil performs this vital function. However, the oil is likely to wear out and trap with debris, dust, and dirt from the engine and the environment as well. As a result, your engine can catch corrosion and wear down earlier. The “old” oil turns to sludge—another deadly thing to the engine.

The new and fresh oil keeps the engine lubricated; cools down the heating components; enhances the mileage and, above all, increases the life of your car. Consider oil change every 3,000 miles or it can be every 5,000 miles for a new vehicle. However, the oil should be changed more often if you drive vehicles at high speed or if your car has an older engine.

Likewise, the oil filter should be changed as it gets clogged which in turn affects the performance of the car. So the filter should be changed along with the oil.

Check Your Tires Pressure:

Make sure that your car tires are properly inflated.

Both under-inflation and over-inflation can cause premature tread wear, sidewall flexing, tire failure, car bouncing, and blowout. Check the pressure of tire frequently along with the tire rotation and alignment.

Check the Brakes:

Brake pads are one of the most used parts of the car. That’s why they are likely to wear down soon. You can afford to skimp on their maintenance as they are downright important for safety.

Here are the signs that time has come to replace the brakes…

• Squeaking noise when you apply the brakes. Brake pedal feels soft or fade
• Brake light or ABS light is on
• It’s been 12 months or 12,000 miles since your brakes have been checked.
• The depth is less than that ¼ inch. 

Keep in mind that accidents due to worn out brakes are more expensive than the replacement of brake pads.

So you must have understood the ways to reduce your car repair and maintenance costs. Implying these tips will help you save money as well as improve your vehicle’s performance down the road.