The typical car can last over a decade and may log well over a 100,000 miles, but this does come with a great deal of maintenance. In fact, on rare occasion, some car owners have seen their cars reach as high as 1 million miles! Now reaching that level of miles is difficult to accomplish, yet that doesn't mean that there are not steps that you can take today to get the most out of your car. The good news is that most of these steps are actually easy to implement. Let's take a look at some of the basic steps you need to consider to help your car make the 100,000 mark or even higher.
#1 Keep an Eye on Your Transmission
If you want your car to last, then you must make sure that you keep an eye on your transmission. Once a transmission "goes out," especially in an older car that already has some miles on it, people often are forced to get a new vehicle. Since the transmission of the car is very complicated, it can typically cost a lot of money to get it repaired.
There are things you can do to keep your transmission in good shape. First of all, make sure your car is never leaking. Leakage could be a sign of something serious. Make sure you also keep an eye on the level of the transmission fluid. Often only the dealer can check the condition of the fluid, but types of cars allow the driver to check. Another simple thing that you can do is to make sure that your car has completely stopped before you shift into reverse or park.
#2 Realize that Any Sign of Rust is a Big Deal
Rust might be a "cool" colour for certain products, but you never want to see rust on your car. If at any point you see rust appear anywhere on your vehicle, you need to make an appointment with your car dealership immediately and addresses this problem. Rust will spread, so if you want to keep your car around you have to stop it in its tracks. The term "rust bucket" means a worthless car, and that gives you an idea just how serious rust is!
#3 Change Your Oil!
If you don't change your oil, you are asking for trouble! If your car's engine fails, which can be the result of going too long in between oil changes, then you have a major expense on your hands. At this point, you might just be tempted to buy another car.
#4 Be as Gentle as Possible
If you own a truck or van and use it for work, then you need to be a little rough on it from time to time. However, when it comes to your car, you should be as gentle as possible, as this will help you avoid wear and tear.
5 Ways to Make Your Car Last Longer
- Keep an eye on your transmission
- Deal with rust quickly
- Change your oil and other key fluids
- Be gentle with your car
- Be a responsible owner... this means taking your car in for regular maintenance and paying attention to any decrease in performance. Request the recommended Maintenance Schedule from your local car dealer.
