Some tips for you to increase your car life span.
Do you want to increase your car life span? Here are some tips for you:
Lighten up your key chain
Does your car key share a chain with a dozen or more other keys? That's a pretty heavy load hanging off the car key when it's in the ignition. The weight, combined with bouncing while you drive, can wear out the tumblers inside the ignition and eventually lead to ignition switch failure. To add years of service to your ignition switch, purchase a lightweight key chain that allows you to separate your ignition key from the others. Drive with only the ignition key in your ignition. If your ignition key "sticks" when you try to turn on the car, it's a warning that your ignition switch is about to fail. Replace it before you get stranded.
Park in the shade
A garage is always the ideal place to park your car; but if one isn't available, always try to park your car in the shade to minimize interior damage from UV sunlight and heat. If no shade is available or if you find parking under a tree results in bird droppings, use a car shade to minimize the sun's impact.
Touch up nicks right away
Touch-up paint won't adhere well to rust. So be sure to keep some matching touch-up paint on hand so you can touch up any minor nicks, often found around door edges, before rust has a chance to form.
Lube your lug nuts
Lug nuts, if not lubricated occasionally, can seize or "freeze" to the studs due to corrosion. Repairing them can be expensive. Having to call a tow truck for a flat you can't remove is even more expensive. The next time you change or rotate your tires, pick up some anti-seize lubricant at your local auto supply store. Clean the stud threads with a wire brush and wipe them with the lubricant. It's formulated to prevent the lug nuts (spark plugs, too) from seizing and won't allow them to loosen as you drive, the way other lubricants might. If a lug nut does freeze to a stud, try spraying the nut and stud with WD-40 or Liquid Wrench. Allow it to penetrate for 10 or 20 minutes. Use a heat gun to apply heat. Then use a ratchet wrench to remove the lug.
Dilute your coolant
Your cooling system needs both coolant- antifreeze and water, so don't pour undiluted coolant into your cooling system. Dilute it with water to the commonly recommended 50-50 ratio. Similarly, don't use straight water in your system either. The coolant protects against corrosion and freezing. The water ensures good heat transfer from the coolant to the radiator.
Change oil frequently
While the owner's manuals for today's cars recommend increasing long intervals between oil changes, the fact remains -- frequent changes flush abrasive dirt and metal particles out of the engine, prolonging its life. Most owners’ manuals recommend a more frequent interval for "severe conditions." To maximize the life of your engine, follow the severe intervals recommendations, especially if drive regularly in stop-and-go traffic.
Check power-steering fluid
Check the power-steering fluid once a month with the car warmed up. If the level is low, have the hoses and pump inspected for leaks. In addition to making your car difficult to steer, low power-steering fluid will damage the power-steering pump. Be sure to use the power steering fluid recommended for your car.
Check wheel alignment
Have your car's wheel alignment checked every 30,000 miles (48,000 km), or as recommended in your owner's manual. Also have it checked after buying new tires and when you replace a rack-and-pinion steering unit or other steering parts. Improper tire alignment will shorten the life of your tires as well as cause poor handling. If your steering is stiffer than normal or the vehicle pulls to one side, you probably have an alignment problem.
Care for anti-lock brakes
An anti-lock brake system is sensitive to moisture, which can ruin the expensive ABS pump and rot the brake lines from the inside. Since brake fluid attracts moisture, it should be "bled" or purged at least every three years, or as specified in your owner's manual.
