According to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc., the average automobile on the road today is 8.4 years old. But stretching the usable life of a car to this sort of tenure takes some serious tender loving care and a good routine maintenance program. Sticking to the basics not only extends life expectancy, it also can cut the cost of ownership. As the old saying goes, pay me now or pay me much more later. A seemingly benign squeak can morph into a major problem if left unattended. Following the steps below will increase your chances of preventing problems before they happen and help extend the life of your vehicle.

Five Minutes of prevention
The first thing to do is dedicate five minutes a week to a walk-around inspection of your car. If the tires look underinflated, check their pressure. An underinflated tire not only increases fuel consumption (try pushing a car with a flat tire), it also reduces the tire’s life (by five percent for a tire that’s underinflated by three psi) and increases the risk of a blowout. If the tires are wearing unevenly, take the car in and find out why.

Lift the hood and look for any obvious signs of leakage. Often, a breakdown can be prevented by identifying a coolant or oil leak early. It also pays to check the spot where the car is usually parked—an oil patch indicates a problem.

Under the Hood
Routine maintenance, however, is the most important strategy to make any vehicle last longer. “If you find a technician you trust, stick with him even if his prices are a little higher,” says Hardat Persaud, technical advisor in the automotive services department of CAA South Central Ontario. “In the long run, it will save time, money and unnecessary aggravation. Using the same technician also allows him to get to know your car—the things that will need doing down the road versus those that need doing now.”

When changing the oil and filter, always use the recommended oil. Today, most manufacturers specify 5W-20 or 5W-30 oils. This information is found in the most pristine part of a used car—the owner’s manual. Using the wrong oil can increase both fuel consumption and engine wear.

Check the air filter regularly and change it when needed. This not only helps to keep grit out of the engine (anything that bypasses the filter is going to cause wear), it also cuts fuel consumption. A dirty filter can increase fuel use by up to 10 percent.

On older cars, it also pays to flush the cooling system and refill it with a 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze. This not only provides protection against freezing, it also keeps the cooling system clean and free from corrosion. Many late-model cars use a long-life coolant designed to last five years or 160,000 kilometres. Spring is the ideal time to check all the hoses and make sure the system is leak-free. Overheating can leave you stranded as well as damage the engine.

If your car is three years old or more, it’s advisable to have the charging system and battery checked. Also make sure the battery cable connections are clean, tight and protected from the elements (smearing them with Vaseline or grease helps).

Try to keep the gas tank at least half full at all times. The condensation that builds up on the inside of an empty tank can add moisture to the gasoline. Contaminated gas can cause a myriad of problems—everything from stalling on a sunny day to a complete freeze-up in winter.

How well do you maintain your car? Take our quiz to find out!

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