How to Make Your Car Last Longer

Ideally, There's plenty of ways to make your car last longer than normal (which can be anywhere from 90,000–200,000 miles). It all comes down to responsibility of your ride and keeping a strict basis of monthly to yearly maintenance checks. Even newer cars don't last as long to begin with, no matter what the dealer may boast, or how rugged the vehicle might be. Fact is, car manufactures need their lines of various models to breakdown in the long run, so their sales don't plummet. It's not as indepth as the whole iPhone battery issue, but it's still an understandable concept that should be used as foresight.

To begin, make sure you're up to date on everything you need to know on your vehicle's make, model, vin number, license plate, tire ratio, and so on. The real key to success if you ever want to truly learn how to make your car last longer is by knowing your car inside and out. If you aren't one step ahead in knowing what's malfunctioning, then you're liable to being ripped off by mechanics or making your car's condition worse (which is what tends to occur no matter what). So, follow this guide to stray away from disaster, and to ultimately keep you on the road for much longer.

Smarter Driving

Although most obvious, and still relatively ignored, the best to make your car last longer is simply by driving better. It's blunt and straightforward, but realistically if you're having major trouble and various issues with vehicles on a regular basis, chances are it's not the car but the driver.

Being a smarter driver also entails knowing certain tips to avoid car accidents. If you're driving smoothly and don't have a single issue, keep it up! You should still keep track of checkups, servicing and other replacements as you would your own medical history. Make a detailed schedule of every visit your car has taken to the shop, and also outline any issues you may experience throughout your vehicle's potentially long lasting lifetime.

Pedal to the Metal

Maybe not regularly, but hitting the gas and exceeding your car's speed is actually a beneficial trick in how to make your car last longer. It's true that hitting high RPMs will not only increase the components' wear and tear, but also ripples through fuel. While you may not be able to amend the fuel thing, other than by getting a new car with better fuel economy, the breakdown of your components and their eventual replacement are inevitable.

When you hit the throttle and max the gas for even a split second, you're wiping the exhaust valves, intake manifold, combustion chamber, and even the throttle body all clean of harmful carbon buildup. If left untreated, aside from a mass of repairs, you'd also be faced with continued misfirings and performance issues. Rev it up every once in a while, and make that baby purr to reduce carbon buildup.

Soften the Payload

While you (hopefully) may not be driving around with nuclear weapons or lunar equipment, you still should be weary about the amount of weight you load into the car, as well as how long it stays in there. Keeping a heavy flat tire in the trunk and driving on a donut for a week is a surefire way to eliminate any possibility of maintaining a durable vehicle.

Learning how to make your car last longer is as simple as knowing your car's limits. If you drive an SUV, minivan, or a bulkier car, every component has to work even harder, from the engine and transmission, to the brakes and suspension. By limiting your car's weight, you'll also be limiting further damage on the frame and other necessary parts (like the tires...)

Trimming Off Old Alignments

Many people also tend to forget that changing tires and rims are crucial when figuring out how to make your car last longer. Ignore the life of your rims or tire pressure and you'll mess up the whole suspension system. Your own self-designed maintenance schedules should also be keeping track of when and where these replacements take place, so you know when it's best to change them in the future.

In addition to old rim replacements and tire pressure control, you'll also seriously want to consider getting your wheels aligned at least 2-3 times a year. The alignment keeps your steering centered, and could lead to a car's veering off in different directions, or continued flat tires if improperly enforced. Otherwise, you won't be able to...

STOP!

Braking is a serious necessity within a car. Whether to turn, slow down, or to come to a complete stop, your brakes ensure you stay accident-free and maintain control on the road. Leave these to any kinds of rust or dust, and you won't be able to stop, literally. If you want to learn how to make your car last longer, your brakes are the most important pieces of the equation.

Regularly servicing your disc brakes and back drums will make sure you aren't losing control when control is necessary. Depending on their condition, you'll either have to change the brakes altogether, or simply have them cleaned. Using a brake cleaner spray or scrub, no matter the case, will limit your brakes from rusting and failing in the long run.

Warmer

The most damage you can do to a vehicle is through cold starting. Despite popular opinions, idling after one starts the car is no way to maintain a healthy vehicle. One of the most useful tips that will help you prepare for winter car storage is knowing the necessity of a car's internal warmth.

One of the many ways in how to make your car last longer is by listening to your car's temperature. Instead of idling after starting the ignition, simply wait up to two minutes after cold starting your ride. You need to get both the oil circulating and the engine heated. Once the heater begins to blow warm air, or when the internal temp gauge begins to rise, you're free to go wherever your heart desires.

Cooler

Yes, warmer cars are equal to more joyous cars, but their big and hefty engines also need some valuable chill time, as well. Most necessary for those with turbochargers, but also apparent in some modern cars, one must allow the car to accurately cool down while keeping an avid route for circulation.

For keeping the car cool after a long, engine-hot drive, instead of idling after you've made it home, actually spend the remainder of your drive in lower gears, or in slower RPMs. This will limit the cooking of oil and will reverse the damage on bearings. Idling will just make the engine bay heat up, which you don't want; gentle driving is the most efficient way in how to make you car last longer.

Scheduled Checkups and Servicing

There's a variety of different car maintenance systems that must be kept in line for an overall outlasting vehicle. Among the best ways in how to make your car last longer is simply by keeping your checkups and services on track. Miss one, or ignore another and you're car is immediately susceptible to issue.

From transmission fluid and brakes, to spark plugs, there's a long list of things that must be checked and rechecked throughout the year. It's important to have a valued and trusted vehicle service provider on demand in case of emergencies. Routine checks and services, along with replacements of various components will all ensure your car remains gliding as if you had just bought it.

It's All in the Details

Whether or not you're attempting to learn how to make your car last longer, the cleanliness of both the outside and interior of your vehicle is another of the many ways you can keep it everlasting. It's a personal touch, especially if you're one to do it yourself (which I recommend at least once). It's among the unusual ways to make your car last longer, but it sure does work.

Aside from relative cleanliness, often washed every 2 months or so, you should also keep a number of cleaning wipes for the inside; depending on surface, having all-around, leather, and even hand sanitizing wipes is perfect for ensuring your car is not only in tip top shape, but beautiful condition, as well. Always have some Ozium, as well, it's the best for knocking out harsh and unwanted odors.

Oil Changes

Without engine oil, your car would be like a bloodless human. The engine, or in this case the human heart, needs oil to keep it operating functionally and superiorly—but, not any kind of oil. The reason why an oil change is so explicitly stressed is because of these very reasons; tainted or contaminated oil can deteriorate a car's life.

There's vacuum oil extractors, which make changing oil a breeze, but you can also take you car to any regular service provider for one of the ways in how to make your car last longer. You'll have to replace the oil filter, as well, and must change both of these components again within the expenditure of 3,000 miles or so.

Not only is a maintained battery of utmost importance when learning how to make your car last longer, but so is recharging your air conditioning. You can actually do this yourself, simply follow these steps in recharging the A/C system, but you can also take your car to any nearest shop for such a procedure.

You're best bet is to look into something like the A/C Pro dispenser and gauge. It's a triggered mixture of acid eliminators and moisture that brings cold air back into your conditioning unit, uplifts your cooling system and rebuffs your air filter. With two gauges, one for indicating temperature and the other for low pressure, the $30 price tag is more than worth it.