Wouldn’t it be great if our older vehicles would run forever without incident? That we would never need to replace old parts or ever get another tuneup?

It’s definitely something we would love to dream about as it would save us some work, but the unfortunate fact is that there is usually more work that must be done to maintain an older vehicle.

But unfortunately problems arise. Thankfully, there’s plenty of ways to prolong the life of your vehicle that we’re going to list below.

Never miss an oil change!

The health of your engine, and thus the longevity of your vehicle, depend on this simple but crucial step. Without new oil every 3000 or so mils, all the inner parts risk damage and thus breakdowns in the future. Maybe not the near future, but definitely when you reach 150k and up in terms of miles.

So keep a record in some way of the times you’ve changed your oil, and when you need to do it next. Your engine can stop running after a severely long period time at the very worst, and at the least you risk having to replace otherwise good parts elsewhere in your engine.

In an older vehicle, it’s also a good idea to use a higher quality oil that doesn’t need to replaced as often (like synthetic oil).

Get a tuneup every 10k miles

This is closely related to the previous step but involves the use of the various fluids in your car as well as the condition of several parts.

Your brakes, transmission fluid, coolant, spark plugs, and wheel bearings are a few of the many things we would take a look at.

In an older vehicle, you especially want to pay attention to the hoses that cool your engine while it’s running. The coolant and heater hoses may need to be replaced if your car is above 100,000 miles

A couple of other bits of info to be aware of as you perform maintenance on an older vehicle:

• Keep an eye on your temperature gauge and keep the coolant handy. If you’re going past the middle more often, it’s time to replace the coolant.
• Every two years, you must replace the brake fluids
• Have a mechanic check your tired tread and wheel bearings for signs of steering or fluid issues
• Your transmission fluid should be replaced every 30 to 60 thousand miles
• The timing belt must also be changed about every 60k miles

Keep Your Tires In Great Condition

Many wrecks and breakdowns are caused by the sudden failure of one or a few of your tires. We’ve all seen blown out tires on the side road, and they’re even more prevalent than you may think.

All you need to do is be on the lookout for any vibrating while driving, as well as worn out tread. Google is plentiful with images of worn out tread that may help you determine whether it’s time for new tires.

It’s also a good idea to maintain proper inflation by consulting your manual. If you drive around on tires with low pressure, it’s not only easier to get a flat, but your gas mileage risks going down too amongst other problems.

We also recommend having your tires balanced every 5 to 6 thousand miles.

Check condition of your radiator, starter, alternator, a/c, etc.

Many of these parts are commonly replaced in an older vehicle, and often spring up unexpectedly.

Your radiator controls the water needed to keep your engine cool, while your alternator supplies power to your entire car. The other parts are self explanatory.

If you’ve been driving your vehicle for awhile, you’ll probably notice sounds or unusual nuances to your car’s performance. As much as we want to ignore some of them, these are often signs that a significant part of your car may need maintenance or repair.

So whenever you’re concerned about the state of your car truck, then please consider using Valentine Automotive as your mechanics when you need daphne al auto repair jobs done the right way.

Thanks for reading!