Need A Boost? Try These “Low-Cost” Steps To Help Prevent Car Problems Ms. Bels Tuesday, August 6, 2013 The Receipt, Your Money and You I remember having a green Saturn Sedan in college. That little car was good on fuel and journeyed up and down 85 South from Montgomery to Atlanta like a trooper. By me never really appreciating cars, I was bad at keeping the oil change and stuff like that. I learned my lesson, however, once I graduated and returned home. Only a few months back in the A and my car engine blew up. Why? Because I hadn’t had an oil change or replaced oil in a long time. I was lucky the car even made it back to Georgia. Many people have trouble maintaining their cars too. We get so caught up in everyday life that we tend to forget the important things such as car maintenance. Also, it is expensive to maintain a car. The AAA study found that there were significant increases in the cost of labor and parts over the past year. As a result, average maintenance costs are up by 11.26% on average for sedan owners, the largest percent year-over-year increase, to 4.97 cents per mile. Included in that figure are the labor and parts costs to maintain and repair the car for five years and 75,000 miles as well as purchasing an extended warranty. AAA noted that figure also has increased due to increases in extended warranty prices — the result of high losses by underwriters. (Source) So, what can we do as car owners to make sure our car is running properly at all times? 1. Read he manual that came with the car. Stay abreast of how often and what services you need to have done. 2. Don’t ignore your check engine light. If this appears, it means that something is wrong with your car. Go to your dealership or personal mechanic and let them check it out. 3. Change your oil every 3,000 miles. 4. Check your tire pressure and/or rotate your tires. Some cars have a internal light that will appear when the pressure is down. If you’re car does not, every so many weeks check it to be on the safe side. 5. Replace other fluids in your car. This is something the service guy should remind you of during regular maintenance check-ups at the dealership. If you do not change out the fluids, this could lead to transmission problems and an out-of-pocket expense of up to $4,000. 6. Don’t drive an overheated vehicle. 7. Change the air filters. 8. Use the right kind of gasoline. 9. Buy the right parts for your car. Don’t be cheap and buy parts that will go faulty. For more details on how to maintain your car, read this article .
