Your Car Needs This (And This, And This) Every Once in a While
What was your first carâs name?
What? You didnât name your first taste of freedom? Baloney. Maybe youâve pushed it down into the deepest recesses of your repressed memories in the years since, but donât try to tell the world you let your original four-wheeled friend remain nameless.
To be sure, itâs downright strange that we name our cars. We all know cars donât talk, or think, or have goals or aspirations or anything resembling feelings. Nevertheless, we see something of ourselves in them. Like born-again mystics, we map stories, personalities, even value systems onto them.
Our cars are our friends. And, like true friends, we want the very best for them. While we know they wonât last forever, we want them to putter on as long as possible. So we do whatever we can to keep them in good working order.
Or so weâd like to think. In truth, weâre often too busy or distracted to give our vehicles the TLC they deserve â no matter how hard they work for us.
The good news: you donât have to quit your job and open a garage to keep your car in good working order. You just need to know what your car needs and when.
âMany of our buyers have no idea how easy it is to be a responsible car owner,â says Harry Kasparian, CMO of Miami-based dealership Hgreg. âWeâre committed to stocking well cared-for cars that weâd be proud to drive ourselves, and to educating each of our buyers about effective, low-cost car care.â
Want to be a better car owner? Start here.
- Change the Oil
Everyone knows this one. Because itâs such a critical part of maintenance, itâs worth outlining the four key benefits of regular oil changes: better gas mileage, longer engine life, moving part lubrication, and better emissions control system function. Modern cars donât need oil changes quite as often as classic rides â once every 5,000 miles or so is probably enough these days. But thatâs no excuse for forgetting altogether.
- Keep the Interior Dark and Dry
Not too dark or too dry, of course, at least not while youâre in it. Still, chronic exposure to extreme heat and light can wear out your carâs upholstery, moldings, and instrumentation. Youâre more likely to experience these problems in hot, sunny climates â so, when you tool around the Sun Belt, bring your reflective window shade and UV tint.
- Flush Coolant Regularly
Want to keep your carâs plumbing in good working order? Flush and replace the coolant every year, ideally as the weather begins to turn cooler. The ideal mix is 50% coolant and 50% distilled water, but your mechanic may have a different opinion.
- Keep Your Baby Clean
A clean car is a beautiful car â and one thatâs more likely to hold its value for longer. Prevent external corrosion by regularly washing and buffing your car. If you drive on dirt roads often, or live in a cold climate where roads are treated part of the year, hose down your carâs underside regularly too. Dirt, salt and grime are potent enemies, after all.
What are you doing to keep your car in good shape?
