Sure, a home is the biggest purchase most of us will ever make. But the most frequent large purchase we’ll make in our lifetimes is our automobiles.
Todd Dickerson, owner of Dickerson Auto, shares a few tips and tricks on how to delay extensive (and expensive!) car maintenance throughout the years.
#1 Find a Good Mechanic A good mechanic will seek to continually educate themselves. Seeking to understand a manufacturer’s theory of operation is a key component to a successful diagnosis. You cannot determine what is wrong with a particular system if you do not understand how it is designed in the first place.
#2 Watch the Fluids In addition to regular oil changes, there are many other components that contain fluids. Although these fluids do not need to be changed as often as engine oil does, over time these fluids will deteriorate. Changing these additional fluids on a set interval based on the specific car you are driving can significantly extend the life expectancy of the vehicle.
#3 Track Your Tires Excessive tire wear is the most common problem we see. Tires are one of the more expensive investments people put into their vehicles. Have your steering and suspension components inspected at least twice a year. In addition to that, having the car aligned once a year can help you get the most out of your tire investment.
#4 Set Expectations Ask yourself what your long term expectations are for a particular vehicle. Then work with your service provider to develop a plan to reach those goals through effective maintenance. We see a lot of very expensive premature powertrain failures that are due to lack of maintenance not being performed earlier in the vehicle’s life. The majority of vehicles produced today are very capable of going 300,000 miles or more with proper maintenance along the way.